Ministry of Health

NZ Government

    
 ©Copyright
 Published: 21/10/2009

PHOs get a set amount of funding to subsidise a range of health services for their enrolled populations.

The funding is based on the numbers and characteristics of people enrolled in a PHO. The factors that influence the level of subsidy paid in respect of each person enrolled in a PHO are age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation quintile and whether the person holds a Community Services Card or a High Use Health Card. That funding pays for:

·   Providing care and treatment when people are ill

·   Helping people stay healthy

·   Reaching out to those groups in their community who have poor health or who are missing out on primary health care.

All PHOs receive additional funding for Health Promotion programmes, and are able to access Services to Improve Access funding to provide new services or improved access to reduce health inequalities among high-need groups that are known to have the worst health status.

A very low cost access payment for PHOs and practices that charge very low fees to patients was introduced on 1 October 2006. The very low cost access payment was introduced as a way to support, encourage, and reward PHOs and their practices that, in order to deliver on very low cost access to primary health care and reduce health inequalities, have forgone revenue from patient fees.

 All PHOs receive money to fulfil administrative responsibilities associated with PHOs, such as making sure there is community consultation and representation, processing patient registers, formal enrolment and reporting and monitoring requirements.  The amount of this funding depends on the number of people enrolled with the PHO.