Health costs

I've been reading the Health and Independence Report 2004. This year the government has budgeted $9.92 billion for health, which is $200 per month per New Zealander.

$200 per month will buy you UltraCare, "the ultimate Southern Cross plan that provides extensive cover for almost all of the costs of medical treatment and full cover for private surgery, up to a maximum of $60,000 per operation. Coverage for medical benefits ranges from doctor's visits and prescriptions to consulting a [sic] osteopath, chiropractor or psychologist. Naturally you're also covered for specialist consultations and imaging such as x-rays."

Instead of providing this level of health care, the government has 175,652 New Zealanders on waiting lists for surgery or specialist assessment.