Compare the parties.

Party proposal

ACT proposes increasing the medicines share of the health budget by one percentage point each year, aiming to match Australia by 2033. It would set future Pharmac increases in advance and seek other parties’ support for the same path.

Who it covers

Patients who could benefit from additional publicly funded medicines. Pharmac would retain its assessment role; this is not a guarantee of a particular treatment.

Timing

The full paper’s allocation path begins in 2027/28 and reaches a 12% medicines share in 2033/34.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The paper projects medicines budgets rising from $2.0–2.2bn to $5.4–6.1bn, reallocating expected health-budget growth rather than increasing total health spending. Its 2025 Treasury model inputs predate PREFU; annual allocation increases are not a net policy cost to add together.

Party proposal

The Greens would work towards publicly delivered, free primary and dental care, including Māori-led community clinics. The manifesto also calls for mobile rural services, more sustained Pharmac funding, safer staffing and pay parity for primary-care nurses and hauora providers.

Who it covers

People using primary, dental and public health services, with particular provision for rural communities and Māori-led care.

Timing

The chapter describes a direction to work towards; it does not set a completion date for fully free primary and dental care.

Cost & funding stated by the party

Additional public funding is proposed for these services and Pharmac. This chapter does not state a total cost or a dedicated funding source.

Party proposal

Labour proposes a Medicard providing three free doctor or nurse appointments each year at a person’s enrolled general practice. Clinical phone triage would not use up the allowance; unused visits would not carry into the following year.

Who it covers

People eligible for healthcare and enrolled at a practice. Already-free services, after-hours care and ACC visits are outside the three-visit allowance.

Timing

The page describes the full entitlement from July 2028, with programme spending starting in 2027/28.

Cost & funding stated by the party

Labour publishes $393.3 million for 2027/28, $553 million annually in 2028/29 and 2029/30, and $548 million in later years. It proposes funding the plan through its targeted property capital gains tax.

The standalone paper’s free-doctor line is $323m/$490m/$490m/$490m; the fiscal plan’s line is $297.8m/$464.8m/$483.6m/$503.1m. The different scope or assumptions need explanation; this does not establish an error or unfunded programme.

Party proposal

National proposes an additional $604 million for Pharmac over four financial years, more clinical trials and earlier cancer screening. It would lower bowel screening to age 50 and extend breast screening to age 74 by 2029, with free cervical screening from March 2027.

Who it covers

Patients eligible for funded medicines and screening programmes. The cervical-screening proposal covers women aged 25–69; Pharmac would decide which medicines receive funding.

Timing

Pharmac uplift in 2027/28–2030/31. Cervical screening from March 2027; bowel and breast screening targets by 2029.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The policy table shows $351.1m net operating cost and $41.5m capital over 2027/28–2030/31: Pharmac $604m plus bowel screening $178.3m less aid savings $431.2m. All appear in the new plan as separate rows. The narrative’s further $45.6m MFAT saving remains unidentified in the tables, which count fewer savings. Other screening commitments are already funded or use baselines.

Party proposal

NZ First proposes a stronger focus on prevention, nutrition and metabolic health. Its plan includes reviewing dietary guidance, health coaches in primary care, fewer administrative requirements for GPs and research into nutritional interventions.

Who it covers

Primary-care patients, health professionals and researchers. The page describes this as the first announcement in a broader health plan.

Timing

No implementation date specified in the reviewed source.

Cost & funding stated by the party

No total cost or funding source specified in the reviewed source.

This describes a party’s proposals. It does not establish the medical effectiveness of the proposed interventions.

Party proposal

Opportunity would seek a cross-party ten-year health plan, advocate health funding of 9% of GDP, and put more emphasis on primary, community and preventative care. Its policy also links health regulation to stronger lobbying rules.

Who it covers

Patients, health workers and community providers, including kaupapa Māori and iwi-led services with stable multi-year funding and equity goals.

Timing

A ten-year planning and funding path. No start date or annual spending schedule is specified in the reviewed web page.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The page advocates health funding rising to 9% of GDP over a decade. It does not give a full dollar cost or a dedicated funding source for the increase.

Party proposal

Te Pāti Māori would re-establish Te Aka Whai Ora, transfer 25% of health and ACC funding to Māori-led systems, and invest in free primary/dental care, mental health and workforce development.

Who it covers

Whānau and Māori-led services. The paper proposes bowel-screening ages of 45 generally and 35 for Māori and Pacific peoples.

Timing

Manifesto 2026; no complete programme start date or delivery schedule is stated.

Cost & funding stated by the party

The paper commits $500m annually to kaupapa Māori mental health and $1bn annually to workforce development. These are selected allocations, not the full package cost. The 25% transfer is a reallocation, not wholly additional spending.