Your address affects how much you pay for a GP visit

Monday, 17 November 2025

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Where you live can determine how much you pay to see a doctor — and the difference is stark.

In the West Coast, the average GP visit costs just $33. In the Hutt Valley, it’s $10 cheaper than in Wellington, where patients pay nearly $70 - the highest average in the country.

Government subsidies introduced two decades ago have capped how much GPs can raise their fees, but one doctor says years of underfunding have forced some clinics to shut, cut services or charge patients extra. Corporate-owned clinics and online health platforms are increasingly filling the gap.

But a push from both major parties shows the outlook is improving, with Labour promising three free GP visits a year and National revising the funding’s structure and increasing funding for primary care.

How it works

GPs can only raise their co-pay — the fixed fee patients pay for a visit — by a limited amount each year.

They receive government funding through a system called capitation, which gives clinics money based on how many patients are enrolled and their age and gender.

GPs submit pricing recommendations to Health NZ, but these are often reduced due to funding limits.

Before capitation was introduced 20 years ago, clinics were paid per service under a “fee for service” model. They set their fees based on what patients could afford — so in poorer areas, fees started lower and rose gradually over time.

Health Minister Simeon Brown announced this year that the capitation funding model would expand beyond age and gender to also account for deprivation, rurality, and multimorbidity.

Rachel Pearce, Health NZ’s acting director of Living Well, said the current funding formula was outdated and no longer reflected the complexity of people’s health needs or the challenges faced by practices serving high-need communities.

She said that was in addition to a $175 million boost to capitation funding, which would help limit fee increases this year, and support general practices to grow their staffing levels.

Community Services Card holders can access practices for $20 for those aged 18 or older, $13.50 for between 14 and 17, and $30.50 for non-card holders at Very Low Cost Access (VLCA) practices.

Funding difficulties and struggling GPs

Luke Bradford, president of The Royal NZ College of General Practitioners, said capitation funding had been kept below the rate of inflation in 19 of its 21 years.

In 2024/25, the increase was limited to 7.76%, to reflect inflation.

While the increases had drawn criticism, many GPs chose not to raise their fees at all. Bradford said it was more important to set prices patients could afford, so they could continue accessing the care they needed.

He said GPs with low co-pays were struggling, especially rural practices.

“If you're rural, you often haven't got that many in your catchment, but you have to serve it because you're the only one for miles and miles.”

While rent was cheaper in rural areas, clinics had difficulty attracting staff because they were paying at the lower end of the wage spectrum.

“You can't charge your patients more, so you can't attract (workers).”

Corporate-owned GP clinics and online health platforms were increasingly taking over as a result of the underfunding, he said.

The presence of clinics subsidised through the VLCA scheme also helped keep fees down, as nearby providers often lowered their prices to remain competitive.

Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said the variation in the cost to see a GP was unfair and inequitable.

The Labour Party hadunveiled a policy that promises three free GP visits a year, backed by an Independent Pricing Authority, which would set a national rate for funding that reflected “real costs and patient need” and operate independently of annual government negotiation.

Verrall said its Medicard proposal aimed to remove cost as a barrier to care, helping people who may have skipped doctor visits due to expensive enrolment.

Bradford welcomed the introduction of Labour’s proposed Independent Pricing Authority, which would set a national rate for GP funding that reflected real costs and patient need

Brown said the Government was delivering the largest investment in primary care funding in New Zealand’s history, and taking action to grow its primary care workforce.

Under Labour's watch, GP fees rose by around 30%, making it harder and more expensive for Kiwis to see a doctor, he said.

“We’re also improving affordability by extending prescriptions to 12 months, which could save patients up to $105 per year in GP fees.

“We know the number one issue for New Zealanders is getting a GP appointment, which is why we have been taking action to make it easier to see a doctor when you need to.”

Average CoPay (incl GST) per district 2024/25:

Auckland: $63.57

Bay of Plenty: $59.97

Canterbury: $62.08

Capital and Coast: $69.49

Counties Manukau: $60.51

Hawke's Bay: $61.05

Hutt Valley: $60.03

Lakes: $51.42

MidCentral: $58.73

Nelson Marlborough: $58.42

Northland: $50.73

South Canterbury: $54.19

Southern: $59.55

Taranaki: $62.60

Waikato: $57.14

Wairarapa: $49.99

Waitematā: $66.93

West Coast: $33.82

Whanganui: $52.41

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