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Jobseeker Support : Contents

Enrolment with a primary health care provider

A client and their partner (if any) receiving Jobseeker Support must take all reasonable steps to enrol their child or children with a primary healthcare provider. This means being enrolled with a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner or a medical practice that is part of a Primary Health Organisation.

Taking all reasonable steps to enrol

If a client cannot register their child at a medical practice or with a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner because of shortages, they can be considered to be meeting this obligation if they have a plan in place to:

  • be enrolled with a practice when a place becomes available and
  • get health care for their child if the child becomes sick

Age of child

The primary health care provider obligation applies to parents and caregivers receiving a main benefit:

  • with dependent children included in their benefit or
  • who are caring for a child that they receive Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit for

Verification

Most children will already be enrolled with a primary health care provider and in most cases MSD should take the client's word that they are meeting this social obligation.

However, if MSD has information that the client may not be taking all reasonable steps to meet this social obligation, MSD may ask the client to get verification.

For example verification could be a letter from their medical centre or their registered practitioner that says they are enrolled (most medical centres will send this when a client is enrolled).

Legislation

Nurse practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and hold a current annual practising certificate.

Nurse practitioners are expert or specialist nurses with advanced education, clinical training and experience. They have demonstrated clinical competence and have the legal authority to practice as independent healthcare providers.

All nurse practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Some nurse practitioners have specialised ...

A medical practitioner is commonly referred to as a doctor. Medical practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand as practitioners of the profession of medicine and hold a current practising certificate.

All medical practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Medical practitioners don't need to have completed their training in New Zealand but must be registered with the New Zealand ...