Doctor's Visit and Interesting Prices

Going to the doctor in NZ is very similar to going to the doctor in most other places I've lived, but, naturally, there are some differences.

J did the research to find us a doctor, and found out that there is only one clinic in Whanganui that is accepting new patients. Health Care is paid for by the government of NZ, and it is run effectively and is one of the better health care systems around. However, there seem to be more people who want to register at a clinic than there are spots, so all the other clinics have reached capacity, and are not registering new patients. This one is, however, so J and I registered.

After my first appointment, I was told that I should make a "new patient appointment" to go over my medical history with a nurse, and so I did. I went back yesterday for it, and had the new experience of filling out my medical history on an iPad! How cool? It was neat and efficient, and went straight to the nurse's computer, so that she could see it all. Unfortunately, like every other doctor/nurse in every other country, she still felt the need to ask me most of the questions again. What is it about the medical field? Do they think I've changed my smoking habits on the way into the exam room? Anyway, ranting aside, she was very nice, and now she has my medical history (twice).

Without any insurance at all, I only paid $12 for my appointment. If I had seen a doctor, instead of a nurse, I would have paid $17, which is still less than my doctor's visit deductible with Kansas insurance ($25).

What is more impressive, is that when I went to the pharmacy, guess how much I paid for this bag, which contains a week's dose of antibiotics? $5! I don't know how much that would cost in the States, being lucky enough to always have had insurance, but I'm pretty sure that even with insurance, my portion was usually more than $5. Amazing!

On the flip side, I just have to share this, because J and I are endlessly amused by the comparison. Guess how much we paid for this 50ml (1.7oz) bottle of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol? $6.50! Just to put that into perspective, we would usually buy a 32oz bottle (20 times as much), which costs about $4 in the States. To buy that much here would cost about $122! 

In conclusion: 

Doctors and prescriptions? Cheap. 

Rubbing alcohol? Expensive. 

Definitely a different market than I'm used to. :)