24 June 2006
MEDIA RELEASE
Axford Fellows report public policy findings
This year’s holders of Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy are to report their findings this week. The
three Axford Fellows from the United States, Linda Blumberg, Susan Coppedge and Saskia Kim, have been based for six
months at New Zealand government agencies relevant to their respective fields of research – health insurance, privacy
and human trafficking.
Dr Linda Blumberg, a Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, has been based at Victoria
University of Wellington's Health Services Research Centre and the Ministry of Health. Her research has focused on the
interactions between public and private health insurance coverage, specifically the impact of private health insurance
on the use of publicly-financed services. Her findings contradict the expectation that private health insurance should
reduce use and costs of the public health system.
Susan Coppedge, an Assistant US Attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, has been based at the Ministry of Justice and worked
with New Zealand Police and Immigration New Zealand, investigating whether recent New Zealand laws passed to curtail and
punish human trafficking are being effectively implemented by those in local law enforcement. Her recommendations
include greater training for police and immigration officials in the identification and investigation of human
trafficking cases.
Saskia Kim, a Principal Consultant to the California State Senate Office of Research, has been based at the Ministry of
Justice and Office of the Privacy Commissioner, researching how New Zealand and California treat privacy issues
surrounding emerging technologies. Her report includes a case study on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology,
giving examples of current and future applications of RFID and discussion of the privacy issues raised by the
technology.
The Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy were established in to facilitate public policy dialogue
between New Zealand and the US, and are collectively funded by a number of government departments and ministries. The
Ian Axford Fellows will report their findings at a seminar in Wellington on Wednesday, and their reports will be
available for download from the Fulbright New Zealand website – www.fulbright.org.nz
IAN AXFORD (NEW ZEALAND) FELLOWSHIPS IN PUBLIC POLICY SEMINAR
5:30-7:30pm, Ground Floor Theatrette, BP House, Customhouse Quay, Wellington
--
The Effect of Private Health Insurance Coverage on Health Services Utilisation in New Zealand
Prepared by Linda J. Blumberg, PhD
Private health insurance can lead to interactive effects with the public health system. It is possible that care
delivered under private insurance is not replacing public spending, but increasing total national spending on health
care. And because comprehensive policies lower the out-of-pocket price for obtaining public services, this type of
coverage may increase the use of those services, thereby increasing public spending. This study assesses the impact of
private health insurance coverage on the use of health services in New Zealand, using 2002/2003 New Zealand Health
Survey data.
This analysis indicates significant interactive effects between private insurance and the use of health services. These
effects are particularly pronounced with regard to care received outside of the hospital setting. Private insurance
tends to increase the use of GP services, specialist services, and pharmaceuticals among those most likely to have
comprehensive health insurance – highincome individuals. There is no overall significant effect of private insurance on
public hospital inpatient, daypatient, or emergency room care. If private in-patient care acts as a substitute for
public in-patient care, one would expect significant overall declines in public in-patient use associated with having
private coverage. These findings contradict arguments supporting a tax rebate for the purchase of private insurance.
About the Author:
Linda Blumberg is a Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, where she has worked since
1992. From 1993 to 1994, she served as health policy advisor to the Clinton Administration during its initial health
care reform effort. In her research, Blumberg has focused on issues of health care policy and economics. Her recent work
includes a variety of projects related to private health insurance and health care financing. During Blumberg's Ian
Axford Fellowship in New Zealand, she has been based at Victoria University of Wellington's Health Services Research
Centre and the Ministry of Health. Her research has focused on the interactions between public and private health
insurance coverage, specifically the impact of private health insurance on the use of publicly financed services.
People Trafficking: An International Crisis Fought at the Local Level
Prepared by Susan Coppedge
People trafficking is a global epidemic with an estimated 800,000 people trafficked each year, the majority being
trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. This report looks at the range of laws in effect in New Zealand to
address both people trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Cases are already being successfully brought under
the Prostitution Reform Act and the smuggling provision of the Crimes Act. To date, there have been no cases brought
under the trafficking provisions of the Crimes Act (section 98D). People trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation
cases bring unique issues with respect to victims, both in terms of identifying them and working with them to achieve a
successful prosecution. The analysis includes identification of future challenges New Zealand faces in combating
under-age commercial sexual exploitation. The report also contains a survey of some non-governmental organisations and
the work they do to prevent at-risk youth from engaging in commercial sexual exploitation. By presenting three case
studies, the report examines potential transnational people trafficking in New Zealand. These case studies arose prior
to the enactment of the trafficking laws in 2002, but provide a basis for analysing people trafficking in New Zealand
and an indicator of what cases may arise in the future. These case studies also provide scenarios for training law
enforcement in recognising and investigating people trafficking. Lastly, recommendations are made as to what steps New
Zealand can take to reduce commercial sexual exploitation of persons under 18 years of age and prosecute future people
trafficking cases.
About the Author:
Susan Coppedge, an Assistant US Attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, is on the front-line in putting criminal laws to use and
developing a practical awareness of problems that law enforcement agencies face in applying the law. She is active in
developing cases in the human trafficking arena and involved in the Georgia Rescue and Restore Coalition, whose goal is
to identify victims of human trafficking and get these victims the support and services they need to safely escape the
traffickers. During Coppedge’s Ian Axford Fellowship in New Zealand, she has been based at the Ministry of Justice and
worked with the New Zealand Police and Immigration New Zealand, investigating recent New Zealand cases and laws passed
to curtail and punish human trafficking, smuggling and commercial sexual exploitation in order to determine whether they
are being effectively implemented by those in local law enforcement.
Safeguarding Consumer Privacy in a Technological Era: A Comparison of Privacy Protections in New Zealand and California
Prepared by Saskia Kim
New Zealand’s Privacy Act 1993 has been called the most comprehensive national privacy law outside of Europe, applying
to the collection of personal information by both the public and private sectors. It is not the only model for privacy
protection, however. Sectoral legislation, which specifically addresses a particular sector or problem, and
self-regulation in which industry groups establish best-practice guidelines and self-police compliance are the two other
principal approaches. New Zealand employs all three approaches while California relies on sectoral legislation and
self-regulation. New uses of technologies can challenge the approaches. Whether technologies come within the scope of
comprehensive laws, which tend to be broad and general, is often a question, and while sectoral laws can specifically
target a problematic practice, if the practice or technology changes the statute may no longer apply. The report
utilises seven key criteria to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach using radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology as a case study. It contains examples of current and future applications of RFID and
discussion of the privacy issues raised by the technology. Threshold definitional questions concerning RFID are also
addressed in relation to New Zealand’s Privacy Act. The analysis considers the privacy issues raised by RFID with
respect to each criterion and discusses how each approach, in addressing those issues, furthers the goals of the
criteria. The report draws conclusions and offers policy recommendations concerning whether existing statutory schemes
are sufficient to protect privacy.
About the Author
Saskia Kim, a Principal Consultant to the California State Senate Office of Research and previously counsel to the
Assembly Judiciary Committee, works with state legislators to develop public policy initiatives and draft policy options
related to privacy. She has gained extensive experience in privacy law and has significant responsibility for drafting
statutory language. During Kim’s Ian Axford Fellowship in New Zealand, she has been based at the Ministry of Justice and
Office of the Privacy Commissioner, researching how New Zealand and California treat privacy issues, with a focus on
emerging technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID).
ENDS