What a private specialist costs in New Zealand
There is no single price for a private specialist in New Zealand. Providers set their own fees, publish them inconsistently, and quote for the whole episode rather than the procedure alone, so a figure without a named provider and a date is not much use. 5 New Zealand providers publish a price for this, and they do not agree. All 5 are in the table below, each with the date we read it.
Category: Scans and diagnostics. Prices on this page were last checked on 9 Sep 2026.
What a private specialist costs, by provider
| Provider | Published price | Date read |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Leo Sheck (published pricing) | ophthalmology initial consultation $265 (published price, read 15 Aug 2026) | 15 Aug 2026 |
| Kapiti Women's Health (published pricing) | gynaecology consultation $360 (up to 45 minutes) (published price, read 15 Aug 2026) | 15 Aug 2026 |
| The Ellerslie Clinic (published fees) | psychiatric assessment $550 per hour (published price, read 15 Aug 2026) | 15 Aug 2026 |
| SkinDoctor (published fee schedule) | skin consultation $190 (30 minutes) (published price, read 14 Aug 2026) | 14 Aug 2026 |
| CardioLabs Wellington (published price) | echocardiogram $673 (published price, read 15 Aug 2026) | 15 Aug 2026 |
A published price is usually the surgeon or the facility fee for the procedure itself. Anaesthetist fees, the first specialist consultation, imaging, pathology, follow-up appointments and any complication are often quoted separately, so the amount actually invoiced is normally higher than the headline. Ask any provider for a written quote covering the whole episode before you commit.
What health insurance does about it
Whether a policy covers this depends on why it is being done. Treatment of a diagnosed condition is usually claimable; the same procedure done for comfort, screening or cosmetic reasons usually is not.
Specialist option is exactly what pays these.
Questions about a private specialist costs
How much does a private specialist cost in New Zealand?
Dr Leo Sheck (published pricing) publishes ophthalmology initial consultation $265 (source, read 15 Aug 2026); Kapiti Women's Health (published pricing) publishes gynaecology consultation $360 (up to 45 minutes) (source, read 15 Aug 2026); The Ellerslie Clinic (published fees) publishes psychiatric assessment $550 per hour (source, read 15 Aug 2026); SkinDoctor (published fee schedule) publishes skin consultation $190 (30 minutes) (source, read 14 Aug 2026); CardioLabs Wellington (published price) publishes echocardiogram $673 (source, read 15 Aug 2026). Every figure is the provider's own published price rather than an estimate, and each is linked in the table above.
Does health insurance pay for this?
Whether a policy covers this depends on why it is being done. Treatment of a diagnosed condition is usually claimable; the same procedure done for comfort, screening or cosmetic reasons usually is not.
What decides whether a claim is paid?
Specialist option is exactly what pays these. The wording is what settles it, so read the benefit and the exclusions before you assume either way.
Why do the published prices differ so much?
Because providers are pricing different things. One quote may be the surgeon alone, another the surgeon and the facility, another the whole episode including anaesthetist and follow-up. Volume, location and the specific technique all move the number too. Comparing two headline figures without checking what each covers is the most common way people get a surprise invoice.
What is not included in these prices?
A published price is usually the surgeon or the facility fee for the procedure itself. Anaesthetist fees, the first specialist consultation, imaging, pathology, follow-up appointments and any complication are often quoted separately, so the amount actually invoiced is normally higher than the headline. Ask any provider for a written quote covering the whole episode before you commit.
Can I get this done in the public system instead?
For a diagnosed condition that meets the clinical threshold, yes, and it is free. The question is how long the wait is: there were 273,621 people on the two public waiting lists at 31 March 2026 and more than a third had already waited over four months. Private treatment buys the timing rather than the treatment.
Where to go next
- Every private treatment price we publish
- What a CT scan costs
- What an echocardiogram costs
- What a PET scan costs
- What a private dermatologist costs
- What a private ultrasound costs
- How long the public waiting lists are
- What each insurer pays for non-Pharmac drugs
- How health insurance works in New Zealand
- Every health insurer, and who underwrites what
- How QuoteHub checks a figure before publishing it
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