Winston Peters: A health bill for a healthy society

Winston Peters

Three free GP visits for SuperGold card holders makes more than economic sense.

It will save lives and dollars but only if Parliament votes for a New Zealand First bill in a few weeks' time.

The SuperGold Health Check Bill is simple as any good policy should be. It strengthens primary healthcare by giving SuperGold cardholders three free GP visits every year. This is about encouraging senior citizens to go to a GP before a minor ailment becomes a major one.

There are some 144,000 people living in Hawke's Bay electorates and they have a higher percentage of those aged over 65 than New Zealand in general. Percentages can often hide large numbers so this adds up to almost 24,000 people in the 65-plus category. Put another way, that's almost 10,000 more than the population of Havelock North.

Some groups are advocating the three free GP visits be means tested but that goes against the grain of the hugely successful SuperGold Card. This was introduced by New Zealand First in 2007 so that all New Zealanders turning 65 are recognised for a lifetime contribution to society.

Making three free GP visits universal is simpler than expensive bureaucrats sucking up money better invested in healthcare. Where better than to incorporate the free visits for over-65s than the SuperGold Card.

While many in the cities appreciate the SuperGold Card for public transport and discounts, those in provincial New Zealand have less access to its benefits.

Those in smaller places tend to store up their ailments as a job lot for the doctor.

Yet early diagnosis is a huge financial cost saving to our health system - we all know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Three free GP visits need only prevent 1 per cent of senior citizens from being admitted to hospital for this policy to be cost neutral.

Anything over and above that is a bonus for the health budget and society.

Early diagnosis and treatment offers far-reaching benefits in terms of social, emotional, physical and mental well-being, especially for the elderly, who can lose self-confidence if they spend an extended time in hospital.

For some senior citizens, cost is often a reason for delaying a visit to their GP. Our health system needs to be designed so that we can proactively treat the elderly before they need hospitalisation. We don't want our seniors sitting at home feeling ill and too worried about the cost to go to the GP.

The fact is, as we get older we become more susceptible to age-related issues, secondary complications or infections. A winter cough can easily lead to pneumonia and hospitalisation that in bad cases can suck up intensive care beds. This, in turn, has a cascade effect upon planned surgeries.

As well as direct benefits to seniors, it will help to reduce the pressure upon families who are often called upon to act as drivers, helpers and carers when their relatives are in hospital. Take a flu jab: it will not only prevent winter ailments but will keep hospital beds free too and those over-65 do not want to become hospital patients.

New Zealand remains a caring society and if a senior citizen can be proactively treated by a GP instead of being admitted to hospital then everyone wins.

To learn more, simply Google "SuperGold Health Check Bill 2013" and make sure your Member of Parliament knows where you stand on it. To get their contact details, either Google "contact your MP" or dial 04 817 9999.

-Winston Peters is the Leader of New Zealand First.

-Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. The views expressed here are the writer's personal opinion. and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz.