$12.9 million boost aims to close New Zealand's maternity ultrasound postcode lottery

What is the background?

Maternity ultrasound scans check for complications and confirm foetal development at key points in pregnancy, but access and cost in New Zealand have varied significantly by region since the old District Health Board system fragmented funding arrangements. Maternity ultrasound access New Zealand reform aims to standardise that access nationally.

What happened?

Health New Zealand announced a $12.9 million temporary funding boost to support community-delivered maternity ultrasound services across the country, introducing new national co-payment caps: $30 for Community Services Card holders and $90 for everyone else. An interim contracting approach protects existing regional ultrasound subsidies while injecting new funding into the radiology sector, ahead of a full review of maternity ultrasound funding and service delivery.

The funding followed APEX’s February 2026 report, “Prenatal Ultrasound in Aotearoa: An Image of Inequalities,” which documented a postcode lottery in maternity ultrasound provision inherited from the former District Health Board regions.

How did it happen?

The APEX report specifically found the cost of maternity scans had created inequities affecting low-income families, Māori and Pacific whānau, and rural communities most heavily — groups already more likely to face other barriers to maternity care. Setting a national co-payment cap directly addresses the cost side of that inequity, regardless of which former DHB region a family lives in.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and the New Zealand College of Midwives welcomed the funding boost while stressing that full, sustainable long-term funding — not just a temporary measure — combined with clinical oversight to ensure funded scans are clinically appropriate, would be needed to fully close the gap.

Why does it matter?

A “postcode lottery” means two pregnant women with identical clinical needs can face very different costs and access simply based on where they live — exactly the kind of inequity a national co-payment cap is designed to remove. Prioritising rural, Māori, and Pacific communities in the policy response targets the funding at those documented to be most affected, rather than spreading it evenly regardless of need.

The temporary nature of the current boost, paired with an ongoing full review, signals the government is treating this as a first step rather than a complete fix — consistent with clinical groups’ calls for sustainable long-term funding rather than a one-off injection.

What were the key results?

• $12.9 million temporary funding boost for community maternity ultrasound services
• National co-payment caps introduced: $30 for CSC holders, $90 for others
• Interim contracting approach protects existing regional ultrasound subsidies
• Full review of maternity ultrasound funding and delivery now underway
• APEX’s February 2026 report identified a postcode lottery in ultrasound access
• Report found rural, Māori, and Pacific families most affected by cost barriers
• RANZCOG and NZ College of Midwives called for sustainable long-term funding beyond the temporary boost

What happens next?

Health New Zealand plans to complete its full review of maternity ultrasound funding and service delivery.

Clinical bodies including RANZCOG and the NZ College of Midwives are expected to continue advocating for permanent, sustainable funding.

The radiology sector is expected to report on how the temporary funding boost affects service capacity and wait times.

Political parties are expected to continue debating full public funding for maternity ultrasound ahead of the November 2026 election.