1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,960
Speaker 1: A health check on our health sector back home. This

2
00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,240
Speaker 1: is a Q two April through June. Canter pations starting

3
00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,600
Speaker 1: treatment within thirty one days, that's up two point eight percent.

4
00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,680
Speaker 1: Good emergency department wait times are better seventy three point

5
00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,799
Speaker 1: nine percent seen within six hours. That's up from seventy

6
00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,480
Speaker 1: one point two percent. Children fully immunized by up to

7
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,240
Speaker 1: eighty two percent from seventy six point five. Simeon Brown's

8
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,079
Speaker 1: health minister, and is with us, good morning.

9
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:21,560
Speaker 2: Good morning.

10
00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,840
Speaker 1: Make how much are we messing with numbers here? Something's

11
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,040
Speaker 1: gone from seventy two point or seventy one point two

12
00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,160
Speaker 1: to seventy three point nine. They're just numbers, aren't they.

13
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,960
Speaker 1: You can message numbers to your blue in the face now.

14
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,159
Speaker 2: These are the health five health targets that the government

15
00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,760
Speaker 2: has set. These are recorded and then validated to show

16
00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,239
Speaker 2: the changes over time. And what we're seeing here is

17
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,199
Speaker 2: over the last twelve months, we're seeing improvement against our

18
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,080
Speaker 2: health targets. People waiting less time for elective surgeries, less

19
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,600
Speaker 2: time for our first specialist appointments, immunization rates are going up,

20
00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,400
Speaker 2: and people being seen faster in emergency departments. So we

21
00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,880
Speaker 2: are seeing improvement against our health takes, which is a

22
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,360
Speaker 2: good thing, but we also acknowledge as a long way

23
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,920
Speaker 2: to go to make sure that all New Zealanders are

24
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,520
Speaker 2: getting that access to timely quality healthcare that they need

25
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:06,000
Speaker 2: and deserve.

26
00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,880
Speaker 1: There are averages because counties Manicount and Auckland have gone

27
00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,920
Speaker 1: backwards in ed for example. Is that population? Is it efficiency?

28
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,240
Speaker 1: Is a resource? What is it all?

29
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,120
Speaker 2: Look? There will be a number of factors. If you

30
00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,840
Speaker 2: look at the emergency department. One, there has been a

31
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,080
Speaker 2: significant increase in the number of presentations, so a number

32
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,600
Speaker 2: of people turning up to emergency departments. So clearly that

33
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,280
Speaker 2: has an impact on the efficiency of those hospitals and

34
00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,520
Speaker 2: their emergency departments. We just last week announced some more

35
00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,360
Speaker 2: resource going into emergency departments AUS. We acknowledge there's a

36
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,040
Speaker 2: huge amount of pressure in those areas. On average, across

37
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,160
Speaker 2: the country we are seeing improvement, but yes, there are

38
00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,160
Speaker 2: some districts which need additional investment and that's what we're doing.

39
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,080
Speaker 1: The shorter way times an elective. Is it as simple

40
00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,360
Speaker 1: as saying, go for cataracts, here's some money, do it.

41
00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,680
Speaker 2: Well, it's a range of different different surgeries that are

42
00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,040
Speaker 2: needed and so that's where our elective boost has played

43
00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,560
Speaker 2: a big part. That's been cataracts a big part of it.

44
00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,600
Speaker 2: That is a big part of the weight list, but

45
00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,760
Speaker 2: also hip operations, the operations, hernier operations, the whole range

46
00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,960
Speaker 2: of different procedures that we've been working to deliver and

47
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,799
Speaker 2: reduce those weight times. And so it's a range of

48
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,920
Speaker 2: procedures and the good news is we're seeing, you know,

49
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,280
Speaker 2: fewer people waiting and we're seeing the weight times reduced,

50
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,760
Speaker 2: so that's a good thing. And that target we've seen

51
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,440
Speaker 2: improvements in every single district across the country. So right

52
00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,880
Speaker 2: across the country, some districts very significant increases, other districts.

53
00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,480
Speaker 2: Every district has had an improvement, which I think is

54
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,600
Speaker 2: good news, particularly for those people who are waiting in pain.

55
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:38,600
Speaker 2: That makes a real difference to their lives.

56
00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,800
Speaker 1: The cancer uses that purely pharmic money and pills.

57
00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,000
Speaker 2: Well, it's more around making sure that people, once they've

58
00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,959
Speaker 2: been diagnosed, are getting their treatment in a timely fashion.

59
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,520
Speaker 2: For the most people that's actually a surgery. For some

60
00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,240
Speaker 2: it's radiation therapy or chemotherapy, others it's other medicines. So

61
00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,400
Speaker 2: those medicines certainly assist, but it's about making sure that

62
00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,960
Speaker 2: there's a time, the time between diagnoses and being treated

63
00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,480
Speaker 2: as less than thirty one days. That's the target that

64
00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,040
Speaker 2: we're seeking to achieve. Thankfully, that's one of the targets

65
00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,200
Speaker 2: which didn't really go backwards under the last government. The

66
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,040
Speaker 2: other four did. That one actually stayed relatively stable, which

67
00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,480
Speaker 2: is good news. Those new thirty three cancer medicines obviously

68
00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,000
Speaker 2: provide more cancer treatments for more New Zealanders, which is encouraging.

69
00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,720
Speaker 1: That immunization number seems material seven points seventy six point

70
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:29,639
Speaker 1: five to eighty two percent, and that goes against I

71
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,240
Speaker 1: was reading something in the States the other day. They

72
00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,359
Speaker 1: got real issue about the tin hatters and the weirdo's

73
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:34,960
Speaker 1: and the COVID and all that sort of stuff, and

74
00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,760
Speaker 1: immunization in general is going down. Why are we bucking

75
00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:39,480
Speaker 1: the trend?

76
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,960
Speaker 2: Well, there's a huge amount of work going into improving

77
00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,400
Speaker 2: those immunization rates, where we're investing more money in immunizations.

78
00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,160
Speaker 2: We're working with primary care in particular, who play critically

79
00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,160
Speaker 2: important role. I don't think we have some of those

80
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,760
Speaker 2: same challenges that you might see over in the States

81
00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:57,680
Speaker 2: in terms of what we see here. There are certainly

82
00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 2: some districts which need to have more emphasis put in

83
00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,920
Speaker 2: them to improve that rate even further. But by and large,

84
00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,240
Speaker 2: you know what we saw in the last six years,

85
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,040
Speaker 2: it went from around ninety percent of two year olds

86
00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,040
Speaker 2: being immunized down to under eighty percent. That has had

87
00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,680
Speaker 2: the single biggest improvement in the last twelve months of

88
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,680
Speaker 2: any of the health targets, going from seventy six point

89
00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,080
Speaker 2: five percent to eighty two percent. Further work to do,

90
00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,560
Speaker 2: and there's a lot of emphasis across a range of

91
00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,440
Speaker 2: whether it's providers or primary care to keep that improvement going.

92
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,240
Speaker 1: All right, appreciate your time, s I mean Brown, the

93
00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,480
Speaker 1: health minister, whether it's this morning. The other numbers out

94
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,440
Speaker 1: from our health department or not the health department, but

95
00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,680
Speaker 1: the health sector this morning is Southern Cross. Twenty four

96
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,800
Speaker 1: insurance companies in this country. There are actually eighty four

97
00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,479
Speaker 1: licensed insurers, but they coaless under twenty four different names,

98
00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,640
Speaker 1: so there's a lot of insurers in this country. The

99
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:50,239
Speaker 1: biggest one is Southern Cross. Southern Cross alone handed out

100
00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,159
Speaker 1: three point eight million claims or paid out three point

101
00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,080
Speaker 1: eight million claims in the last year, which is up

102
00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,679
Speaker 1: sixteen percent. It paid out one point seven billion dollars

103
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,680
Speaker 1: got nine hundred and fifty one thousand, eight hundred and

104
00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,080
Speaker 1: eight members, which is down three thousand, four hundred ninety three.

105
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,200
Speaker 1: So the good news about that, although insurance is getting

106
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,760
Speaker 1: more expensive and we've had a cost of living crisis,

107
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,680
Speaker 1: there are still most of us, in some way, shape

108
00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,160
Speaker 1: or form, are medically insured. Business returned ninety four cents

109
00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,599
Speaker 1: in claims for every dollar paid in premiums. The ratio

110
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,360
Speaker 1: rises the longer you've been a member. It's they're under

111
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,840
Speaker 1: this two and a half thousand providers nationally. Here's my

112
00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,560
Speaker 1: question for you, and I thought about Yes, I had

113
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,680
Speaker 1: a family member with a small procedure yesterday and it

114
00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,800
Speaker 1: was that classic example where the insurance cover didn't quite

115
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,120
Speaker 1: cover the actual cost of the operation. So, in other words,

116
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,880
Speaker 1: it was a couple of thousand dollars insurance that paid

117
00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,279
Speaker 1: fifteen hundred dollars. You pay five hundred dollars different something

118
00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:42,600
Speaker 1: like that. Do the people who perform the operations take

119
00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,160
Speaker 1: the money from the company and go, oh, I see

120
00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,760
Speaker 1: you're paying fifteen hundred dollars? Are you? So we'll make it?

121
00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,400
Speaker 1: What will we make our procedure? I know we'll make it.

122
00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,280
Speaker 1: Eighteen hundred and fifty or do they say it's eighteen

123
00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,240
Speaker 1: hundred and fifty and then Southern Cross come along ago,

124
00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,040
Speaker 1: we're only paying fifteen hundred. How does that work? Another

125
00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,360
Speaker 1: question for you, just how long can this go on for?

126
00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,200
Speaker 1: When they're paying out One single company is paying out

127
00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,159
Speaker 1: three point eight million claims, which is up sixteen percent.

128
00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,520
Speaker 1: If things are going up sixteen percent a year, how

129
00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,360
Speaker 1: long before there are so many millions of claims There

130
00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,760
Speaker 1: are many more millions than there are actually the population.

131
00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,120
Speaker 1: In other words, every single person in this country is

132
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,640
Speaker 1: claiming on medical insurance every single year, and how long

133
00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,000
Speaker 1: can that remain affordable?

134
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,560
Speaker 2: For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen live to

135
00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:29,200
Speaker 2: news talks.

136
00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,440
Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast

137
00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:33,680
Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio