Join the Family, so you too can benefit

When you enrol with MedicAlert^® Foundation you are joining a charity that works for you and a family of many likeminded people, concerned for their health, welfare and protecting themselves from harm. MedicAlert^® Foundation is a unique organisation, it works to protect your best interests through both services, some of which stand ready 24/7 and service supported products.

The Foundation has a small affordable annual membership fee and service fees and considers the donations it receives in the past year when setting its fees for the year ahead. This way all members can benefit from Donations received by the Foundation through affordable low-cost annual fees.

After paying GST to the Government, the Foundations annual fees (2024) amount to less than $1 per week for children and less than $1.30 cents for adults, a very small price indeed to protect yourself from potentially a lifetime of reduced quality of life or loss of independence and dignity, should you otherwise be seriously harmed.

The Foundation currently has tens of thousands of members nationwide, with all members paying a little, this ‘power of the people', keeps fees so low and so affordable.

Protecting you from Harm

*For New Members

MedicAlert^® Medical ID's are internationally recognised and recommended by many highly reputable international organisations including, but not limited to, the World Health and World Allergy Organisations.

Besides being internationally recognised, MedicAlert^® Medical ID's are also Service Supported and Clinically Validated to provide you with a level of protection not available from other products, which while also sold as Medical ID's, fall well short of the standards applied by MedicAlert^® Foundation for your protection, in your best interests.

MedicAlert^® Foundation provides a Free custom engraved Medical ID option for every person when they first enrol with the Foundation, or you can pay to upgrade to another MedicAlert^® Medical ID at a discounted price, should you prefer.

*For existing Members

For your protection, the Foundation is aware that some online traders have been advertising their products as MedicAlert^® ID's or Medical Alert ID's, unwittingly confusing and illegally misleading consumers (and Members) into buying their products.

If you have been caught out, the Foundation will swap out these products purchased online, which were not sold by MedicAlert^® Foundation, for a new FREE custom engraved stainless steel clinically validated and trusted MedicAlert^® Medical ID, when you forward the product to MedicAlert^® Foundation and pay your annual Membership and Service Fee.

Who are you?

In an emergency, quickly identifying you and your vital information when you are unconscious or cannot effectively communicate and whether you have a rear, hidden, life-threatening medical risk, or Advance Directive that needs to be acted on immediately and without delay, can take only seconds and save your life, or ensure your Rights are exercised.

For instance, Adrenal Deficiency can only be treated in a hospital environment and a delay in receiving this treatment may result in death. Likewise, a person with terminal cancer and a ‘Do Not Resuscitate' Advance Directive, wants to know their Advance Directive will be recognised, respected and exercised.

Confidence to act on engraved information

With the use of an independently clinically validated MedicAlert^® Medical ID, Health Care Providers and Emergency Services know your information is medically actionable and this alone can give them the confidence to act without delay, speeding up diagnosis and provision of appropriate treatment, or exercising of Rights.

In the case of the example in above, some rear, hidden and life-threatening medical risks require undelayed transportation to a hospital. Recognising you need to get on your way to hospital, minimising time wasted by the side of the road, can also make a real difference to protect you from life-changing harm. Ambulance dispatch is prioritised, and Ambulance delays are not uncommon due dispatch priorities, traffic congestion, or in rural areas - distances to travel.

Your recognised and trusted MedicAlert^® Medical ID, can make a very real difference to help protect your future quality of life, through a timelier response.

Getting your Rights recognised and exercised?

In the context of Health Services, your Rights are recorded in the Health and Disability Commissioner, Code of Health and Disability Services – Consumer Rights 1996 (HDC Rights).
Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights

If you have chosen to have a written Advance Directive, MedicAlert^® Foundation has an Advance Directive Policy and a Policy concerning your HDC Rights.
Please review these policies and contact the Foundation if you would like your Advance Directive recorded on a MedicAlert^® Medical ID.

Protecting you and your Rights

MedicAlert^® Foundation has considerable experience over many decades of protecting your identity, your privacy, the security of your information, your rights and children from unintended harm.

The Foundation has policies in place to protect you and children from exploitation and abuse. There are practices the Foundation will not engage in and others the Foundation will only agree to, with the written informed consent of a member. For more information please contact Membership Services.

Personal Peace of Mind

Your MedicAlert^® Service Supported Medical ID keeps your personal identity information on how it should be – Private and Secure.

When an incident occurs and Emergency Personnel or a Doctor needs access to your vital identity or wider medical Information, should you be unable to communicate, your MedicAlert^® Service Supported Medical ID becomes that special key that opens the door to your information by approved people.

Timely appropriate treatment saves lives

Do you have an Emergency Medical Action Plan? MedicAlert^® Foundation securely and electronically stores Action Plans, so they are readily available to any Emergency Medical Responder, should the need arise.

Now that's 24-hour protection, every day of the year.

Exercising your Directives

Having a written Advance Directive is your legal right. MedicAlert^® Foundation helps Health Care Providers become aware of your Advance Directive, so your Rights and Advance Directive can be respected and exercised in an emergency or non-emergency situation.

Many New Zealanders have a written Advance Directive (also known as a living will). It tells Medical Professionals and emergency services how you want to be treated in certain medical circumstances, including if you want to refuse medical treatment in certain circumstances.

Give your family peace of mind

Finding out who your Enduring Power of Attorney (Welfare) is in a medical emergency can be difficult. The Foundations Advance Protection Service enables you to store this vital information on file using a legal document from your lawyer, which contains this vital information so they can be identified, contacted, and their powers are known in a timely manner.

Your powers pass to an Enduring Power of Attorney should the situation arise that you become mentally impaired and incapable of making your own decisions.

Nationwide and International Service

MedicAlert^® 's Emergency Hotline Service is manned by Wellington Free Ambulance Staff at the Central Emergency Ambulance Communications Centre based in Wellington. This Centre can facilitate the dispatch of an Ambulance Services anywhere in New Zealand 24/7 if need be.

Keeping your vital information secure and accessible

MedicAlert^® Foundation provides a unique and expanding secure connected service that allows New Zealand Registered Health Organisations to obtain direct secure electronic access to your vital information in an emergency.

This service also now supports MedicAlert^® Foundation enrolled tourists to New Zealand, allowing their information to be immediately pulled from overseas, should they become involved in a medical emergency.

Personal access to your Medical Information

Do you wonder occasionally what's on your Medical Records stored at your Doctor's surgery? Your ManageMyHealth account allows you to take control of your Medical Records, including the ability to update personal contact details as and when you need.

MedicAlert^® Foundation provides a ManageMyHealth Account for every Member regardless of which Health IT system their Doctor uses, with their MedicAlert^® Information readily accessible personally on a 24/7 basis nationally and internationally.

Protecting Service Integrity

Over time your information will change, be it an address, a phone number or a piece of complex medical information. Your MedicAlert^® Service includes a mandatory annual review by the Foundation, to ensure the information on file for all members are maintained in a current, correct, complete and medically actionable stand ready state, in case of an emergency.

Your obligation is to check your information on file and help the Foundation by providing up to date information when it changes. Processing of unlimited updates to information on file is included at no additional cost to your annual service fee.

MedicAlert^® Health Information Technologies are connected to the Ministry of Health

MedicAlert^® is defined as a Health Information Agency and by Government Regulation is listed on Schedule 2 of the New Zealand Health Information Privacy Code. The Foundation has also been issued a Health Practitioner Index (HPI) number by the Ministry of Health and stores Health Consumer NHI numbers on their record.

The Foundation has MOH connected IT Services and also connects with New Zealand's leading Health IT Vendor software Medtech™ 32 and Medtech™ Evolution.

This connectivity enables the Foundation to maintain medical information in a current, correct, complete and medically actionable state relevant in a Medical Emergency, for members who have doctors using these Health IT Vendor software systems, provided your doctor has first submitted an e-referral to the Foundation.

The Foundation is progressively expanding and developing its Secure Connected Health IT Network as time and resources become available, ask your Doctor to do a MedicAlert^® E-referral.

Wherever you go, your vital information goes with you

MedicAlert^® Medical ID's are internationally recognised. When travelling overseas, MedicAlert^® Services and ID's keep you connected with your vital emergency identity and health information, should an emergency situation arise.

Staying in touch is very important

It is most important to keep your personal and emergency contact information up to date. If you need to contact MedicAlert^® Foundation, use our Free Phone Number 0800 840 111 or email inquiry@MedicAlert.co.nz. As the Foundation is a Charity it has limited staff resources, email assists the Foundations staff to manage their time and respond as time allows.

Our trained and experienced team will service your needs and answer your questions personally Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM.

Knowledge is Power

MedicAlert^® Foundation has been operating in New Zealand for over 55 years. There is a great deal to learn about MedicAlert^® Foundation, its Charitable Mission and associated Services, Products, Rules, Policies and Procedures. Becoming knowledgeable about the Foundation will equip you to be informed of what's right and what's wrong, particularly in the social media space.

The Foundations Rules, Policies and Procedures must reflect the best interests of all members. Click here to learn more about how the Foundation operates, in the best interests of all members and why it has certain rules.

We are a community of people working to support each other in our common interests

When you enrol, you become a Member of an Incorporated Society (# 218085). www.is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz

The Society is self-governed by its Members in accordance with its Government Registered Rules of the Society and every Member is subject to these rules. Members may agree to change the rules from time to time. Legally, the latest version of the rules applies to all Members regardless of when they became a Member of the society. The Foundations Board employs a CEO to manage the Foundation and ensure ongoing compliance with the Law. The CEO employs staff to service its Members, fulfil compliance obligations and meet other operational requirements of the Foundation.

The latest version of the Foundations ‘Member Terms Statement' forms the basis of contract between the Foundation and ‘Medical Identification Members' who benefit by receiving services and products from the Foundation. Other policies and terms of trade also apply in accordance with the law. Again, the latest version applies, and Members have an obligation to be checking these from time to time to keep themselves up to date.

The Foundation is subject to other laws which impact how it operates. The Foundation is a Health Information Agency and is listed on Schedule 2 of the New Zealand Health Information Privacy Code 1994. This permits the Foundation to support its Members by acquiring, storing and disclosing their Personal and Health Information in their best interests, where secure connected health information technology services permit. Keeping personal contact and health information up to date is imperative. Manual clinical update forms are available for Members whose doctors do not have secure technologies that connect with the Foundation.

Being a Tier 2 Registered Charity (# CC25227) requires the Foundation to observe accrual accounting standards. www.register.charities.govt.nz/Charity/CC25227

This means the Foundation issues accrual invoices and lodges these in its accounting system, until they are paid. The Foundation must demonstrate it is acting prudently to recover payment for overdue invoices from Members. Members must contact the Foundation if they are having Financial Difficulties to avoid incurring additional costs for both themselves and the Foundation.

Work and Income may pay a Member's fees if they qualify for Disability Allowance funding, on the basis of Financial Hardship.

www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/health-and-disability/medical-alert-bracelets.html

This is the basis upon which the Foundation determines if a Member is deemed to be experiencing Financial Hardship.

If a Member is not deemed to be experiencing Financial Hardship, but the Foundation is satisfied they may be experiencing Financial Difficulties, the Foundation may assist a Member to keep their Membership and Services active, by providing a monthly payment plan or other options. Contact Membership Services if this may apply to you. Helping Members retain their membership, so they remain protected is the Foundations Priority.

Being a Foundation, the Foundation maintains an Endowment Fund, which provides financial support to the Foundation as an organisation (not individual members), if or when it becomes exposed to large one-off costs or is impacted by economic circumstances, usually outside of its control, to protect all Members from sudden and unexpected fee increases.

The Foundation also has a Scholarship Fund (2019 - currently in its infancy, donations are welcome), to facilitate the Foundations Educational and Research Charitable Objects.