9. Question No. 9—Health (Māori Health)PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health)Question No. 9—Health (Māori Health)9. PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health): What recent announcement has he made on health equity?Hon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health)): Last Thursday I announced alongside the Minister of Health $44 million of funding for primary healthcare providers to deliver high-quality services focused on benefiting Māori and Pacific populations. The funding is for two years to support whānau with the highest needs in New Zealand. This announcement rises to the challenge this Government accepted to have an equitable health system for all. I'm also pleased to advise the House that the first payment for this funding will be paid by Te Whatu Ora later this month.Paul Eagle: How will this funding support better access to healthcare?Hon PEENI HENARE: This $44 million fund will enable our primary care providers to stand up comprehensive care teams such as kaiāwhina physiotherapists pharmacists care coordinators and in some of our rural areas they will need paramedics. Our providers have said to us that they need more of these roles so that they can provide more comprehensive support and access to whānau. With winter looming we are also supporting these providers to access more front-line clinical teams to focus on early intervention faster treatment and better support over all. In addition to the funding I just mentioned we are also providing an extra $30 million of primary care funding over the next two years to general practices based on their enrolled high-needs populations. This will cover shortfall funding in the current formula which does not factor in ethnicity socio-economic status and age. I am proud of this Government for highlighting equity in a desirable health system.Paul Eagle: What is the significance of this funding?Hon PEENI HENARE: This announcement is significant for our communities and health providers. Better access to local care will go a long way to improving early intervention rates and help patients avoid hospital care improving the hauora of those who need it the most. As I have travelled across the motu the feedback I am hearing is overwhelmingly positive.Paul Eagle: How does this announcement support Māori health equity?Hon PEENI HENARE: For Māori whānau this announcement is a response to the Wai 2575 report which criticised the capitation funding system in New Zealand for not considering important factors such as ethnicity socio-economic status and age when distributing funds to primary healthcare providers. We know that our hauora Māori providers tend to have a higher proportion of patients with complex health needs and higher rates of chronic illnesses and as such the existing one-size-fits-all funding formula is neither adequate nor fair. Both funds will see 78 Māori provider practices receive an equity adjuster of approximately $80 per person enrolled. Seventy-five other practices with more than 50 percent of their enrolled population being Māori or Pacific will receive a further $40 per person enrolled. For some practices this may mean being able to continue to operate; for others it might mean that they can employ more staff and expand their services. And for others they may choose to remove co-payments for some of their enrolled populations. There are no silver bullets for these challenges in front of us but the support for this particular initiative is overwhelmingly positive.