Guidance
Our responsibilities regarding health-related costs
Oranga Tamariki is responsible for meeting the cost of approved health and disability related services and treatments when there is a care agreement or custody order in place for te tamaiti or rangatahi.Upcoming changes for this guidance
All About Me plan
The All About Me plan should specify the holistic needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi, and the treatment, provider or service required to meet those assessed needs.
Universal services (primary health providers and publicly funded specialist services)
Universal health and disability services are generally considered to be services available for all citizens, regardless of means. While most universal services are accessible to eligible families free of charge, some services may have a fee or part payment. Universal services can also be helpful as they can broker access to specialist services that te tamaiti or rangatahi may need.
The Hand in Hand Book provides information on health and education universal services for 0 to 18 year olds.
Private health services
Where a health service is an elective service (not required within 7 days of the determination that the service is required), the site manager will consider the need for the health service before agreeing to funding.
In considering whether a private or specialist service or treatment should be funded by us, we will consider the holistic cultural needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi, the urgency of that need, other options available to meet the need, and any impacts, both short and long term, for te tamaiti or rangatahi of not receiving the service or treatment.
Payments or reimbursements to caregivers
For te tamaiti or rangatahi living with Oranga Tamariki approved caregivers (family/whānau and non-whānau), health and disability related costs are to be funded in addition to the caregiver allowance. Payments can either be made as a reimbursement to the carer, or paid directly to the service provider (such as a GP).
All Oranga Tamariki caregivers receive, in addition to the caregiver allowance, a ‘small cost payment’ ($20 per fortnight), to cover small incidental items, such as prescription costs, band aids, antiseptic cream, sun cream.
The following table provides a summary of key health and disability services and treatments and associated costs. We would expect to pay any partial or full fee if the service or treatment was identified as meeting an assessed need.
|
Service or treatment |
Provider / cover |
Cost |
|
Primary health provider (GP, nurse) Prescriptions Immunisations |
0–12 years |
Free |
|
13–18 years |
Partial payment may be required |
|
|
Indigenous, traditional healing practices Rongōa Māori (mirimiri, romiromi, takutaku) Pacific (massage, natural and herbal remedies, rituals) |
May be provided at a primary health provider |
Costs as above for age groups if through a primary health provider |
|
Private healers, practitioners |
Koha/donation or full payment required |
|
|
Dental (0–18 years) |
Standard treatments |
Free |
|
Extra treatments (such as orthodontics) |
Full payment required |
|
|
Specialist visits or clinics |
Public hospital |
Free |
|
Private hospital or clinic |
Partial payment may be required (if funded by ACC) or full payment required |
|
|
Counselling or talking therapies |
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (DHB) |
Free |
|
Sexual violence counselling |
Fully funded by ACC if a claim is lodged to use an ACC registered counsellor |
|
|
Counselling following physical injury |
Partial or fully funded by ACC if a claim is accepted |
|
|
Private therapist |
Full payment required |
|
|
Complementary and alternative medicine (such as homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy) |
Injury related |
Partial or fully funded by ACC if a claim is accepted |
|
Non-injury related |
Full payment required |
|
|
Diagnostic testing (such as blood tests, urine tests) |
Public hospital, GP referred |
Normally free |
|
X-rays or scans |
Injury related |
Partial or fully funded by ACC if a claim is accepted |
|
Non-injury related |
Full payment required |
|
|
Optometry
|
Well Child/Tamariki Ora vision checks (4–6 weeks to 5 years) and Year 7 vision checks |
Free |
|
Private optometrist or ophthalmologist |
Full payment required |
|
|
Optical glasses |
Children’s spectacle subsidy may be an option. Otherwise, full payment required |
|
|
Audiology
|
Hearing services |
Usually fully funded by Health |
|
Hearing aids |
Usually fully funded by Health |
|
| Private audiologist | Partial or full payment required |