I have been discussing managing medical premiums for quite some time. This article I wrote in 2016 is the start where I discuss the life cycle of medical insurance for the typical household. This discussion and approach is still quite valid.

However, with Covid, challenges with the public medical system and cost of living pressures, medical insurance remains an essential tool to ensure you have access to the medical care you need, but it's a whole lot more expensive than it used to be.

This is an update to a similar article I wrote in 2016, and this shows in the seven years since, medical insurance premiums have mostly doubled and what has changed since then. Added to that is access to public health services is at an all-time low, with around 2/3 of people not being seen in required Ministry of Health time frames.

Don't take my word for it; you can check out Public Health services delivery response that is linked, though this hasn't been updated since before the 2023 election. Click time series view, and it will show you how well current public health delivery is achieving to expectations.

Breast cancer is a consistent news story we all see, in more recent times we've seen the challenges people face with their insurance company's getting breast reconstructions done.

This 2016 article in the New Zealand Herald, 11th Hour Shock, for Anna Jobsz who is having a preventative mastectomy and breast reconstruction is pretty typical of what we see.

This follows on from the high profile treatment Angelina Jolie had when she found out she was exposed to a high chance of developing breast cancer.

It's been ten years since insurers started adding breast reconstruction after cancer surgery to medical insurance. At the time, insurers had a hard time with the subject, but over the last ten years, all insurers, with the exception of some older employer plans, now have the benefit.

The article, which you can read here, only mentioned four of the 10 providers of medical insurance benefits in the New Zealand market at the time, which does the market a disservice as it does provide valuable benefits to policyholders in need with 8 out of 10 at the time having some response to breast reconstruction after surgery.

So you have existing medical insurance coverage, but you are concerned about unfunded and non-Pharmac subsidised medicines, especially for cancer.

You are concerned because your present cover is either limited or non-existent for this area of your medical treatment. 

If you are fit and healthy, then this is not quite the issue it could be, and moving to a plan that does cover this is relatively straightforward. 

But that’s not the reason you are reading this either.

Medical insurance is a changing landscape, not only with policy terms and conditions but with the providers now. 

10 years ago, we had 10 different medical providers; we now have 6 and likely that there will be more mergers in the market.

Medical insurance is a product that typically is not reinsured, so the money for claims, operating the insurer, marketing & sales all come out of the same pot.

Babies have been the key subject at home in the last few weeks with a new addition. A previous comment about medical insurance has got me thinking.

Those things around Babies and New Family members you need to be aware of that can trigger a need to have a chat with us.

 Congratulations on your choice to move to New Zealand!

We may just about be the farthest country from just about anywhere on the planet, but it is the best country in the world.

If you have just stepped off the boat or you have been here for a while, you are probably in for a bit of culture shock. While things here often look the same as home, they are just a bit different.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and with over 4,000 people diagnosed with melanoma in New Zealand each year, we have one of the world’s highest rates. Sun exposure is the number one cause of melanoma, with genetics also playing a part. Melanoma is the uncontrolled growth of melanocytes, which are the cells which produce the pigment which colours our hair, skin and eyes. If caught early enough, it is treatable, but once it has spread, the prognosis is not so great.

It’s all about Pharmac when it comes to melanoma treatment. Pharmac either fund it or they don’t. If they do and if it is the right treatment for you, then you get it. If they don’t, even though your doctor recommends it, you get a big fat no. A no is not something you want to hear when you’re battling a diagnosis of melanoma, regardless which stage it is at. So, how do you turn that no into a yes and get the right treatment for you?

Do You Need to Fight for Your Melanoma Treatment?

Breast cancer is a game changer. With over 3000 women and 20 men diagnosed each year, breast cancer wrecks lives. It’s not all doom and gloom however. If identified while it is in the early stages, a complete recovery is possible. The problem being, access to free breast cancer screening is restricted here in New Zealand.

Truth About Breast Cancer

It sucks. What more can I say?

If you are looking for the '13% level of funding in New Zealand' Article, it's moved here due to some changes with our web software, if not, read on ;)

An estimated one in four New Zealanders will at some point suffer from anxiety during their life according to the Mental Health Foundation. As the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition in our country, anxiety is also a condition many people do not seek medical assistance with. Yet excessive anxiety can cause significant disruptions to the life of an individual, making early recognition and treatment essential.

What does this really mean for you?

For many, it is about getting the kids to school and you to work. There are going to be some goals along the way and Christmas is coming again.

It is that time of year, its fresh and new and the possibilities await!

My question to you is what are you going to do different to ensure you achieve the things you want?

Someone somewhere has said, "To repeat the same thing over and over and expect a different result is the definition of insanity." So what are you going to do to avoid the insanity of repeating the last few years?

I am doing a presentation to a group of business people shortly around planning for Health & Safety risks and what implementing a Health & Safety Plan is about.

One of the things I have done is to get out to the WorkSafe website and see what they say on the subject. It is pretty good!

Their around the block tool is a handy, easy interface to the site for those who want to dig at specific examples of what relates to their business.