Election 2026: Labour promises free maternity scans paid for by capital gains tax

Labour is proposing free maternity scans for pregnant women as part of its Medicard package, expected to be paid for through its planned capital gains tax.

The initiative is expected to cost $28.6 million a year, with $3m also going towards 24 additional paid trainee sonographer positions to help build the workforce to respond to demand.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said that currently a maternity scan can cost up to $90 depending on where women and their families live. But under this proposal, it would be free everywhere, he said.

Already under Labour’s proposed Medicard, there would be three free visits to a GP clinic a year as well as free cervical screening for those aged 25-69.

“Women and their families shouldn’t have to worry about money when it comes to making sure they and their babies are okay,” Hipkins said.

“For many families, pregnancy comes with enough costs and stress already. A Labour Government will ease that pressure by making the scans they need free.”

Health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall said Labour wanted to build “a health system that helps people stay well, not just treat illness”.

“The Medicard will give every New Zealander three free doctor’s visits a year and free cervical screening. Now we’re adding free pregnancy scans, helping with the cost of living at one of the most expensive, but also most exciting, times in a family’s life.”

The free maternity scan would be added to a patient’s Medicard after a referral from a health practitioner.

Every scan a doctor or a midwife deems medically necessary would be funded, which Labour says means women with complicated pregnancies won’t miss out.

The cost of the free scans would come from revenue created through a new capital gains tax, while the $3m for the workforce would come from Health New Zealand’s baseline funding.

When Labour announced the capital gains tax last year, it said it would raise an average of $700m a year across the forecast period.

Most of this is expected to go towards the GP visits and other associated costs, like the Medicard app, new AI scribe technology and an Independent Pricing Authority.

That was estimated to cost $393.3m in its first year, before rising to around $553m a year in 2028/29.

The National Party has attempted to argue that Labour has a large funding shortfall for other promises and has suggested the capital gains tax could be expanded to help raise additional revenue.

This has been rejected by Labour, which has added that all of its policies will be fully costed and explained.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s Chief Political Reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.