Fees review process and Stable Fees Policy

As part of the 2026/27 funding agreement, Health New Zealand has introduced a Stable Fees Policy for standard GP consultations. This means standard consultation fees are expected to remain at the levels in place on 8 June 2026, with a zero allowable increase for the 2026/27 financial year unless an approved exception is granted.

Practices may be eligible to apply for a fee increase where specific exception criteria apply, including:

• Concerns that the business sustainability of the practice may be jeopardised without a fee adjustment.

• Situations where maintaining current fee levels could result in unacceptable reductions in patient-facing services.

• The need to fund significant investments in facilities, workforce, or service expansion.

Practices experiencing sustainability challenges or service delivery pressures must work through Pinnacle and provide supporting information as part of the application process.

Health New Zealand has also identified two groups of practices whose applications may be prioritised under the 2026/27 Fees Review Process:

• VLCA practices seeking to increase fees up to the maximum amount allowable under their agreement.

• Practices identified by Health New Zealand that may be eligible for a fee increase to restore projected total revenue to an equivalent level under the previous funding model.

Pinnacle will contact these practices directly to ensure they are aware of the process and the support available. Health New Zealand has advised that applications from these two groups will be assessed as a priority should a practice wish to update its fees.

If your practice believes it may meet the eligibility criteria for a fees review, please contact the Practice Systems Support Team. We can help you understand the requirements, assess your circumstances against the criteria, and support the preparation of an application to Health New Zealand.

Please note: Practices must not implement any increase to standard GP consultation fees without prior approval from Health New Zealand. Unapproved fee increases may be treated as a material breach of the PHO Services Agreement.

For further information or support, please contact Practice Systems Support or your Development Manager.