The Government says a 10 percent rise in doctor visits is a direct result of slashing the price.
The latest New Zealand Health Survey says 57,000 fewer adults avoided seeing their GP in the previous 12 months, compared to the year before.
Health Minister David Clark says it proves cutting the cost last December has made a difference.
"This change in the data is exactly what we hoped for, and it's delightful to see people are now actually going out and seeing a doctor when they need to."
Visits were made up to $30 cheaper last year for the nearly 600,000 Kiwis with a Community Services Card.
The rate of unmet need for GP services because of the cost fell from 14.9 percent in 2017/18 to 13.4 percent in the past year, the lowest since the 2011/12, when the survey began measuring it.
Dr Clark says price has been a barrier for people on low incomes, who'd otherwise wait until their problems became so bad they couldn't be ignored - but more difficult and costly to treat.
"For those people going to visit a doctor - if they have a Community Services Card - is $20 to $30 cheaper on average. It's now under $20."
Despite the improvement, 528,000 adults still reported avoiding the GP due to cost.
The survey also shows 50,000 fewer people are reporting cost as a barrier to picking up prescriptions and 33,000 not putting off after-hours visits, which are generally costlier than booked visits.
More than half a million people in 2017 didn't go to their GP because of the cost, a previous survey showed.
"In a country like New Zealand no one should have to put off going to the doctor when they're sick, and it’s heartening to see we're making progress," said Dr Clark.
