How does the operation of PHARMAC's 'Community Exceptional ...

Section 1: The New Zealand Health and Disability Act 2000
General Provisions of the New Health Act
The purpose of examining the genesis of PHARMAC’s governing legislation
was to gain insights into what the government and the public believed were the
reasons for the existence of PHARMAC and predictions about how the
government expected this health rationing agency to operate. By knowing the
intended purposes of PHARMAC, my research acquired a legislative framework
and description of the statutory requirements of the agency. This information
was contained in the recordings of the parliamentary process from both inside
and outside of parliament.
The aims of the New Zealand Health and Disability Bill 2000 24 (referred to as
The Bill) were stated by Health Minister Annette King in Parliament speaking in
the First Reading introducing the legislation. These aims were “to improve the
health of all New Zealanders regardless of their race and regardless of their
socioeconomic circumstances”. Minister Annette King went on to say her Bill
attempted to reduce the
“’shameful’ health disparities and inequalities between NZ population
groups.”
The Bill aimed to establish 21 DHBs and directed them to take a population
health focus for geographically defined populations. The Bill attempted to
legislate for the development and delivery of the New Zealand Health Strategy
and the New Zealand Disability Strategy. It required DHBs to report to
Parliament annually on progress they were making in implementing the
government’s health strategies. The Minister expected the new health law to
achieve co-operation and collaboration between the agencies in the sector with
the result of delivering better care and support for all New Zealanders.
The Minister aimed to ensure local people could contribute to decision making
about health and disability support services in their district. She did this by
reintroducing provision for partly elected DHBs (Ministry of Health, 2000). The
24 A ‘Bill’ introduced into the New Zealand Parliament is a proposal for the government to create or change a law. The
Bill becomes an ‘Act’ or piece of law when the Parliament approves the Bill by majority and the Governor General gives
his/her assent.
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