20209 (2026). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Associate Minister of Health

Written Question

Published date: 11 Jun 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	20209 (2026)
Question asked:	25 May 2026
Member asking:	Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Portfolio:	Associate Minister of Health
Minister replying:	Hon David Seymour
Answer received:	08 Jun 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_20209_2026
Document guid:	2bc150f4-a344-4bf6-abae-2f1d69e55b91

20209 (2026). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Associate Minister of Health: What assessments, if any, has been made of whether Māori patients may experience changes in wait times, access thresholds, or treatment delays if Māori ethnicity is removed as an eligibility criterion?

Hon David Seymour: I am advised that Pharmac has not conducted an impact analysis for the measures mentioned. Pharmac has however, quantified the number of individuals no longer eligible. It has not been considered that any impact from the proposed changes in criteria would be directly measurable for the indicated metrics.