Health-Related Assistance

General assistance

You may qualify for financial assistance related to the following examples:

• doctors visits
• prescriptions
• medical and health related travel
• ambulance fees
• power, gas and heating
• dentures, glasses or hearing aids

Assistance for other needs may also be available on a case by case basis.

Community Services Card

A Community Services Card can be used for discounts on a variety of medical, dental and visual (optometry) services.

For information on how this discount card can help you, please go to Community Services Card or download the Community Services Card brochure. 

Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card

If you fill prescriptions often and you don’t qualify for a Community Services Card, you may be able to get a Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card. To find out more about this card, please talk with your pharmacist.

Please download the Community Services Card brochure and look for the ‘Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card’ section for more information.

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High Use Health Card

If you visit your doctor often for an ongoing medical condition and don’t qualify for a Community Services Card, you may be to get a High Use Health Card. To find out more about this card, please talk with your doctor.

Please download the Community Services Card brochure and look for the ‘High Use Health Card’ section for more information.

Disability Allowance

You may qualify for a regular Disability Allowance payment if you have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability.  The most common costs include:

• visits to the doctor or hospital
• medication
• gardening and lawn mowing costs
• medical alarm rental and monitoring
• travel.

A Disability Allowance may also help with a range of other costs. 

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Hearing aids

You may be able to get some help towards the cost of your hearing aid. Health and disability services for older people are funded by District Health Boards (DHBs).

For more information about completing a needs assessment, please go to the District Health Board's Website to find contact details for the DHB nearest you. 

You may also be able to get some help with the cost of a hearing aid through an advance of your New Zealand Superannuation or benefit.

War veterans' hearing aid grant

You may be eligible for a hearing aid grant provided by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand if you are a war veteran. 

For more information on this grant, please go to Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand.

Home help

If you require assistance with household tasks, you may be able to get help from Work and Income or your District Health Board. 

If you need home help due to medical reasons, please talk to your doctor about arranging a needs assessment.