There's an undercurrent philosophical debate going on just behind the screen. At present, you're unaware of it, unless you're already in the health system as a patient or a doctor. This undercurrent defines what treatment is available to you and how much the government is prepared to spend their budget on you.

It might sound crass to put a number on the value of a life, unfortunately, in the world we live in, money talks, you know the rest.

Here are several articles that are worth the read, to better understand what's going on around you, before you have to deal with it.

• Good Returns article discussion the merits of public funding, the decisions being made and the 1 thing you can do yourself, get the right insurance cover.
• BBC article on the same discussion in the UK
• This one is a New Zealand article discussing the value of life.

Morbid maybe, necessary yes, to put things in perspective and ensure that the right resources get to the most effective place. The unfortunate reality is that place may not be your condition.

With 1 in 3 people being diagnosed and suffering from cancer, the chance of you needing expensive medicines is actually quite high. You think you're healthy, the reality is there are very few people who can genuinely go through an insurance application and not tick yes to a medical question.

Because you haven't been to a doctor doesn't mean you're healthy, it just means you've not had medical symptoms severe enough to warrant a visit. The unfortunate reality is you can have cancer and not know about it until it's too late. Breast, Bowel, Prostate and Skin cancers are the most prevalent cancers here in New Zealand, all of them cause significant numbers of deaths every year.

Then there are the kids, this is one of many articles I've seen in just the last 12 months, it's the worst when it's kids, if you can help, please help.

The unfortunate reality is the financial impact of this situation is avoidable, but it's either not sought or acted upon until too late. 75% of the population don't have medical insurance and about 90% of the people who do have it, don't have enough cover in the right places.

My role as your insurance expert is to explain the issues, explain the products and services that can be accessed, so you can make an informed decision. Then it's my job to arrange it, so it works how you want it to.

There is a significant level of head in the sand, either it's not a priority because it's not a problem now or if I talk about it then it might happen. The reality is whether you talk about it or not, it will happen anyway.

Don't put yourself in the position of selling assets to stay alive, or even worse, not being able to afford the treatment you need. Give me a call and I'll explain the options in an understandable, affordable way so you are not one of the masses complaining about the system, you won't have to worry.