Health Insurance
The Best Health Insurance Is The One That Fits Your Life
For all your Insurance & Financial Needs
Understanding Health Insurance: Why Should I Get Health Insurance When New Zealand Has Universal Health Care?
The public healthcare system in New Zealand is very good, but it doesn’t cover everything. For many aspects of health services – diagnostic processes like MRI’s, non emergency surgery, and some treatments – there is a substantial wait within the public system. For some things, this might not be a major problem for you – but when it comes down to matters where time is of the essence – confirming cancer diagnoses, exploratory processes to help you diagnose, or even sheer convenience – going private can make a real difference to you. However it can cost a pretty penny to go private, even in a relatively affordable country like New Zealand.
This is where health insurance can come in.
When you get private health insurance, the upfront cost of the premiums can be mitigated by an expedited wait to see a specialist, partial payment of fees, or even if you have a recurring medical need as simple as bad eyesight which demands regularly updating your glasses.
Additionally, not everyone is eligible for universal health care in New Zealand and may need to take out some kind of private insurance to cover themselves.
Am I eligible for public health care in New Zealand?
Please note: This is a big question, and one that is too complex for us to explain here as rules often change – check out the official government sources for the most up to date information.
If you are a New Zealand citizen, yes.
However, people without citizenship or the correct visa may not be.
While everyone in New Zealand will always have access to life saving and emergency care, the most common example of someone who is not eligible for public health care in New Zealand are tourists. These travellers will need travel health insurance, with fully comprehensive travel health insurance being highly recommended. Some health insurance providers offer international health insurance for travel, but you should always check to see if specifics are covered (for example, emergency dental may be covered but the prescription for antibiotics post extraction may not be – it’s all in the details!).
Is it worth getting health insurance and income protection?
Unlike health insurance, income protection doesn’t help reduce the cost of medical services. Depending on your health insurance coverage, health insurance providers may cover some or all of the fees paid for services – which can seriously add up over time, especially if you are diagnosed with a non-acute illness or disease which requires ongoing treatment.
Income protection doesn’t help you pay for private medical services, it covers lost income due to you being too sick to work.
So, depending on your circumstances, it may well be worth getting health insurance, income protection, and potentially some other types of insurance too.
What If I’m Covered By Corporate Health Insurance?
Being covered by corporate health insurance is great, but once again it is worth checking the details of your policy to ensure that you are covered for everything you deem important. Many professions offer industry specific policies – police health insurance for example may favour those things police officers are more likely to need to claim, where as a general health insurance policy may cover more things but for a smaller amount.