Māori Party Announce Māori Controlled Health Funding and Whānau Controlled HealthService Spend Card
A fully funded independent Māori Health Funding Authority, all Māori having their own Whānau Health Card and Māori being screened for Cancer 10 years earlier than non-Māori are all part of the Māori Party Health Policy.
Māori Party Co-Leader John Tamihere said the establishment of a Māori Health FundingAgency – recommended in the Health and Disability System Review (also known as the Simpson Report 2020) – would be established. It would oversee the distribution of $5 billion.
He said $500 million of the already budgeted $1.9 billion mental health dollars would betransferred to Kaupapa Māori Mental Health services. The to Māori for Māori by Māori logicwas an essential requirement given the high levels of drug and alcohol addiction, stress , depression and suicide numbers among Māori.
“This is not an issue that has developed overnight. It is intergenerational,” Tamihere said.
“It is an absolute disgrace that Māori have one the highest rates of suicide of indigenous people.”
He said every Māori would be allocated National Health Identification (NHI) card and be used like a credit card to purchase health services needed by the card holder.
“Health services would be purchased by those who give Māori the best services and results,not those who continue to fail us,” Tamihere said.
“The health funding must follow the patient, not the GP, Primary Health organisation, District Health Board or Ministry of Health. Every one of these groupings clip the ticket, soby the time the poor old Māori rolls up to the doctor, he pays because all the money setaside for Māori health issues, has been clipped all the way down.”
Yes agree with John T but sometimes its not always Maori that give Maori the best services. Also I do have some concerns around some of our Whanau Oa people some of them are a bit self serving. So I would like good processes and procedures with checks and balances. This will ensure we have the right people who are genuine as I have some reservations with Raukawa-Tait and Tureiti Moxon having learned that one of
T-Moxons’ housing projects did not deliver for those it was suppose to in Enderley Park Hamilton. And I also remember Raukawa- Tait supporting national who have always crapped on our Maori people.