An increasing number of New Zealanders now have health insurance. This trend is not an indication of poor care in public hospitals but is rather due to the excessive waiting times for non-urgent treatment in public hospitals, which can be months or even years.

Health insurance provides access to private, non-urgent medical treatment quickly, avoiding waiting times.

It is important to note that even if you have private health insurance, you are still entitled to receive free public health treatment.

Some health services are available only in public hospitals such as many cancer treatments, intensive care and major accident and trauma care. In these circumstances, having medical insurance is of no benefit at all.

If you feel you require private health insurance, it’s a good idea to shop around when selecting a provider, as services and policies differ from insurance company to insurance company. Some companies, for example, offer cover for day-to-day health care such as GP visits, while others cover you for only the more expensive aspects of healthcare such as surgery and specialist consultants.

More expensive plans include dental and optical care.

In New Zealand, some employers offer employees health insurance or premium discounts as part of their employment packages.

There are a number of medical insurance providers in New Zealand, but some of the larger ones include Southern Cross Healthcare, Aetna Health (NZ) Ltd, Sovereign and Tower Health and Life.

How the medical insurance system works is that you select the type of insurance cover (or policy) you require and then you are liable for the premiums either monthly or weekly depending on your scheme or policy. When you undergo health treatments, you will receive a receipt from the doctor or specialist which you then send to your insurance provider for them to provide you with a refund. The size of the refund and the services covered depend on your particular policy.

Please Note that pre-existing medical conditions may not be covered by health insurance, however, some companies will cover some conditions while others offer a "stand down period", after which your condition will be covered.

Some health insurers require you to wait out an initial period (often three months) before you can make a claim.