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What assessments, if any, has been made of whether Māori patients may experience changes in wait times, access thresholds, or treatment delays if Māori ethnicity is removed as an eligibility criterion?

Answered Question 20209 (2026)
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Asked by

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori

Question

  • What assessments, if any, has been made of whether Māori patients may experience changes in wait times, access thresholds, or treatment delays if Māori ethnicity is removed as an eligibility criterion?

Answered by

Hon David Seymour

Member for Epsom · ACT Party · Associate Minister of Health

Answer

I am advised that Pharmac has not conducted an impact analysis for the measures mentioned. Pharmac has however, quantified the number of individuals no longer eligible. It has not been considered that any impact from the proposed changes in criteria would be directly measurable for the indicated metrics.