Health policy
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New Zealand has a mixed public-private funded primary care system. In the last decade, considerable effort has gone into reducing the financial barriers to primary care, with some targeting of greater public funding of practices in more deprived areas. In this paper we explore the association of socio-demographic factors with affiliation with a primary care provider (PCP), and specifically examine the association with deprivation. Affiliation refers to having a doctor, nurse or medical centre one could go to if need arises. ⋯ Affiliation to a PCP is a measure of potential access to primary care. Overall, our data provide some support for the hypothesis that people with high health needs have high rates of affiliation with a PCP (e.g., elderly, women, Māori and those in poor health). The results also suggest that current health policies in New Zealand, with their emphasis on a strong primary health care system, are ensuring that people with greater health care needs are affiliated with a PCP.