PATIENT CO-PAYMENTS

On July 1 we will be increasing our patient copayments. These increases will be for consultations, writing referrals and for procedures.

The increase is under the level of health inflation (health inflation is the rising cost of providing medical care, which is substantially higher than overall inflation), but we recognise that it will still be a significant rise for some.

Our pricing is still favourable compared to the average GP consult in the Bay of Plenty which is over $60. We know that practices in Waihi charge differently, but they are “very low cost access” practices. They receive much more government funding on the agreement that their fees stay low. No practices can sign up to be “very low cost access” now.

We will be investing the proceeds into the recruitment and retention of staff. This will allow us to expand our premises and to continue to provide a full breadth of services, but in a more timely way. We have a new doctor starting in September this year and, hopefully, another starting in March 2026.

We pride ourselves on paying our staff a fair wage and ensuring that they have access to training to keep their skills sharp and to develop new interests. This will result in ongoing excellent patient care and a better patient experience.

See https://www.katimed.co.nz/fees/ for further information