The last three-year budget, which National and Labour campaigned on in 2023, runs out next year, meaning a new one must be included in the 2027 Budget.
Today’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (Prefu) said an “indicative, non-binding Health NZ cost pressure funding track for the next three years has been provided to Health NZ to inform the development of a three-year financial and service plan and funding choices at Budget 2027″.
That track includes a top-up of $1.4b in the next Budget, $1.44b in 2028/29 and $1.55b in 2029/30.
Treasury cautioned the track “was not a funding commitment”.
However, National finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis suggested the party would put those figures into its fiscal plan and campaign on lifting health spending by those amounts each year.
She said National was likely to commit to those figures.
“Yes, it has always been my commitment, it has always been National’s commitment that we will keep providing the additional funding that the health system needs to allow for an aging, growing population and to ensure our frontline workers are paid fairly,” Willis said.
She said Health New Zealand was putting together a budget based on what was outlined in the Prefu.
There has been past controversy that this funding is determined more by Treasury than Health NZ.
The Act Party has said it would agree to the spending track, with the condition some funding is ringfenced for GPs and medicines.
New Zealand First has been asked whether it is also committed to the funding increases.