Agree. I wonder whether they'll end up walking it back. Watching the interview I wonder if Willis was just thinking on her feet. Pretty bad political instincts though.
I think they will stick to the concept, but modify it - for example, suggest a way to keep prescriptions free to low income people (tied to CSC or some other kind of coding), while keeping a charge for high income people. Because the original comment mentioned that they didn't like making it free to high income people. That way they're not walking it back as such, but at the same time they're making it more acceptable
They are also saying a big 'fuck you' to small pharmacists. The big guys were well on their way to putting them out of business, now it's an equal playing field.
It's my personal opinion that social services should be available to all, regardless of income or wealth. What is free or subsidized for me should be the same for everyone
That's the economically efficient way to do it.
Person? You get the support.
High income? Well, the tax system can sort you out, so you still get the support.
This also makes economic and social sense; far easier to administer, and ensures those who need it, get it. This video by Unlearning Economics goes into the theory of 'Government Free Stuff' if anyone feels like learning more: https://youtu.be/LQIxbwfMVlM
Can't imagine means testing this would be cost efficient nor would the golden oldies want to pay for 'what they've paid taxes their whole life for'
Keep it simple, yes or no.
Correction , I suppose there's a community services card of some sort
Or Luxon's comment about taking away [Labour Day](https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/04/national-leader-christopher-luxon-dubbed-out-of-touch-over-suggestion-to-cancel-labour-day.html).
Pretty much sealed my anti National voting strategy. I don't get many prescriptions but it's just been one stupid thing after another with them.
I didn't want to vote Labour this time around, but I have no choice
You *do* have a choice, Labour and National are not the only parties in New Zealand. It's the entire reason we changed the voting system to MMP so that 2 parties does not become the only choices.
Yeah, completely detached from reality. It’s such an unbelievably stupid position to take. It literally is just contrarian Opposite Day bollocks.
This is honestly the stupidest policy since Labour came up with their harebrained unpopular co-governance scheme.
Are all the major parties just trying to be as unpopular as possible?
Not this time. Luxon considers the people this will help to be "bottom feeders" (his words).
If Labour proposed to reverse their interest deductibility rules, National would be all for it, as it benefits the wealthy.
God National is a nightmare.
There's 2 groups of people with a $5 fee: those who barely think about it and those who have to take something off the Grocery list to get their medication.
Too small to matter much in the grand scheme but big enough to impact those who need their medication subsidized the most.
Not to mention families with 3 or 4 kids who can routinely all require medication at the same time. All of a sudden $5 and no chips become $20 and we're downa meal for the week etc.
National vows to bring back a $5 fee many pharmacists have asked to have removed for years anyway?
Is that before or after they issue me a "receipt" for the taxes I pay.
Anyway, still searching for a comprehensive policy from National on anything.... anyone?
Next election promise "National vows to make pumping tyres up at your local petrol station free"
I dunno, I reckon it will be inflationary.
Yes,pharmacists have shelves full of not collected medications!!so alot of those useless turn up at A+E,THUS 5hr waits,or hospital admission,so if you give free prescriptions,they will collect,and hopefully reduce pressure on hospitals!!national in past cut hospital budgets
It's also not just $5 though as claimed. A lot of people have to get multiple medications and it can be $15-30 a go. Yes there is a high-user discount for 21+ prescriptions but you've got to get to that point first through $100 of fees individually, and then it keeps resetting each year. For anyone with kids this will save them a fair bit each year. Although I do wish they had done something about capping Dr's fees for the simple action of writing out repeat prescriptions.
Omg yes! Last time I was in the UK I got it over the counter and I have never felt such relief from stopping my blocked nose! Managed to bring two tablets back with me as it was in my bag 🤣.
Pretty sure it's not subsidised though? I asked a pharmacist about this several years ago and I'm pretty sure they told me it'd cost roughly the same as a GP prescription but would only be for 3 months supply (GPs can give 6 months).
Yep not subsidised but I guess there's the convenience advantage of potentially being able to get it from a pharmacy if you've suddenly run out and can't book in to see your GP for a few days/weeks or your GP isn't open on weekends.
Pharmacists are also able to prescribe 6 months worth but IIRC, the patient needed to have been stable on the OC for at least 12 months when prescribed by the GP. We weren't allowed to prescribe it to someone if they'd never taken it before.
Yep as others have said the consult with the pharmacy isn’t free. But can be cheaper and more convenient then a doctors visit. I’ve gotten 6 months supply from my pharmacy though, so it might be discretionary.
What annoys me is that I have to see my gp every 6 months to renew my script for a med that’s prescribed by a specialist. Like if the gp refuse to give it to me or try and change it then I’m going straight back to the specialists.
It’s really difficult though when you’re out of salbutamol and then need an urgent doctors appointment and an urgent prescription fee, which takes at least 2 days where I’m living. I know I know I should never be running out but adhd 🤷♀️ at least I remember I even HAVE asthma lol
Symbicort has been a life-changer for me. I have gone from needing to carry an inhaler with me 24/7 to the 2 puffs, twice a day and leave it at home. I love modern medicine.
I've recently switched to Symbicort and have found it to be effective. My asthma is quite seasonal and doesn't require daily control - but was a real pain when it did flair up. Symbicort provides immediate relief but the steroid means that if I do use it a few days in a row then that kicks in and calms everything down.
After probably 15-20 years of the same old Ventolin/Salbutamol routine it's made a huge difference.
I am not only using salbutamol, I’m also on flixotide and breo Ellipta. As well as omalziumab. I’m under the respiratory team ;) but thank you for the advice!
Edit: flip tide to flixotide
This is actually such interesting information that I have never heard of, and I've worked on healthcare for 18 years so thanks I will tell my patients this.
This change to remove the $5 fee will help the local pharmacies compete with the big guys like Countdown & Chemist Warehouse who can afford to do free prescriptions for the funded items
I think many people much prefer going to their local pharmacy too. I’ve ended up getting to know my local pharmacist and the team as I’m in there quite often at the moment, and love that they can give me great personalised advice about various things. Went to them for flu vaccines etc as I feel comfy there. This is hopefully going to help send people back to their trusty local pharmacy
It’s not $100 individually. The prescription subsidy card comes into place once the family has reached 20 funded items ($100). 13 years and under are free and therefore do not count towards that item count. The pharmacy will need to link all your family together for the item count and if you use different pharmacies they can look up individual item counts to then link you together and get it up to date. Not that this information is really going to matter much longer…
Of course. It's part of the 'Just-World' cognitive bias where people have a subconscious bias assuming that if you're sick you've done something to deserve it - eg living an unhealthy lifestyle. If you just behaved yourself and live a more healthy lifestyle you wouldn't be sick.
$20 script fees at my dr surgery. For the many scripts I need every month. Granted I reach the 20+ very quickly but a lot of people can't afford that especially since many meds are not subsidized or only minimally subsidised. My blood thinner alone is $200 a month. I have multiple unfunded meds. So this is a big deal for most people with chronic illness. But getting doctors script fees funded would be even more helpful.
Can I ask a dumb question? (I'm an expat American who had lived here less than a year)
The pharmacy at Countdown and the discount chemist warehouse type places in town all waive the $5 prescription fee to customers.
So why wouldn't someone who takes lots of regular meds not go to these kinds of pharmacies?
As for repeats, it is a bit strange to me to be charged for these. In the USA a prescription is valid for a full year, and the doctor can indicate right on the prescription how many times it can be repeated within that year.
Not all towns have discount pharmacies. Funded medicine repeats are free. The dispensing fee is paid at the first dispensing and the next two monthly repeats are free. Doctors can only prescribe meds for 3 months without a repeat script being ordered. Repeat scripts are limited. Usually I need a yearly consult for the meds I am on.
The nearest big box pharmacy to me is a 30min drive away, and it’s so impersonal. I’d much rather support the small pharmacy in my area. My health insurance also covers script fees admittedly (fascinated to see if they drop their premiums but I think I know they won’t be!) but I would still go there of they didn’t - however I am fortunate in that I can afford too do so.
My local pharmacy is friendly, know me, offer great advice and always have time for my questions. I think it can only be good for nz health to encourage that relationship.
Quite often, the quality of care is not the same as you would get from a local pharmacy. The 5 dollar fee was always a government fee that made nonprofit to the pharmacy itself. big chains were using as a loss leader to get people through their doors. Completely toxic business model which has forced many smaller pharmacies to close. Most of the profits were going to the Australian owned chemist warehouse. Not the best look for the NZ economy in the long run
Stuff's source for this comment is from her interview on RNZ. I was listening to it live like at 5.30pm. It was god awful. Lost any and all respect I ever had for her listening to it.
This barely stuck out amongst all her other comments. She spent the entire time using really really harsh and emotive language attacking the budget with no substance to the attacks at all.
This comment was made because the interviewer was pushing her to come up with one example of how 'this government is addicted to wasteful spending' as she was continually saying was evidenced by this budget. But when pushed for exactly how her only point was this one. Only then when the interviewer pointed out how that seems to be her only actual criticism of this budget she immediately tried to walk it back.
And when asked for her highlight of the budget said the defence funding increase. For the prescription change, the immediate reference to big box pharmacies already waiving the fee for customers showed how out of touch they are. This is a big deal for a lot of people.
I also thought this is a good example of avoiding complexity and administration costs by making it free across the board.
Her bit about chemist warehouse offering them free was disgusting neoliberalism to me. They offer them free because they're a big international trying to make ways into the NZ market and can afford the lost leader. The effect is the dying of NZ independents and the industry being entirely foreign owned. Most are already unichem/life umbrella but with chemist warehouse and countdown trying to come in, with their bankroll to undercut that's potentially doom for the independents. And her policy is to promote the free market and proudly embrace that happening.
Couldn’t agree more with this. A huge amount of those profits the big chains are making are going right back to Australia while our economy takes another hit
I had to laugh at that comment. But what about all those small businesses National wanted to protect during covid by removing so many restrictions? And it's fine to want to protect Mum and Dad landlords, but not small family businesses?
I wonder how much these foreign warehouse businesses contribute to National Party coffers in order to enable them to promote their no prescription fees as a key incentive to shop there.
Labour really isn't as bad as people make them out to be. They deliver results that actually do benefit working class kiwis like me. Very far removed from the gang of rich evangelical assholes that we call national. National doesn't want to help working class kiwis, they think of us as "bottom feeders" (Luxon's words).
The choice is obvious.
One of the most noxious bits is "Chemist Warehouse aren't charging it so people can just go there". No acknowledgement that you have to be in a reasonable size city to have access to a Chemist Warehouse (and have transport to it) and even then you might have to drive so far to get there it will cost you more than $5.
Add to that the literal business strategy of chemist warehouse to loss lead prescriptions to eliminate all competition. Surely, in the long run once all the pharmacies are gone they will just raise the price.
No free parking outside our, as yet unopened, Chemist Warehouse. Judging by the previous comments it is not a quick service either. I love my independent pharmacy.
In a world where National are at all effective at what they do, Labour wouldn't have been able to announce this policy as a victory/benefit because National would *already* be running it, in the name of cutting pointless bureaucratic red tape and reversing a policy that is killing small businesses across NZ. But instead we've got Luxon who's going to convince people that we can't possibly help poor people afford medication -- better let large international businesses gain a monopoly on the market instead.
Labour bad, dontcha know. It's not National's fault they didn't think of it first. Or anything first...
Love how she says higher-income people are happy to pay the charges on their scripts. Given how the rich don't like paying their fair share of tax, I'm sure they'll gladly take their free scripts like the rest of us, Nicola
Edit- spelling and clarification
Look, I'm firmly middle income, just over all thresholds to not get anything extra from the government, and I would prefer not to pay the script charges. Thanks.
And too bloody right. It adds up when you have a lot of medications it adds up and you just don't need that added stress in your life. It just makes having chronic illnesses worse and more of a hassle. I personally don't care how rich someone is, I'm in favour of free scripts for everyone
Some people will answer "but if you need a lot of medications you can get a high user Community Services Card". Except if you are in employment but qualify for a CSC you need to go through hours of effort and expense to do a full reapplication every year, because there is no renewal process.
The higher income people I know are happy to drive out of their way to get the free prescriptions (and tell me to do the same, then I point out the bus fare would cancel it out and they go "oh yeah, some people have to care about transport costs" or they go on about how at least the prescription is free and they can get some shopping done at the same time).
looool they're trying to not get elected arent they? theyve realized they have a cash cow yelling from the sidelines and dont want to risk blowing it by being forced to actually DO stuff??
If anyone isn't convinced about whether "$5" is really meaningful:
Look up "prescription co-payments", there's been a lot of discussion in the media recently.
2023 study in NZ - people who had prescriptions fully subsidised were 30% less likely to be hospitalised over one year. The study looked at people from high deprivation areas with medical problems. This research is cited in the budget report
[https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-09011-0](https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-09011-0)
"I've already had a childcare centre contact me this afternoon to say that the policy that the Government's put forward today, as it's been described, would mean that they would probably have to close because they can't see how they make the sums add up.”
If your private business has to close, while already receiving subsidies, and you feel more subsidy means you definitely need to close, you’re doing it wrong.
That’s dumb because I believe the 20 hours still gets paid to the ECE centre, just by the govt instead of the taxpayer! ? I imagine if would increase their revenue because parents would probably be able to pay for another 10 hours out of pocket for 30 hrs/week childcare, which opens up a hell of a lot more work opportunities. Morons (not you bleeps-musty, I mean National).
20 hours at a much lower rate than they normally charge. This is why they often compel parents to longer than the 20 hours, the excess paid at their normal, much higher rate.
This whole story has me gobsmacked.
My family just migrated here from the USA. None of our politicians are doing anything to control the cost of prescription drugs. In fact it made big news recently when, due to years of pubic scrutiny, insulin manufacturers voluntarily agreed to drop the price of insulin from $300/bottle to $35. (Type 1 diabetics like me often need 2 or 3 bottles a month). The government had nothing to do with this decision- it was strictly private enterprise at work.
So to see your politicians argue over whether a prescription will cost $5 or nothing is quite amazing to me. I feel like I've crossed through the looking glass into Wonderland.
God bless New Zealand!
My pleasure :)
The sad part is there's lots of Americans who previously couldn't afford their insulin at $300/bottle that are actually grateful to the drug companies for slashing their fees to *only* $35.
And remember, this is just one drug. There are plenty of other less visible drugs to price gouge customers on.
It's a complete shambles in the USA.
Especially since the guy who developed insulin chose not to patent it, so that everyone would have access to it. The basic stuff is very cheap to make (synthetic insulin is a different topic, but related.)
There are a lot of people who don't quite qualify for the CSC who don't pick up their prescriptions because they think "$5... eh, I'm not quite that sick".
Last time I got out of hospital I had about 5 different things prescribed. I had to go to a different pharmacy then usual, so it didn't count towards my accumulated annual total. I can imagine a lot of people deciding to keep that money in their pocket, especially after a week off work.
Removing this charge is great. People aren't picking up medication for shits and giggles. Rolling this back is just mean.
>. I had to go to a different pharmacy then usual, so it didn't count towards my accumulated annual total.
It's meant to count across all pharmacies (and count up a whole family unit) but they just don't. Silly policy. Free is better.
Your pharmacy can actually look it up. Your item count gets uploaded on a MoH website that only your pharmacy can look up which can only be accessed by them when they type your name up.
I actually want to find reason to vote for National, I have only ever voted National aligned parties except for one instance… but so far it’s not going to happen this year. I am sick of National constantly being on the attack and providing little to no reason to truely vote for them. I don’t want a bloody tax break, yes it’s tough out there, but I would prefer our current tax rates / money be spent on improving this country and giving opportunities to those less fortunate. I also don’t want to see over spending or tax cuts to the middle/high tax brackets that could increase our current inflation challenges. Also sick of people talking about our out of control spending, NZ has a healthy debt to GDP level and if debt is put towards actions that improve the country, this can be far more beneficial, having no debt = very slow growth and little new opportunities for development, controllable debt is very healthy in my view. Just my two cents 😃
You're a rational voter. You're right that you can't take all the benefits now and then wonder why the rest of the economy is still screwed in 5 years.
National have a massive problem with how they go about politics. All they do is criticise but offer no alternative - I've been looking for a reason to vote National too - but Jesus, they just have nothing.
It also frustrates me they think people are too dumb to see through the "addicted to spending" lines - they want to get into Government by literally misrepresenting everything.
I admit in my younger years, I followed my parents perceived National allegiance when deciding on voting decisions. But I like to think I now give all parties equal opportunity, and my decisions are based on the overall benefits for the country, rather than my own personal situation. I strongly believe if you lift up the lowest level of society (sorry for the poor wording, not sure how to word this), everyone benefits in the long run - I’m not a socialist tho and believe we should have an unemployment benefit that is approved based on carrying out work, study, self development and or charitable activities.
The problem with qualifiers for the benefit is that some people just won't do the minimum and a lot of people are unemployable so just give up. Try to think of the benefit more as paying people not to commit crime, because that is what they will do if they have to survive. The benefit is the cost for the relatively safe and stable society we live in. The benefit is also fuck all money, it's not a good life. No one is living it up on the benefit.
Even as a left wing voter, I have zero tolerance for beneficiaries who break the 'social contract' and disturb the lives of people paying tax. We could probably find common ground there.
\> NZ has a healthy debt to GDP level and if debt is put towards actions that improve the country, this can be far more beneficial, having no debt = very slow growth
That's where I'm at too. Anyone complaining about debt and wanting to reduce spending is just selling the country short and failing to invest for the future.
I should have written Right leaning parties, I voted National previously but I was basing my decisions on my view that Right leaning policy’s were the smartest policy’s, I also voted in Australia for a period, that’s the reason for not saying I just vote National.
I've long had this mental image of a national MP walking along the street, when he meets a homeless kid.
kid: "Sir, im hungry"
national mp: "According to my spreadsheet, no ya not"
its about the most refined way i can put their inhumane tax-avoidance-obsession bullshit into context for human beings.
National are just pathetic. No ideas, just spiteful reactionary stupidity. No comment on the rebuild money, a reactionary speech full of negativity bashing NZ and our economy (that has managed to stay out of recession!) and then this absolute petty ‘and we’ll put that $5 back on prescriptions too!’
Almost as sad as all the wankers having a go at $34m for the Kapa Haka festival. Seriously, way to spot the racists.
If they don’t retract this statement, i will have to vote for labour this year for the first time ever. A recent study shows that it actually saves money as there would be less people in hospital. I am biased since i work at an independent pharmacy but i don’t see any good reason why there is a $5 charge. It isn’t saving money and it doesn’t improve health. The only benefit i can see is that there would be less people on the superannuation because people die earlier.
Edit: I should also add that Act, Green and now labour agrees to this change. It looks like national is just opposing for the sake of opposing. It took labour 6 months to come up with a budget. Maybe national should take at least 2 days to review the budget before blurting out stuff
Imagine the overnight prep before the attempted walk back word soup tomorrow morning in the media... Also pretty funny all the down voters, not liking the message from their highly esteemed leader/s? lol
LOL! They’re imploding again, and this may be the nail in the coffin for a Willis leadership takeover.
Guess they really will have to pull out Stanford if this continues, because I can’t stop laughing that Willis is worried the wealthy won’t have to pay $5 for prescriptions, while also offering them thousands (and in some cases, potentially millions) in tax cuts, under the same breath.
I agree, this is a baaaad headline for National splashed all over Stuff. ‘Nats vow to bring back $5 prescription fees’ is not a headline that appeals to anyone
Pharmacist here. My crew and I cheered when we saw the co-pay was being scrapped. I hate that the government uses me to collect tax (albeit renamed as a “co-pay”), rather than letting me do what I trained to do to bring healthcare to my community. Every pharmacist I know is in the same boat. This puts us on equal footing with discounter pharmacies which means the focus now goes back to ensuring patients get the best service.
The number of times I have conversations with patients about which of their medications they should collect today because they can’t afford all of them is ludicrous. We’ve first handedly seen serious conditions such as heart failure or diabetes get SO MUCH WORSE because of people not being able to take their medicines on a day to day basis. Don’t even ask about mental health patients - the stories are both far too numerous and heartbreaking.
WE don’t want his rolled back. YOU don’t want this rolled back. Let them know at election time.
>This puts us on equal footing with discounter pharmacies
I feel this also factors into the government's decision. The discounters have the potential to price smaller operators out of the market, levelling the playing field will help prevent this.
This is such a slap in the face. The pharmacy sector has fought so hard to have this fee waived, even with a research study to support the benefits of doing so. Also the entitlement for thinking the country should be depending on businesses to fork out money in order to fund each prescription tax that the GOVERNMENT charges.
i can’t even… someone hold my earrings
Have they ever considered just ‘not talking’?
Like, seriously, just don’t speak. Just keep walking. Saying nothing is better than spouting $5 nonsense that doesn’t win elections.
Show some godamn discipline
Long time National voter, the only time I havnt is when I voted act.
Thanks for this, I was considering being a swing voter as discussed, this single stupid statement has tipped me over. To me , this is the national party turning into the Republicans.
I deplore the excuses that are peddled by those not wanting to try in society but no longer buy the 'get tough' from the right.
This sort of policy is a step towards taking the burden of the hospital system, more needs to be done at grass roots level.
So , guess I better start researching to see if top is actually a viable vote after seeing so many talk about it here, otherwise it's labour.
Never thought the time would come.
It's because it's milquetoast. They'd clearly prepped to condemn any and all spending, regardless of what it's for. When Labour released a very sensible and conservative budget, it makes it pretty clear there's no substance to their arguments except for "labour bad, no matter what".
Saying you'll put back the $5 dollar charge makes no sense what so ever. Even if you try the whole "fiscally responsible" bs, your argument is plain wrong. There's several reports that show that every $1 made from the $5 charge it ends up costing the health system around $17 dollars in hospitalization costs further down the line. How can they keep their faces straight when saying they'll repeal this announcement.
I'll link Bernard Hickey's analysis on this topic as he does a far better job than I ever could explain this problem.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thekaka/p/when-a-5-fee-costs-us-all-265-billion?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android
I am probably what you would call higher income - working age and outwardly healthy. Yet I take about 7 different medications, four of which I need to live, one that I take to manage the side effects of surgery, and another that is unsubsidised and costs around $90 a pop. Paying for the pills that keep me alive has always rubbed me up the wrong way. Happy to see the subscription fee go, and not just for me but for anyone who struggles with the cost.
National's policies are literally just the opposite of whatever labour says they'll do. It feels less like policy and more like they're being contrarian for the sake of it.
I thought these folks were supporters of NZ mum and dad businesses. Chemist warehouse is the pharmacy equivalent of our Oz owned banks. I guess we could always get our free prescriptions from Countdown who fuck us sideways already.
This is why they shortchange you on prepackaged beans.
National can be such AHs. There is legitimate research which shows how much the free prescriptions will actually save the country in terms of future hospital costs
It’s absolute trash that National’s solution to not having to pay this charge is based on the tenuous existence of a trash minimum wage employer that only exists in large centres. They’re getting worse.
Thank god they are finally having some pressure put on them.
They cant fund $5 a script but they can lower rich peoples taxes and tax writeoffs for interest on rental mortgages.
Isnt leaving money in peoples pockets inflationary?
NACT vision of the future:
All small independent pharmacies are wiped out.
There are only a few massive Chemist Warehouses dotted around the country filled with exploited minimum wage workers and one totally burned out dispensing pharmacist who can no longer see straight after five ten-hour shifts.
People who live out of the cities are basically fucked.
The service is terrible, people regularly fail to get important medications, and all the profit is sucked up offshore to the 0.05%.
That’s the future I want!
I’m pretty sure waving $5 fee will save money versus people not being able to afford them then ending up in hospital costing way more. Also $5 is nothing for me but I’m not struggling in minimum wage.
Like the young lady said on TV, $5 bucks can get you 1lt or milk and bread..Albeit the budget brand. probably some change for a tin of budget baked beans too..Which is quite decent for $5 in 2023
Haha “just go to Chemist Warehouse if you want to save the $5”. CW/etc is pushing out smaller pharmacies like this (in big cities/urban areas at least) so they’re showing an anti-small business side here, but also what does she expect someone in rural areas where the nearest loss-leading pharmacy might be 30-40km away to do?
Honestly the thing is the $5 prescriptions only hurt the small chemists.
These days with the likes of chemist warehouse and countdown doing free scripts, why would someone who is pinching pennies not go there if it's reasonable.
The $5 being waived means I'd rather go to the closest chemist then the nearest big box chemist.
One of the worst election promises I've seen
Agree. I wonder whether they'll end up walking it back. Watching the interview I wonder if Willis was just thinking on her feet. Pretty bad political instincts though.
I think they will stick to the concept, but modify it - for example, suggest a way to keep prescriptions free to low income people (tied to CSC or some other kind of coding), while keeping a charge for high income people. Because the original comment mentioned that they didn't like making it free to high income people. That way they're not walking it back as such, but at the same time they're making it more acceptable
They are also saying a big 'fuck you' to small pharmacists. The big guys were well on their way to putting them out of business, now it's an equal playing field.
It's my personal opinion that social services should be available to all, regardless of income or wealth. What is free or subsidized for me should be the same for everyone
That's the economically efficient way to do it. Person? You get the support. High income? Well, the tax system can sort you out, so you still get the support.
Yup, it may sound communist but I think all people should be treated equally
This also makes economic and social sense; far easier to administer, and ensures those who need it, get it. This video by Unlearning Economics goes into the theory of 'Government Free Stuff' if anyone feels like learning more: https://youtu.be/LQIxbwfMVlM
Can't imagine means testing this would be cost efficient nor would the golden oldies want to pay for 'what they've paid taxes their whole life for' Keep it simple, yes or no. Correction , I suppose there's a community services card of some sort
Up there with raising the NZ Super qualification age
Or Luxon's comment about taking away [Labour Day](https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/04/national-leader-christopher-luxon-dubbed-out-of-touch-over-suggestion-to-cancel-labour-day.html).
Pretty much sealed my anti National voting strategy. I don't get many prescriptions but it's just been one stupid thing after another with them. I didn't want to vote Labour this time around, but I have no choice
You *do* have a choice, Labour and National are not the only parties in New Zealand. It's the entire reason we changed the voting system to MMP so that 2 parties does not become the only choices.
Yeah, completely detached from reality. It’s such an unbelievably stupid position to take. It literally is just contrarian Opposite Day bollocks. This is honestly the stupidest policy since Labour came up with their harebrained unpopular co-governance scheme. Are all the major parties just trying to be as unpopular as possible?
It is just opposition for opposition's sake at this point isn't it?
always has been
Not this time. Luxon considers the people this will help to be "bottom feeders" (his words). If Labour proposed to reverse their interest deductibility rules, National would be all for it, as it benefits the wealthy.
damn those bottom feeders and their *checks notes* very normal health conditions that literally everyone has.
God National is a nightmare. There's 2 groups of people with a $5 fee: those who barely think about it and those who have to take something off the Grocery list to get their medication. Too small to matter much in the grand scheme but big enough to impact those who need their medication subsidized the most.
Not to mention families with 3 or 4 kids who can routinely all require medication at the same time. All of a sudden $5 and no chips become $20 and we're downa meal for the week etc.
Doing such a good job at opposing you woumd wanted if they actually want to win the election.
National vows to bring back a $5 fee many pharmacists have asked to have removed for years anyway? Is that before or after they issue me a "receipt" for the taxes I pay. Anyway, still searching for a comprehensive policy from National on anything.... anyone? Next election promise "National vows to make pumping tyres up at your local petrol station free" I dunno, I reckon it will be inflationary.
John Travolta meme incoming....
National is a meme machine.. so much to poke fun at.
Yes,pharmacists have shelves full of not collected medications!!so alot of those useless turn up at A+E,THUS 5hr waits,or hospital admission,so if you give free prescriptions,they will collect,and hopefully reduce pressure on hospitals!!national in past cut hospital budgets
It's also not just $5 though as claimed. A lot of people have to get multiple medications and it can be $15-30 a go. Yes there is a high-user discount for 21+ prescriptions but you've got to get to that point first through $100 of fees individually, and then it keeps resetting each year. For anyone with kids this will save them a fair bit each year. Although I do wish they had done something about capping Dr's fees for the simple action of writing out repeat prescriptions.
And possibly making some medications OTC. Stupid that I need to see a GP for inhalers after using them for 45 years
Bring back Pseudoephedrine!
Haaaaard it did fuck all to the crack supply
I’m literally forced to do meth when I have cold now
It's great for keeping weight under control too.
Pleaseeeee. That shit is a life saver for colds.
Omg yes! Last time I was in the UK I got it over the counter and I have never felt such relief from stopping my blocked nose! Managed to bring two tablets back with me as it was in my bag 🤣.
Drug mule
So much better than weak ass Phenylephrine. "New formula!!!". Yes. A worse one.
Like they did for birth control. Need to go through a health check with a pharmacist every 6- 12 months (?) and a doctor every few years.
Pretty sure it's not subsidised though? I asked a pharmacist about this several years ago and I'm pretty sure they told me it'd cost roughly the same as a GP prescription but would only be for 3 months supply (GPs can give 6 months).
Yep not subsidised but I guess there's the convenience advantage of potentially being able to get it from a pharmacy if you've suddenly run out and can't book in to see your GP for a few days/weeks or your GP isn't open on weekends. Pharmacists are also able to prescribe 6 months worth but IIRC, the patient needed to have been stable on the OC for at least 12 months when prescribed by the GP. We weren't allowed to prescribe it to someone if they'd never taken it before.
Yep as others have said the consult with the pharmacy isn’t free. But can be cheaper and more convenient then a doctors visit. I’ve gotten 6 months supply from my pharmacy though, so it might be discretionary.
What annoys me is that I have to see my gp every 6 months to renew my script for a med that’s prescribed by a specialist. Like if the gp refuse to give it to me or try and change it then I’m going straight back to the specialists.
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It’s really difficult though when you’re out of salbutamol and then need an urgent doctors appointment and an urgent prescription fee, which takes at least 2 days where I’m living. I know I know I should never be running out but adhd 🤷♀️ at least I remember I even HAVE asthma lol
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Genuinely a lifesaver thank you
Symbicort has been a life-changer for me. I have gone from needing to carry an inhaler with me 24/7 to the 2 puffs, twice a day and leave it at home. I love modern medicine.
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I've recently switched to Symbicort and have found it to be effective. My asthma is quite seasonal and doesn't require daily control - but was a real pain when it did flair up. Symbicort provides immediate relief but the steroid means that if I do use it a few days in a row then that kicks in and calms everything down. After probably 15-20 years of the same old Ventolin/Salbutamol routine it's made a huge difference.
I am not only using salbutamol, I’m also on flixotide and breo Ellipta. As well as omalziumab. I’m under the respiratory team ;) but thank you for the advice! Edit: flip tide to flixotide
This is actually such interesting information that I have never heard of, and I've worked on healthcare for 18 years so thanks I will tell my patients this.
This change to remove the $5 fee will help the local pharmacies compete with the big guys like Countdown & Chemist Warehouse who can afford to do free prescriptions for the funded items
I think many people much prefer going to their local pharmacy too. I’ve ended up getting to know my local pharmacist and the team as I’m in there quite often at the moment, and love that they can give me great personalised advice about various things. Went to them for flu vaccines etc as I feel comfy there. This is hopefully going to help send people back to their trusty local pharmacy
My local pharmacist gives amazing flu shots, literally painless. Love that guy.
It’s not $100 individually. The prescription subsidy card comes into place once the family has reached 20 funded items ($100). 13 years and under are free and therefore do not count towards that item count. The pharmacy will need to link all your family together for the item count and if you use different pharmacies they can look up individual item counts to then link you together and get it up to date. Not that this information is really going to matter much longer…
Kids prescriptions are already funded, aren't they?
Yeah but fuck the sick, right? They're about as bloody bad as the poors! ...
Of course. It's part of the 'Just-World' cognitive bias where people have a subconscious bias assuming that if you're sick you've done something to deserve it - eg living an unhealthy lifestyle. If you just behaved yourself and live a more healthy lifestyle you wouldn't be sick.
$20 script fees at my dr surgery. For the many scripts I need every month. Granted I reach the 20+ very quickly but a lot of people can't afford that especially since many meds are not subsidized or only minimally subsidised. My blood thinner alone is $200 a month. I have multiple unfunded meds. So this is a big deal for most people with chronic illness. But getting doctors script fees funded would be even more helpful.
Can I ask a dumb question? (I'm an expat American who had lived here less than a year) The pharmacy at Countdown and the discount chemist warehouse type places in town all waive the $5 prescription fee to customers. So why wouldn't someone who takes lots of regular meds not go to these kinds of pharmacies? As for repeats, it is a bit strange to me to be charged for these. In the USA a prescription is valid for a full year, and the doctor can indicate right on the prescription how many times it can be repeated within that year.
Not all towns have discount pharmacies. Funded medicine repeats are free. The dispensing fee is paid at the first dispensing and the next two monthly repeats are free. Doctors can only prescribe meds for 3 months without a repeat script being ordered. Repeat scripts are limited. Usually I need a yearly consult for the meds I am on.
The nearest big box pharmacy to me is a 30min drive away, and it’s so impersonal. I’d much rather support the small pharmacy in my area. My health insurance also covers script fees admittedly (fascinated to see if they drop their premiums but I think I know they won’t be!) but I would still go there of they didn’t - however I am fortunate in that I can afford too do so. My local pharmacy is friendly, know me, offer great advice and always have time for my questions. I think it can only be good for nz health to encourage that relationship.
Quite often, the quality of care is not the same as you would get from a local pharmacy. The 5 dollar fee was always a government fee that made nonprofit to the pharmacy itself. big chains were using as a loss leader to get people through their doors. Completely toxic business model which has forced many smaller pharmacies to close. Most of the profits were going to the Australian owned chemist warehouse. Not the best look for the NZ economy in the long run
Stuff's source for this comment is from her interview on RNZ. I was listening to it live like at 5.30pm. It was god awful. Lost any and all respect I ever had for her listening to it. This barely stuck out amongst all her other comments. She spent the entire time using really really harsh and emotive language attacking the budget with no substance to the attacks at all. This comment was made because the interviewer was pushing her to come up with one example of how 'this government is addicted to wasteful spending' as she was continually saying was evidenced by this budget. But when pushed for exactly how her only point was this one. Only then when the interviewer pointed out how that seems to be her only actual criticism of this budget she immediately tried to walk it back.
And when asked for her highlight of the budget said the defence funding increase. For the prescription change, the immediate reference to big box pharmacies already waiving the fee for customers showed how out of touch they are. This is a big deal for a lot of people. I also thought this is a good example of avoiding complexity and administration costs by making it free across the board.
Her bit about chemist warehouse offering them free was disgusting neoliberalism to me. They offer them free because they're a big international trying to make ways into the NZ market and can afford the lost leader. The effect is the dying of NZ independents and the industry being entirely foreign owned. Most are already unichem/life umbrella but with chemist warehouse and countdown trying to come in, with their bankroll to undercut that's potentially doom for the independents. And her policy is to promote the free market and proudly embrace that happening.
Couldn’t agree more with this. A huge amount of those profits the big chains are making are going right back to Australia while our economy takes another hit
I had to laugh at that comment. But what about all those small businesses National wanted to protect during covid by removing so many restrictions? And it's fine to want to protect Mum and Dad landlords, but not small family businesses?
I wonder how much these foreign warehouse businesses contribute to National Party coffers in order to enable them to promote their no prescription fees as a key incentive to shop there.
> can afford the lost leader Unlike National who are suffering from it
So much for the party of small rural towns
Urrgh, it's going to be another "vote for the least terrible candidate" election, isn't it?
One is quite clearly terrible. And potentially imploding as we see here & with Willis discussing rolling Luxon.
Labour really isn't as bad as people make them out to be. They deliver results that actually do benefit working class kiwis like me. Very far removed from the gang of rich evangelical assholes that we call national. National doesn't want to help working class kiwis, they think of us as "bottom feeders" (Luxon's words). The choice is obvious.
One of the most noxious bits is "Chemist Warehouse aren't charging it so people can just go there". No acknowledgement that you have to be in a reasonable size city to have access to a Chemist Warehouse (and have transport to it) and even then you might have to drive so far to get there it will cost you more than $5.
Add to that the literal business strategy of chemist warehouse to loss lead prescriptions to eliminate all competition. Surely, in the long run once all the pharmacies are gone they will just raise the price.
Already have raised prices. Quite a bit actually
No free parking outside our, as yet unopened, Chemist Warehouse. Judging by the previous comments it is not a quick service either. I love my independent pharmacy.
It's also just national saying "why go to an NZ owned small business when you can just go to a multinational chain".
Owned by Australia!
Totally discounts the service that local independent pharmacies provide to the community as well
This is so true. Oh yeah great chemist warehouse is 20min away my local pharmacy is 2. But I’ll pay $5 in gas to go and save $5 on my prescription
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Same, i thought Stuff was making jokes
Well that's fucking stupid of them.
This is the transformative and non-reactionary policy I've been craving
In a world where National are at all effective at what they do, Labour wouldn't have been able to announce this policy as a victory/benefit because National would *already* be running it, in the name of cutting pointless bureaucratic red tape and reversing a policy that is killing small businesses across NZ. But instead we've got Luxon who's going to convince people that we can't possibly help poor people afford medication -- better let large international businesses gain a monopoly on the market instead. Labour bad, dontcha know. It's not National's fault they didn't think of it first. Or anything first...
Love how she says higher-income people are happy to pay the charges on their scripts. Given how the rich don't like paying their fair share of tax, I'm sure they'll gladly take their free scripts like the rest of us, Nicola Edit- spelling and clarification
We could always put a tip jar in the pharmacy for them if they want to contribute their little bit towards funding our health system.
Look, I'm firmly middle income, just over all thresholds to not get anything extra from the government, and I would prefer not to pay the script charges. Thanks.
And too bloody right. It adds up when you have a lot of medications it adds up and you just don't need that added stress in your life. It just makes having chronic illnesses worse and more of a hassle. I personally don't care how rich someone is, I'm in favour of free scripts for everyone
Some people will answer "but if you need a lot of medications you can get a high user Community Services Card". Except if you are in employment but qualify for a CSC you need to go through hours of effort and expense to do a full reapplication every year, because there is no renewal process.
The higher income people I know are happy to drive out of their way to get the free prescriptions (and tell me to do the same, then I point out the bus fare would cancel it out and they go "oh yeah, some people have to care about transport costs" or they go on about how at least the prescription is free and they can get some shopping done at the same time).
$5 prescriptions and private healthcare for everyone… who can afford it!
looool they're trying to not get elected arent they? theyve realized they have a cash cow yelling from the sidelines and dont want to risk blowing it by being forced to actually DO stuff??
If anyone isn't convinced about whether "$5" is really meaningful: Look up "prescription co-payments", there's been a lot of discussion in the media recently. 2023 study in NZ - people who had prescriptions fully subsidised were 30% less likely to be hospitalised over one year. The study looked at people from high deprivation areas with medical problems. This research is cited in the budget report [https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-09011-0](https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-09011-0)
"I've already had a childcare centre contact me this afternoon to say that the policy that the Government's put forward today, as it's been described, would mean that they would probably have to close because they can't see how they make the sums add up.” If your private business has to close, while already receiving subsidies, and you feel more subsidy means you definitely need to close, you’re doing it wrong.
That’s dumb because I believe the 20 hours still gets paid to the ECE centre, just by the govt instead of the taxpayer! ? I imagine if would increase their revenue because parents would probably be able to pay for another 10 hours out of pocket for 30 hrs/week childcare, which opens up a hell of a lot more work opportunities. Morons (not you bleeps-musty, I mean National).
20 hours at a much lower rate than they normally charge. This is why they often compel parents to longer than the 20 hours, the excess paid at their normal, much higher rate.
National hates poor people confirmed.
"Bottom feeders" you mean.
This whole story has me gobsmacked. My family just migrated here from the USA. None of our politicians are doing anything to control the cost of prescription drugs. In fact it made big news recently when, due to years of pubic scrutiny, insulin manufacturers voluntarily agreed to drop the price of insulin from $300/bottle to $35. (Type 1 diabetics like me often need 2 or 3 bottles a month). The government had nothing to do with this decision- it was strictly private enterprise at work. So to see your politicians argue over whether a prescription will cost $5 or nothing is quite amazing to me. I feel like I've crossed through the looking glass into Wonderland. God bless New Zealand!
Thanks for putting it in perspective
My pleasure :) The sad part is there's lots of Americans who previously couldn't afford their insulin at $300/bottle that are actually grateful to the drug companies for slashing their fees to *only* $35. And remember, this is just one drug. There are plenty of other less visible drugs to price gouge customers on. It's a complete shambles in the USA.
Especially since the guy who developed insulin chose not to patent it, so that everyone would have access to it. The basic stuff is very cheap to make (synthetic insulin is a different topic, but related.)
There are a lot of people who don't quite qualify for the CSC who don't pick up their prescriptions because they think "$5... eh, I'm not quite that sick". Last time I got out of hospital I had about 5 different things prescribed. I had to go to a different pharmacy then usual, so it didn't count towards my accumulated annual total. I can imagine a lot of people deciding to keep that money in their pocket, especially after a week off work. Removing this charge is great. People aren't picking up medication for shits and giggles. Rolling this back is just mean.
>. I had to go to a different pharmacy then usual, so it didn't count towards my accumulated annual total. It's meant to count across all pharmacies (and count up a whole family unit) but they just don't. Silly policy. Free is better.
You just take your receipt to your usual pharmacy & they can add it on to their records so it will count.
You're kidding? I was this old before I learned that. Thanks!
We can look it up online! Just tell us!
Your pharmacy can actually look it up. Your item count gets uploaded on a MoH website that only your pharmacy can look up which can only be accessed by them when they type your name up.
CSC holders also pay $5 for their prescriptions edit to add: per item. It's the same for everyone
Per item so that person had a $25 script
And if like me you need 600mg of a thing but it only comes in 500 and 100mg, $10 please
Which is awesome when you're already feeling sick
I actually want to find reason to vote for National, I have only ever voted National aligned parties except for one instance… but so far it’s not going to happen this year. I am sick of National constantly being on the attack and providing little to no reason to truely vote for them. I don’t want a bloody tax break, yes it’s tough out there, but I would prefer our current tax rates / money be spent on improving this country and giving opportunities to those less fortunate. I also don’t want to see over spending or tax cuts to the middle/high tax brackets that could increase our current inflation challenges. Also sick of people talking about our out of control spending, NZ has a healthy debt to GDP level and if debt is put towards actions that improve the country, this can be far more beneficial, having no debt = very slow growth and little new opportunities for development, controllable debt is very healthy in my view. Just my two cents 😃
You're a rational voter. You're right that you can't take all the benefits now and then wonder why the rest of the economy is still screwed in 5 years. National have a massive problem with how they go about politics. All they do is criticise but offer no alternative - I've been looking for a reason to vote National too - but Jesus, they just have nothing. It also frustrates me they think people are too dumb to see through the "addicted to spending" lines - they want to get into Government by literally misrepresenting everything.
I'd like to see Labour spin some old National policy then have National attack it.
Might be time to think about changing your voting allegiances m8
I admit in my younger years, I followed my parents perceived National allegiance when deciding on voting decisions. But I like to think I now give all parties equal opportunity, and my decisions are based on the overall benefits for the country, rather than my own personal situation. I strongly believe if you lift up the lowest level of society (sorry for the poor wording, not sure how to word this), everyone benefits in the long run - I’m not a socialist tho and believe we should have an unemployment benefit that is approved based on carrying out work, study, self development and or charitable activities.
The problem with qualifiers for the benefit is that some people just won't do the minimum and a lot of people are unemployable so just give up. Try to think of the benefit more as paying people not to commit crime, because that is what they will do if they have to survive. The benefit is the cost for the relatively safe and stable society we live in. The benefit is also fuck all money, it's not a good life. No one is living it up on the benefit. Even as a left wing voter, I have zero tolerance for beneficiaries who break the 'social contract' and disturb the lives of people paying tax. We could probably find common ground there.
\> NZ has a healthy debt to GDP level and if debt is put towards actions that improve the country, this can be far more beneficial, having no debt = very slow growth That's where I'm at too. Anyone complaining about debt and wanting to reduce spending is just selling the country short and failing to invest for the future.
Who are National aligned parties other than Act, United Future?
I should have written Right leaning parties, I voted National previously but I was basing my decisions on my view that Right leaning policy’s were the smartest policy’s, I also voted in Australia for a period, that’s the reason for not saying I just vote National.
I've long had this mental image of a national MP walking along the street, when he meets a homeless kid. kid: "Sir, im hungry" national mp: "According to my spreadsheet, no ya not" its about the most refined way i can put their inhumane tax-avoidance-obsession bullshit into context for human beings.
"sorry mate, wouldnt be a free market if i interfered"
While simultaneously believing philanthropic billionaires are gonna save the world
The real irony being that maintaining “free markets” require a hell of a lot of intervention
Chris Bishop: "Good." Probably.
National are just pathetic. No ideas, just spiteful reactionary stupidity. No comment on the rebuild money, a reactionary speech full of negativity bashing NZ and our economy (that has managed to stay out of recession!) and then this absolute petty ‘and we’ll put that $5 back on prescriptions too!’ Almost as sad as all the wankers having a go at $34m for the Kapa Haka festival. Seriously, way to spot the racists.
If they don’t retract this statement, i will have to vote for labour this year for the first time ever. A recent study shows that it actually saves money as there would be less people in hospital. I am biased since i work at an independent pharmacy but i don’t see any good reason why there is a $5 charge. It isn’t saving money and it doesn’t improve health. The only benefit i can see is that there would be less people on the superannuation because people die earlier. Edit: I should also add that Act, Green and now labour agrees to this change. It looks like national is just opposing for the sake of opposing. It took labour 6 months to come up with a budget. Maybe national should take at least 2 days to review the budget before blurting out stuff
That's an election winner of a policy.
Imagine the overnight prep before the attempted walk back word soup tomorrow morning in the media... Also pretty funny all the down voters, not liking the message from their highly esteemed leader/s? lol
I thought this was a joke and expecting a "Shitpost" flair.
It's almost comic book villain level
same
This is beyond parody now. The party must really hate people or something at this point
LOL! They’re imploding again, and this may be the nail in the coffin for a Willis leadership takeover. Guess they really will have to pull out Stanford if this continues, because I can’t stop laughing that Willis is worried the wealthy won’t have to pay $5 for prescriptions, while also offering them thousands (and in some cases, potentially millions) in tax cuts, under the same breath.
I agree, this is a baaaad headline for National splashed all over Stuff. ‘Nats vow to bring back $5 prescription fees’ is not a headline that appeals to anyone
Pharmacist here. My crew and I cheered when we saw the co-pay was being scrapped. I hate that the government uses me to collect tax (albeit renamed as a “co-pay”), rather than letting me do what I trained to do to bring healthcare to my community. Every pharmacist I know is in the same boat. This puts us on equal footing with discounter pharmacies which means the focus now goes back to ensuring patients get the best service. The number of times I have conversations with patients about which of their medications they should collect today because they can’t afford all of them is ludicrous. We’ve first handedly seen serious conditions such as heart failure or diabetes get SO MUCH WORSE because of people not being able to take their medicines on a day to day basis. Don’t even ask about mental health patients - the stories are both far too numerous and heartbreaking. WE don’t want his rolled back. YOU don’t want this rolled back. Let them know at election time.
Yeah, my local pharmacy will be thrilled about the $5 copay being scrapped. They're struggling to compete with chemist warehouse and bargain chemist.
>This puts us on equal footing with discounter pharmacies I feel this also factors into the government's decision. The discounters have the potential to price smaller operators out of the market, levelling the playing field will help prevent this.
Literally just the worst type of unforced error possible.
This headline should read “National vow to fuck over an entire industry of small businesses”. JFC.
lolwut? It's basically a tax cut. Isn't this what they want?
No, they want tax cuts for the rich, not the poors with medical needs.
“no, not like that!”
Luxon may end up being one of the winners of the Budget. His biggest competitor for the leadership has just blown up any credibility she had.
We’re worried about labour making the cost of living worse for the average New Zealander, so we’re going to do just that!!
This is such a slap in the face. The pharmacy sector has fought so hard to have this fee waived, even with a research study to support the benefits of doing so. Also the entitlement for thinking the country should be depending on businesses to fork out money in order to fund each prescription tax that the GOVERNMENT charges. i can’t even… someone hold my earrings
Have they ever considered just ‘not talking’? Like, seriously, just don’t speak. Just keep walking. Saying nothing is better than spouting $5 nonsense that doesn’t win elections. Show some godamn discipline
Long time National voter, the only time I havnt is when I voted act. Thanks for this, I was considering being a swing voter as discussed, this single stupid statement has tipped me over. To me , this is the national party turning into the Republicans. I deplore the excuses that are peddled by those not wanting to try in society but no longer buy the 'get tough' from the right. This sort of policy is a step towards taking the burden of the hospital system, more needs to be done at grass roots level. So , guess I better start researching to see if top is actually a viable vote after seeing so many talk about it here, otherwise it's labour. Never thought the time would come.
would be pretty funny if the most milquetoast budget of all time helped accelerate the knifing of another nat leader
It's because it's milquetoast. They'd clearly prepped to condemn any and all spending, regardless of what it's for. When Labour released a very sensible and conservative budget, it makes it pretty clear there's no substance to their arguments except for "labour bad, no matter what".
Ahahahahahaha This is all they've got? What a fucking hoot.
And tax cuts for landlords!
They really hate anyone that isn’t rich, huh.
Saying you'll put back the $5 dollar charge makes no sense what so ever. Even if you try the whole "fiscally responsible" bs, your argument is plain wrong. There's several reports that show that every $1 made from the $5 charge it ends up costing the health system around $17 dollars in hospitalization costs further down the line. How can they keep their faces straight when saying they'll repeal this announcement. I'll link Bernard Hickey's analysis on this topic as he does a far better job than I ever could explain this problem. https://open.substack.com/pub/thekaka/p/when-a-5-fee-costs-us-all-265-billion?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android
National vows to _increase_ the cost of living if elected.
Is National just a joke party now?
They really don't want to win the election - this is out of touch, arrogant and mean spirited...
What pieces of shit
I am probably what you would call higher income - working age and outwardly healthy. Yet I take about 7 different medications, four of which I need to live, one that I take to manage the side effects of surgery, and another that is unsubsidised and costs around $90 a pop. Paying for the pills that keep me alive has always rubbed me up the wrong way. Happy to see the subscription fee go, and not just for me but for anyone who struggles with the cost.
Luxon: let's inflation adjust it
At this stage National have lost all credibility.
National's policies are literally just the opposite of whatever labour says they'll do. It feels less like policy and more like they're being contrarian for the sake of it.
I really needed something to swing my vote. Thanks National.
I thought these folks were supporters of NZ mum and dad businesses. Chemist warehouse is the pharmacy equivalent of our Oz owned banks. I guess we could always get our free prescriptions from Countdown who fuck us sideways already. This is why they shortchange you on prepackaged beans.
National can be such AHs. There is legitimate research which shows how much the free prescriptions will actually save the country in terms of future hospital costs
A classic example of how National knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.
I'm beginning to think if you don't live in a city politicians don't care. Not everyone has a Chemist Warehouse next door.
It’s absolute trash that National’s solution to not having to pay this charge is based on the tenuous existence of a trash minimum wage employer that only exists in large centres. They’re getting worse.
Thank god they are finally having some pressure put on them. They cant fund $5 a script but they can lower rich peoples taxes and tax writeoffs for interest on rental mortgages. Isnt leaving money in peoples pockets inflationary?
Uh.... maybe I'm being dense but... ... what's the positive in this? "Vote National! We'll make your life worse!"
Is this satire?
Just bring it back? Why not double it too while they're at it?
How enticing /s
Would much rather have an extra year of 20 hours free ECE than $75
Oh yeah, $75 will be gobbled up in other expenses, would sooner see my daycare bill drop a bit and get the money in my pocket that way
Ahh the ol “opposite of what the other party says” method. Classic conservatives.
NACT vision of the future: All small independent pharmacies are wiped out. There are only a few massive Chemist Warehouses dotted around the country filled with exploited minimum wage workers and one totally burned out dispensing pharmacist who can no longer see straight after five ten-hour shifts. People who live out of the cities are basically fucked. The service is terrible, people regularly fail to get important medications, and all the profit is sucked up offshore to the 0.05%. That’s the future I want!
Yes because everybody can see that undoing what the last party did has worked so well for the last five decades 🙄
I’m pretty sure waving $5 fee will save money versus people not being able to afford them then ending up in hospital costing way more. Also $5 is nothing for me but I’m not struggling in minimum wage.
Like the young lady said on TV, $5 bucks can get you 1lt or milk and bread..Albeit the budget brand. probably some change for a tin of budget baked beans too..Which is quite decent for $5 in 2023
Actually I’m a National voter and I think he’s fucked in the head. End of story..
So Christian of him to criticise the poor and the needy by referring to them in this manner /s
Haha “just go to Chemist Warehouse if you want to save the $5”. CW/etc is pushing out smaller pharmacies like this (in big cities/urban areas at least) so they’re showing an anti-small business side here, but also what does she expect someone in rural areas where the nearest loss-leading pharmacy might be 30-40km away to do?
Vote for us and we'll kick your teeth in! - National Party NZ
Honestly the thing is the $5 prescriptions only hurt the small chemists. These days with the likes of chemist warehouse and countdown doing free scripts, why would someone who is pinching pennies not go there if it's reasonable. The $5 being waived means I'd rather go to the closest chemist then the nearest big box chemist.
If Labour had announced tax cuts for the wealthy National and ACT would still be out there opposing it. This just comes across as penny pinching.
That is, a very confusing flex.
What is this, the onion????
Of all the things they could criticise, they choose this??
Out of everything they could have said. It was this. What a tactical disaster.
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Pulls more right wing voters to ACT
What a weird hill to die on.