Patients could dig deep for lab tests

Laboratory tests ordered by private specialists may have to be paid for by individuals in Auckland, in a move that echoes those already made by DHBs in Wellington and the South Island.

Previously, the three DHBs in Auckland have kept an eye on developments – where the public purse in Wellington and the South Island was made off-limits and individuals or their insurers were forced to pay for community laboratory tests.

A major consultation is now being planned and Auckland board papers have indicated that the idea will be put forward then.