Although New Zealand has an excellent public health scheme, it has some limitations. It is fine if you, or a member of your family, need emergency treatment at a hospital. However, if you do not need emergency treatment, you will become part of an assessment process and have to wait. This can take months, sometimes even years. This is why it is advisable to obtain your own health insurance NZ.

Furthermore, if you do not qualify for a government funded surgical procedure, you will have to pay for it at a private hospital. This can be extremely expensive if you do not have health insurance so it’s important that you consider the benefits of investing in health insurance.

Whilst many New Zealanders mistakenly think they can afford a surgical procedure if necessary, this is not so. Pre-surgery tests, the surgery itself, post-surgery tests and hospitalisation expenses are astronomical. Even the very wealthy would feel a large financial pinch. Google the words “Surgery costs” and you will find a list of recent costs to perform surgery in this country. For the cost for some basic procedures you can buy a new car or half a house. This is a surprise you don’t want when lying on a hospital bed.

Your health policy will cover the expenses of most procedures, whether they are urgent or not. This basically means that the public health service and the health insurance industry are working together to create a system that is most beneficial to the public. The health insurance industry makes a huge contribution to the overall healthcare of New Zealanders. In 2002, this industry contributed over $600 million.

You can insure yourself against the risk of developing an illness, but not if you already have one. On application, you will be asked questions about your health, your family history and your lifestyle. This will determine your risk status. This is why it’s so important to purchase health insurance while you’re young and healthy. The costs tend to be lower and you have a much higher chance of being accepted without any extra premiums.

Health policies are given in good faith. The insurer has to rely that the information provided by the applicant is true. Therefore the applicant is legally bound to disclose any important information about his or her health. If any vital details are withheld and discovered further down the line, the policy will become void.

In New Zealand, you can get two kinds of health insurance policies. The first is called Comprehensive Care. This will cover visits to the doctor, prescription medications, surgery and hospital expenses, physiotherapy, and other incidental bills. There may be a pre-determined limit.

The other kind is Major Medical or Surgical Care policy. This will only cover medical conditions that require admission to hospital. You will be liable to pay for your doctor’s visits and prescription medications. You can apply for extra cover to pay for dentistry, or screening and diagnostic testing. Neither of these health insurance NZ policies covers fertility treatments or cosmetic surgery.

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Category: Finances
Keywords: Health insurance, Health insurance NZ, Health insurance quotes, NZ health insurance, Health