Other health services

There may be other types of help available to Community Services Card holders. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has contracts with community organisations to provide health care and assistance.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora rules vary depending on which region you are in, so it is important the card holder makes direct contact with their local hospital or health professional to find out what services are available in their area.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has contracts to provide Emergency Dental Services with some dentists across New Zealand.

To get this help, people must have a current Community Services Card and must not qualify for assistance from MSD, for example a Special Needs Grant to help pay for the treatment.

The card holder needs to bring in a quote from the dentist and have their entitlement assessed by MSD.

If there is no entitlement, written confirmation will be provided, and the dentist can start treatment.

People who hold current Community Services Cards can apply for home help assistance from Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora or their agent. This can include:

• Home help
• Personal care
• Carer Relief (home help, personal care, day care, 'in-home' respite care and residential respite care).

The Spectacles Subsidy, paid for by Whaikaha – Ministry for Disabled People, is for children aged 15 and under, if:

• the child or their caregiver has a current Community Services Card, or
• the child has a current high use health card.

Clients who want to find out more about this subsidy should call 0800 171 981 to find an assessor.

A child needs to have an assessment by an optometrist or eye specialist who is registered as an assessor for the subsidy.

The subsidy covers:

• examination
• lenses
• frames
• eye patches

If the subsidy does not cover the full cost, the caregiver is required to pay the balance. They may be eligible for recoverable assistance to help with the cost.