# Question 46: I have a long-term health condition that limits my ability to work. I rely on income support and need regular medical appointments. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on affordable GP care, specialist access and medicines for people with long-term conditions?

Collected 2 November 2026

[NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8)

## ChatGPT

Answer ID: cc833f2c-4d41-4794-911d-1ed382d31b72

# 2026 New Zealand election: comparing parties on healthcare access

For someone living with a long-term health condition, particularly when income is limited and regular medical appointments are necessary, three issues are especially important:

1. Affordable ongoing GP care: Can you see your GP whenever you need to, without worrying about the consultation fee?
2. Access to specialists: Can you get referrals, diagnostic tests and specialist appointments in a reasonable timeframe through the public health system?
3. Affordable medicines: Are your prescribed medicines funded, and can you afford the ones that Pharmac does not currently fund?

These are not necessarily the same priorities as improving hospital targets or increasing the number of operations.

I've compared the main parties' published 2026 health policies, using the New Zealand Medical Journal's October 2026 election analysis alongside the parties' policy announcements.

An important distinction: a promise to make healthcare cheaper does not automatically mean more appointments will be available. GP shortages, specialist workforce shortages and waiting lists also matter. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)

## 1. At-a-glance comparison

| Party | Affordable GP care | Specialist access | Medicines |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Labour | Three free GP visits annually | Family Doctor Loan Scheme; less specific on specialist waiting lists | Free prescriptions |
| Greens | Move towards fully publicly funded primary care | More public healthcare capacity and community services | More Pharmac funding |
| National | More GP enrolments and expanded services | Targets, elective treatment expansion and private-sector capacity | 66 additional medicines funded during its term |
| ACT | More pharmacy-led and alternative primary care | Greater use of private providers to reduce waiting lists | Major proposed increase in medicines funding |
| NZ First | Nurse practitioner-led clinics and more doctors | GP-controlled waiting-list fund | Additional $1.3 billion for medicines |
| Te Pāti Māori | Free, accessible, community-centred primary care | Māori-led health services and equitable access | Broader equity-focused health approach |
| Opportunity | More investment in primary care | Long-term workforce and health-system planning | No equally detailed medicines commitment identified |

This is a comparison of policy direction, not a guarantee that each proposal will be implemented. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)[NZ Health & Education Policy 2026 Compared](https://www.nzvotecheck.com/parties/services)

## 2. What each party is proposing

### Labour

Strongest specific GP and prescription affordability promises

Labour's headline healthcare policies are:

- Three free GP consultations every year for everyone eligible for publicly funded healthcare, through a new Medicard.
- Free prescriptions, removing the $5 prescription charge from 1 July 2027.
- A Family Doctor Loan Scheme to help doctors enter practice ownership and increase GP availability.
- A graduate nurse employment guarantee to help strengthen the healthcare workforce.

What this could mean for you:

The free GP visits could make a meaningful difference if consultation costs currently cause you to delay appointments.

However, three free visits might not be enough if your condition requires monthly or more frequent GP consultations. The policy does not promise unlimited free visits.

Labour's published programme is less detailed on reducing specialist waiting lists and expanding access to specialist treatments.

Funding is proposed through a targeted capital gains tax, with revenue ring-fenced for health. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [Labour's 2026 policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### Green Party

Strong emphasis on publicly funded healthcare

The Greens propose a broader expansion of publicly funded healthcare.

Their priorities include:

- Moving towards fully publicly funded primary healthcare.
- Expanding publicly funded dental care.
- Increasing Pharmac funding so more medicines and medical devices can be funded.
- Better pay and conditions for primary healthcare nurses.
- More community-based, rural and mobile health services.
- Greater investment in mental health and preventive care.
- Better accessibility and autonomy for disabled people.

What this could mean for you:

The Greens' approach is particularly relevant if you need ongoing healthcare rather than occasional treatment.

Their ambition to make primary care fully publicly funded could eventually go further than Labour's three free GP visits.

Their commitment to increased Pharmac funding is also important if you need expensive medicines.

However, the exact timetable, funding arrangements and extent of implementation matter. Their specialist waiting-list proposals are less specifically quantified in the election analysis. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [Green Party policies](https://www.greens.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### National

National's approach is focused on expanding healthcare capacity, meeting treatment targets and increasing the availability of services.

Its policies and existing initiatives include:

- Expanding GP enrolments and general practice services.
- Increasing urgent and after-hours healthcare availability.
- Expanding elective procedures using both public and private providers.
- Funding additional medicines through Pharmac.
- Expanding medical training, including the Waikato medical school.
- Improving cancer screening and treatment.

National reports that it has funded 66 additional medicines, including 33 cancer treatments.

What this could mean for you:

National's approach could benefit people waiting for procedures, specialist treatment or access to newly funded medicines.

However, it does not offer Labour's three free GP visits or a comparable universal free-prescription commitment.

If your biggest concern is paying for frequent GP consultations, National's published proposals are less directly focused on reducing those costs. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [National's healthcare policies](https://www.national.org.nz/healthcare?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### ACT

ACT places considerable emphasis on increasing choice, efficiency and the use of different healthcare providers.

Its proposals include:

- Allowing pharmacists and other health professionals to provide more healthcare services.
- Greater use of private healthcare providers to reduce public waiting lists.
- Increasing the proportion of the health budget spent on medicines.
- Establishing comprehensive cancer centres in Auckland and Christchurch.

Its medicines policy, called Closing the Medicines Gap, proposes progressively increasing medicines expenditure towards Australia's level. ACT estimates that this could eventually mean approximately $5–6 billion in medicines funding.

What this could mean for you:

The medicines proposal could be significant if you depend on treatments that are currently unfunded or difficult to access.

More pharmacy-led services could also make some routine healthcare easier to obtain.

However, ACT does not have a comparable promise of universally free GP appointments. Greater reliance on private healthcare also raises questions about affordability for people unable to pay privately. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [ACT health policies](https://www.act.org.nz/policies/health?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### New Zealand First

NZ First has some particularly significant proposals relating to medicines and specialist waiting lists.

Its policies include:

- An additional $1.3 billion for medicines.
- Replacing Pharmac with a new medicines agency.
- A proposed $925 million annual GP-controlled waiting-list reduction fund.
- Allowing GPs to purchase approved specialist consultations and operations for patients waiting for treatment.
- Recruiting more doctors, including internationally trained doctors.
- Expanding nurse practitioner-led digital health clinics in areas with limited access.

What this could mean for you:

The proposed waiting-list fund is particularly relevant if you need specialist appointments but face lengthy delays.

The medicines proposal could also improve access to treatments that are not currently funded.

However, replacing Pharmac is a substantial change. The practical implications for medicine approval, funding decisions and continuity of existing treatments would need careful scrutiny.

The waiting-list proposal also needs clear rules about who qualifies and how patients are prioritised. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [NZ First policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori places particular emphasis on accessible healthcare, prevention and Māori-led health services.

Its approach includes:

- Rebuilding and strengthening Māori-led health services and health governance.
- Improving access to primary care.
- Community-centred and whānau-centred healthcare.
- Greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
- Addressing inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes.

What this could mean for you:

Its approach is particularly relevant to improving healthcare access for communities experiencing persistent barriers to treatment.

Its policies emphasise the importance of healthcare being accessible, culturally safe and responsive to people's circumstances.

The published election analysis identifies less detail on specific national GP fee arrangements, specialist waiting-list targets and medicines funding than some other parties. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [Te Pāti Māori health policies](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/health?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### Opportunity Party

Opportunity proposes a longer-term approach to healthcare rather than focusing primarily on individual election-cycle promises.

Its proposals include:

- A cross-party 10-year health plan called Healthy People.
- Progressively increasing public health spending towards 9% of GDP.
- Greater investment in primary and preventive healthcare.
- Longer-term medical workforce and specialist training planning.

What this could mean for you:

The focus on stable long-term funding and workforce planning is relevant to people who need consistent healthcare over many years.

However, it has fewer specific, immediately measurable commitments on free GP appointments, prescription charges and specialist waiting times. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

Policy: [Opportunity's Healthy People plan](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy_people?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

## 3. Which parties stand out on your three priorities?

Looking specifically at the practical issues you raised, this is how I would distinguish their proposals.

Affordable, regular GP appointments

- Labour: Three free visits annually.
- Greens: Aim for fully publicly funded primary care.
- National: More enrolments and expanded services, without an equivalent universal free-visit promise.

Important distinction: If you need GP appointments more than three times annually, the details of the Greens' longer-term proposal are particularly worth examining.

Getting to see specialists

- NZ First: A proposed $925 million annual GP-controlled waiting-list fund.
- National: Additional planned-care treatments and use of private providers.
- ACT: Greater use of private providers to reduce waiting lists.
- Labour and Greens: Broader primary-care and public-health approaches, but less specific quantified specialist-access commitments in the reviewed analysis.

Important distinction: Funding a specialist appointment is not the same as having enough specialists to provide it.

Affordable medicines

- Labour: Remove the $5 prescription charge.
- Greens: Increase Pharmac funding.
- ACT: Major proposed expansion of medicines expenditure.
- NZ First: Additional $1.3 billion for medicines and a new medicines agency.
- National: Its existing record includes 66 additional funded medicines.

Important distinction: Removing a prescription charge does not necessarily make an unfunded medicine available.

## 4. An important issue: healthcare and income support

There is another dimension worth considering when assessing party policies.

When a long-term health condition limits your ability to work, healthcare affordability is only one part of financial security.

You may also want to examine each party's commitments concerning:

- Supported Living Payment eligibility and payment levels.
- Accommodation Supplement and other housing assistance.
- Disability Allowance, including medical and travel expenses.
- Whether income-support payments keep pace with living costs.
- Access to disability-related services and support.
- Transport assistance for regular medical appointments.
- Whether changes to benefit rules could make your financial situation less secure.

These are particularly important because even free GP appointments will not necessarily cover transport, diagnostic costs, specialist-related expenses or other costs associated with ongoing healthcare.

I would not assume that a party's healthcare policy tells you how it will treat income-support recipients. Those policies need to be assessed separately.

## 5. Questions I would want parties to answer before voting

For someone who needs ongoing treatment, I think these are some of the most revealing questions:

1. If three free GP visits are provided annually, what happens to someone who needs 10 or 15 appointments?
2. Will people with long-term conditions receive additional subsidised or free GP visits?
3. What concrete commitments will reduce public specialist waiting times?
4. Will people be able to access unfunded medicines more easily?
5. Will Pharmac receive sufficient funding to keep up with new treatments?
6. Will Disability Allowance and other support payments adequately cover ongoing medical expenses?
7. How will the parties ensure that people who cannot afford private healthcare receive timely treatment?

The New Zealand Medical Journal's October 2026 election analysis makes an important point: healthcare promises must be assessed against workforce availability, funding and the practical ability to deliver services. [Election 2026 and health: promises, priorities and delivery](https://www.nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1643/election-2026-and-health-promises-priorities-and-delivery)

## My overall assessment

I wouldn't judge these parties simply by who promises the most money for health.

I would distinguish between three different things:

- Reducing what you pay: Labour has particularly clear proposals on GP and prescription costs.
- Making more treatments available: ACT and NZ First have substantial medicines proposals, while the Greens also advocate increased Pharmac funding.
- Making healthcare consistently accessible: The Greens' publicly funded primary-care ambition, NZ First's waiting-list proposal and National's capacity expansion represent different approaches to this challenge.

There isn't one party that clearly promises everything you might need. In particular, frequent GP care, timely specialist appointments and affordable medicines need to be considered together.

## One question that would help me make this comparison more useful

Without needing to disclose your diagnosis or any private medical information:

Which of these is currently the biggest difficulty in your everyday life?

- A. GP appointments are too expensive, particularly because I need them regularly.
- B. I struggle to get specialist appointments, tests or follow-up treatment through the public system.
- C. My prescribed medicines are expensive or some of the medicines I need are not funded.
- D. All three are significant problems.
- E. My healthcare costs are compounded by living on a benefit and struggling with general living expenses.

I can then give you a more focused comparison of the parties based on the issues that would make the greatest practical difference to your life, including their disability and income-support policies.

## Gemini

Answer ID: 7b3a56f4-166b-417a-ab2f-b81aa761d65d

For New Zealanders managing long-term health conditions who rely on income support and require regular medical care, the major political parties approach the healthcare system through contrasting philosophies. 

A breakdown of how the parties compare across the key areas of **affordable GP care**, **specialist access/hospitals**, and **medicines** highlights these differences:

---

### 1. Affordable GP and Primary Care
Because regular monitoring is essential for long-term conditions, the cost of visiting a doctor is a major electoral dividing line.

* **Labour Party:** Places a heavy emphasis on direct cost reduction for primary care. Their headline policy introduces a **"Medicard" providing three free GP consultations annually** for all eligible New Zealanders, alongside a plan to tackle workforce shortages and clinic capacity.
* **National Party:** Focuses heavily on increasing overall capacity and providing structural support to general practice rather than universal free visits. Their approach relies on funding mechanisms (such as an Independent Pricing Authority) and workforce retention to ease pressures, alongside targeted primary care programs (such as expanding active chronic condition prescriptions).
* **ACT Party:** Proposes targeted funding boosts directly to GPs (such as multi-million dollar annual injections over several terms) and incentivizing practices to offer extra hours or reward high-volume appointments, aiming to stabilize the viability of independent clinics.
* **Te Pāti Māori:** Advocates for free primary healthcare and dental care for all whānau, alongside an expansion of kaupapa Māori and community-led health clinics.
* **The Opportunity Party (TOP) & Greens:** Both advocate for longer-term, structural overhauls of the health system. TOP proposes a 10-year cross-party health plan that lifts overall health GDP expenditure, channeling a greater baseline proportion of funds into primary and preventative care.

---

### 2. Specialist Access and Hospital Wait Times
For long-term conditions, timely referrals to hospital specialists and diagnostic tests are vital to prevent acute crises.

* **National Party:** Emphasizes a "continuity and targets" approach. Their strategy relies on setting strict delivery targets, expanding clinical workforce numbers, and reducing bottlenecks in emergency departments and hospital waitlists.
* **Labour Party:** Focuses on shifting care to local communities to alleviate hospital strain—such as deploying more extended-care paramedics, expanding clinical telehealth, and utilizing pharmacists to handle minor ailments or extend prescriptions, thereby freeing up hospital and specialist resources.
* **Te Pāti Māori & Green Party:** Focus heavily on equity-driven models, aiming to address systemic barriers that affect marginalized groups (including Māori and Pacific communities) in accessing specialist care. Te Pāti Māori proposes restructuring health commissioning through independent Māori-led health authorities to streamline localized access.
* **ACT Party:** Generally opposes race-based or ethnicity-based prioritization in health service allocation, arguing that specialist access and waitlists should be managed strictly according to clinical need, alongside encouraging greater private-sector integration to clear backlogs.

---

### 3. Access to Medicines (Pharmac Funding)
New Zealanders with chronic or rare conditions frequently point to a "medicines gap" compared to OECD peers, making Pharmac funding a core election issue.

* **Labour Party:** Has committed to **restoring universally free prescriptions** for all government-funded medicines, removing the standard prescription co-payment fee. 
* **National Party:** Has pledged specific funding increases to Pharmac's budget (such as multi-hundred-million-dollar uplifts) explicitly targeted at expanding access to life-saving and cancer treatments.
* **Te Pāti Māori:** Has committed to raising overall investment in medicines to at least match the OECD average by 2030 and clearing the Pharmac "Options for Investment" waiting list.
* **ACT Party:** Proposes increasing the share of the health budget spent on medicines annually, aiming to reach structural parity with Australia by the early 2030s, alongside establishing more predictable, pre-set funding increases for Pharmac.

---

### Summary Table: Quick Comparison

| Party | GP / Primary Care Approach | Medicines & Prescriptions | Specialist & Hospital Strategy |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Labour** | 3 free GP visits per year via Medicard; boost clinic capacity. | Restore universally free prescriptions for funded medicines. | Expand community care and alternative channels (paramedics, telehealth) to ease hospital pressure. |
| **National** | Target funding reforms, support practice ownership, and expand chronic care programs. | Increase Pharmac budget explicitly for new/life-saving drugs. | Focus on delivery targets, workforce expansion, and clearing hospital backlogs. |
| **ACT** | Direct funding boosts to GPs; reward high-volume appointments. | Step up medicines funding annually to match Australian parity over time. | Prioritize strictly by clinical need; leverage private capacity to shorten waitlists. |
| **Te Pāti Māori** | Free primary care for whānau; expand kaupapa Māori and marae clinics. | Clear the Pharmac investment options list; raise funding to OECD averages by 2030. | Devolution of funding to Māori-led authorities to close access gaps. |
| **The Opportunity Party (TOP)** | 10-year cross-party plan increasing primary care funding proportionally. | Focus on broader preventative health and stable multi-year funding. | Focus on long-term workforce and medical training stabilization to secure sustainable specialist pipelines. |

Are there specific aspects of your condition or support network (such as disability support integration or specific medication needs) that are most important to your household when considering these policies?

## Google AI Mode

Answer ID: c3a14b65-e4dd-4a45-bd9f-197a807c4a37

As the _2026 New Zealand general election_ approaches (with voting concluding on 7 November), political parties have outlined distinct approaches to primary care affordability, specialist wait times, and Pharmac medicines funding. For someone managing a long-term health condition and relying on income support, these policy directions offer starkly different paths.

Here is how the major political parties compare on these key areas:

1\. Affordable GP and Primary Care

 * **Labour:** Proposes targeted free access, promising three free GP visits per year, alongside free prescriptions, maternity scans, and cervical screening (funded via a proposed capital gains tax).

 * **National / Governing Parties:** Focus on maximizing existing funding efficiency, expanding workforce capacity (such as training pipelines, a new medical school in Waikato, and utilizing physician associates and pharmacists to handle more primary care scope) rather than sweeping universal free GP schemes.

 * **ACT:** Proposes a targeted $400 million funding boost specifically aimed at retaining existing GPs in New Zealand and recruiting more from overseas to ease pressure on clinics.

 * **Te Pāti Māori / Greens:** Generally advocate for broader systemic overhaul and free universal healthcare access points, with the Greens also pushing for specialized expansions like free dental care.

2\. Specialist Access and Wait Times

 * **National and Current Government:** Maintain a strict focus on public health targets (such as elective surgery and four-month specialist wait time goals), though acknowledging severe regional "postcode lottery" bottlenecks in districts like Northland and the Southern health regions. Their strategy leans on administrative efficiency, infrastructure, and boosting workforce numbers.

 * **Labour & Opposition Parties:** Argue that current targets are failing to address regional backlogs fast enough, proposing increased direct operational funding and workforce retention guarantees, though medical experts note that wait times ultimately depend heavily on physical workforce capacity (such as specialist numbers and diagnostic infrastructure) regardless of funding announcements.

3\. Medicines and Pharmac Funding

 * **Governing Parties (National-led):** Emphasize expanding the Pharmac medicines list by adding more subsidized drugs and streamlining approval processes, alongside leveraging pharmacist work scopes so patients can access routine medication management more easily.

 * **Labour & Left-Bloc Parties:** Focus on removing cost barriers at the pharmacy level entirely (such as removing prescription charges) and significantly increasing the ringfenced budget for Pharmac to fast-track new and cancer-specific treatments.

To dive deeper into specific party manifestos and compare side-by-side stances, you can explore the non-partisan Policy.nz Health Policies Guide. Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026 - Policy.nz

If you'd like, I can:

 * Outline how each party's **income support and benefit policies** align with these health proposals
 * Detail specific **regional health resources** or advocacy groups relevant to long-term conditions

Let me know how you would like to proceed.

## AI Overviews

Answer ID: 3d3b09cf-c619-433d-ba28-017baf3bee4a

In New Zealand’s **2026 general election** , health care affordability and systemic access are major issues for political parties. If you manage a long-term condition on income support, how the major parties approach doctor fees, specialist waiting times, and medicine funding can significantly affect your daily life and wallet.

Here is how the main parties compare across your three core areas of concern:

🩺 Affordable GP Care

Party| Policy on Doctor Fees & Community Care
---|---
**Labour**| Promises **three free GP or nurse visits a year** via a new "Medicard" system to help catch and manage conditions early.
**National**| Rejects universal free visits. Instead, focuses on **boosting frontline capacity** (e.g., funding 53,000 additional general practice enrolments) and expanding 24/7 digital health services.
**Greens**| Proposes **unlimited free GP visits** and free dental care for everyone, prioritizing high-need community care clinics first.
**ACT**| Prefers a model where the government purchases rather than provides care. Focuses on a $400 million fund to recruit and retain GPs to resolve workforce shortages.
**Te Pāti Māori**| Advocates for **free primary care and dental** for all whānau earning under $60,000.
**NZ First**| Focuses primary care support on integrating health coaches, freeing up administrative burdens for GPs, and funding preventative metabolic health.

* * *

🏥 Specialist Access & Hospital Waiting Lists

Navigating long waiting lists to see a specialist or get a procedure varies heavily depending on whether parties want to fund the public system directly or contract out to private providers.

 * **National & ACT:** Focus heavily on clearing backlogs by **expanding private sector involvement**. National’s "Elective Boost" programme offers private hospitals long-term contracts to clear public waitlists. ACT also intends to build a dedicated national cancer center.

 * **Labour:** Promises a strict emergency department recovery plan, an end to the health hiring freeze, and a mandate to monitor specialist referral rejections to ensure people aren't being quietly turned away.

 * **NZ First:** Proposes a **$925 million annual "Waitlist Reduction Fund"** controlled directly by GPs, allowing your local doctor to bypass standard routes and purchase specialist consultations or operations for you.

 * **Green Party:** Strongly opposes outsourcing to private entities, arguing public money should stay in the public system. They propose increasing public health funding by **$3 billion each year** to expand hospital staff and reduce waiting times.

* * *

💊 Medicines & Prescriptions

 * **Labour:** Promises to **reinstate universal free prescriptions** , permanently removing the $5 prescription co-payment fee on all Pharmac-funded medicines from July 2027.

 * **National:** Focuses on expanding the overall budget for drugs rather than removing the co-payment. They plan a **$604 million uplift to the Pharmac medicines budget** , redirecting foreign aid money from outside the Pacific to fund it. They also support 12-month extended prescriptions.

 * **ACT:** Aims to increase the total proportion of the health budget spent on Pharmac by one percent each year, driving Pharmac's budget to **12% of total health spend by 2033**.

 * **NZ First:** Has proposed a structural overhaul, aiming to **replace Pharmac with a new medicines agency** and inject an additional $1.3 billion into medicine accessibility.

* * *

If you want to look deeper into a specific area to help you make your choice, let me know:

 * Would you like more details on how parties intend to handle **the Community Services Card (CSC)** or income support margins?

 * Are you interested in the **disability support and care policies** of any specific party?

Let me know what information would best help you finalize your decision.