$3.3m for nonresident births

AUCKLAND: Pregnant women considered ‘‘nonresidents’’ have paid more than $3.3 million for births at New Zealand hospitals in the past five years.

And in Auckland, where new mums have paid back at least $1.7 million for the delivery of their babies, there have been cases of fraud by nonresident women trying to get free care.

The figures were released to The New Zealand Herald under the Official Information Act as Canada grapples with a ‘‘birth tourism’’ problem.

Here Auckland’s three district health boards — Auckland, Waitemata and Counties Manukau — were the only DHBs of 20 surveyed that confirmed cases of nonresidents using another person’s identity to get a free birth or access free care elsewhere in the DHB.

In total there were 4682 births to nonresident women across the country between 2013 and 2018.

But some of those women were eligible for free health care because either they qualified or their partner did.

At least $649,184 is outstanding from the births and the DHB with the highest number of births was Counties Manukau with 730.

Counties Manukau DHB said it could not break down invoices solely for deliveries but the total amount invoiced for maternity services provided to nonresidents during the past five years was $3.1 million.

The most expensive birth was $56,533 at Bay of Plenty District Health Board and the least expensive was $1401 at Waikato DHB.

In the Bay of Plenty case the mother had so far paid back $49,053 and payments were still being received.

Some births cost more than others because of complications involving extra clinicians such as theatre staff or the need for a baby to have neonatal care after delivery.

The highest amount paid back to a DHB by 254 patients was $948,869 at Waitemata DHB, where $209,763 was still owing.

Women were allowed to pay their deliveries off in instalments and DHBs said they did not take legal action against women who failed to pay.

Instead they sold the debt to debt collectors, who kept up to 25% of the amount recovered.

DHBs said they never turned away an expectant mum at the point of labour.

‘‘We have a duty to treat and provide care — and then to determine/confirm eligibility,’’ said the then Counties Manukau DHB acting chief executive, Gloria Johnson.

At the Waikato District Health Board, 73 nonresident births cost the DHB $582,496, with more than $216,000 outstanding.

The most expensive birth there, costing $25,654, had not been paid and was handed to a debt collection agency.

Capital and Coast DHB in Wellington had collected $365,275 for 92 nonresident births and there was $145,252 remaining to be paid.

That is because a baby is born a New Zealand citizen only if at least one parent is already a citizen or permanent resident.

Babies born in New Zealand before 2006 are automatic citizens.

In New Zealand no fraud hotlines have been set up to catch nonresident health care cheats, though there is a Ministry of Health ‘‘integrity line’’ which takes anonymous tips on health care fraud.

People eligible for free public health care in New Zealand include citizens, permanent residents, Australian citizens and work visa holders who have been here two years, young people in the care of an eligible person, interim visa holders, New Zealand Aid Programme and Commonwealth scholarship students, foreign language teaching assistants and refugees. — NZME

❛ We have a duty to treat and provide care — and then to determine/confirm

eligibility