Wrap up your health insurance needs before the holidays

The summer holidays are now well and truly on the horizon, and after the stress of living with COVID-19 this year, we’re sure most New Zealanders will be looking forward to some quality time at the beach.

But, before you head off on that much-needed break, take a moment to check that you’ve wrapped up your health insurance so that you’ll have total peace-of-mind in 2022.

While our ‘team of 5 million’ has done an incredible job of increasing vaccination rates, future spikes in COVID-19 infections are still possible – and this may create a backlog within the public health system.

Should we find ourselves in a situation where elective and less urgent treatments are being deferred by public sector providers, having the ability to call on a private provider could prove invaluable.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that insurance underwriters may eventually update their terms to exclude cover where COVID-19 is a factor in the diagnosis.

Taking these considerations into account, we recommend getting in touch with your adviser to have a proper look at your insurance policies before the year is out. That way, you can be sure you have the best possible cover wrapped up before the holidays.

When you do speak to your adviser, make sure you ask them about the wording of your insurance agreements and whether they have guaranteed wording in place. This is important because, once your contract is set, insurers can’t exclude terms and features if the contract’s wording is guaranteed.

If you're unsure as to where you sit with your current health insurance, it's best that you chat with your adviser sooner rather than later.

We recommend getting in touch with your adviser about any questions you may have regarding your health insurance. That way you can ensure that, come Christmas, your attention is on enjoying your holiday with no niggling health insurance worries.

If you want to talk to us about how to approach your health insurance due to COVID-19 or to view your current policy, get in touch with one of our advisers.