What a crock!

[Mom]

Forgive the rant but I am madder than a mad thing that is really, really mad!

My mother has just received a letter demanding she proves she is elligible for publically funded health care in New Zealand. She is 79 years of age, permanent resident (granted in 1960), receives the NZ Super (she had to prove herself eligible for that too mind, fair enough) and for the past 8 years has seen the inside of a hospital many, many times. She is a cancer survivor, has had radiation/chemotherapy treatment, not to mention x-rays, tests, surgery who alone knows what else, all paid for by publically funded health care that she is entitled to.

She also suffers from radiation damage to her bowel, and has been and is extremely sick as a result. We were at Waikato Hospital on Tuesday, where she weighed in at a whopping 30 kgs! The hospital have lodged a claim for her to receive hyperbaric ozygen therapy at Devonport Naval Base (ACC Claim for medical misadventure, her oncologist said is standard and no problem to get) and she is also referred to another specialist at Waikato in a couple of weeks.

She is beside herself with worry and stress, exactly the opposite of how she should be feeling, after receiving this letter today. There has never been a question asked of her eligibility that I am aware of, she has been willingly if a bit slowly at times treated in the past. What idiot would send a letter out like that, her file is a foot thick at the hospital FFS, never been an issue before. How dare they question a dying woman that they have happily treated for years about whether she can prove she is eligible!

What a crock!

[davereid]

Thats just crap.

We have a similar story in our family.

In WW2, N.Z. invaded Samoa. Lots of Germans in Samoa, many were taken and put in a concentration camp on Somes Island in Wellington Harbour. They werent soldiers, just shopkeepers etc etc.

After the war ended they were dumped on the beach at Petone.

Not all of them went back to Samoa, including some of my rellies.

Then at the age of 85, one of our lot wanted to go back to Samoa to see the old family etc, and applied to renew the passport.

But the records had now been computerised, and my rellie was flagged as an illegal immigrant.

So after 60 years in NZ, very successful business, lots of passports, suddenly a cell at the cop shop looked like the next travel destination, followed by a free flight to Samoa.

Common sense (and friends in high places ?) intervened, and my rellie was able to attend a citizenship ceremony before passing away.

[Mom]

Thats just crap.

I hear you. I am also resident here, and bear the proud stamp in my passport that says I am returning resident. Few years ago when I went to renew my Canadian passport, I also needed to renew my returning resident/re-entry permit. Send the money and the two passports to Infernal Affairs and get it all returned to me along with an application to apply for residency! I am no longer resident despite the fact I have a bloody big red full page stamp in my expired passport saying that I am. I was not on the computer so therefore I did not exist. Took a few calls and a lot of stress before common sense prevailed and a "new improved computer generated sticker" was placed in my passport confirming I am infact resident.

Boils my blood that my sick mother is crying tonight because her most recent visit to the hospital has generated an alert. Fuck em!

[kiwi cowboy]

I hear you. I am also resident here, and bear the proud stamp in my passport that says I am returning resident. Few years ago when I went to renew my Canadian passport, I also needed to renew my returning resident/re-entry permit. Send the money and the two passports to Infernal Affairs and get it all returned to me along with an application to apply for residency! I am no longer resident despite the fact I have a bloody big red full page stamp in my expired passport saying that I am. I was not on the computer so therefore I did not exist. Took a few calls and a lot of stress before common sense prevailed and a "new improved computer generated sticker" was placed in my passport confirming I am infact resident.

Boils my blood that my sick mother is crying tonight because her most recent visit to the hospital has generated an alert. Fuck em!

good luck mom and if it was me i think id be getting hold of as many paper reporters i could and expose these fucking idiots for whot they are.
Again good luck

[martybabe]

Fuck em indeed, bloody idiotic beaurocrats. Er, no mention of your family health woes when you kindly enquired after my Daughters health yesterday? all this going on and you still take the time to ask after a total strangers well being. You truly are a special lady and I wish you and your Mom a swift and decent resolution to this jobs worth cock up.

Bless ya Mom and your Mom. x

[Tink]

Heh Mom... I feel for your mum, both my parents have to apply for their retirement via the long difficult way because we were immigrates in 1972, citizens in 1982... big gentle hugs to your mum... I have dad in hospital ICU... really know how your feeling... it will be alright, its only paper.. not a beating heart.

[Pedrostt500]

offten Beauracrats forget that the peice of paper they are shuffeling is someone elses life, all the best to your mum.

[Deano]

Had the same thing with our new born. Starship Hospital basically demanding documentary evidence of mine and my wife's NZ residency.

Ummm, we were both born here and have lived here all our lives. Our hospital number and file should be all there since both of our birthdays, stating when and where we were born.

[Fatjim]

Deano, the problem is your Indian accent.