Got Questions?

New Zealand's public health system is free for residents, but it often comes with long waiting times and delays in getting treatment. Comprehensive health insurance typically covers specialist consultations, diagnostic tests, treatment, hospital stays, surgery, cancer care, non-Pharmac funded medicines and treatment overseas.

Which visas are eligible for health insurance?

Private health cover is available to New Zealand permanent residents and citizens, and to work visa holders who meet certain requirements:

• New Zealand citizens and residents
• Work visa holders (visa of 2 years or more)
• Australian citizens or permanent residents (who have lived, or intend to live, in New Zealand for 2 years or more)
• Other visas eligible for publicly funded healthcare (such as refugees and students on government-approved programmes)

If you are diagnosed with a critical illness, your insurer pays a lump sum so you can focus on recovering without money worries. In New Zealand, the three most common conditions behind critical illness claims are cancer, heart attack and stroke.

A serious illness can bring large medical bills and long-term care costs that swallow most of a household's income, putting real financial and emotional strain on you and your family. Critical illness insurance gives you cash support when you need it most, eases that pressure on you and your loved ones, and helps you get through a difficult time financially.

1. Stepped premiums (Rate for Age):

Your premium increases as you get older. Premiums start lower and then rise each year with your age and inflation.

1. Level premiums (Level):

You choose a set term and your premium is locked in for that period. Level premiums cost more than stepped premiums at the start, but your premium does not go up with age and stays the same every year for the chosen term.

A steady income is what keeps family life on track. Income protection or mortgage protection cover means you still have a regular income if you are unable to work. Best of all, within set limits, you choose how much monthly benefit you receive and for how long.

Insurers can also help with rehabilitation, vocational training, home modifications or specialist disability equipment, so you can recover and get back to work sooner.

• A fixed monthly benefit to cover everyday expenses, loan repayments, education and medical costs
• Vocational training to help you return to work as soon as possible
• Rehabilitation programmes
• Help with home modifications or specialist disability equipment

What income protection in New Zealand typically covers:

• Total and partial disability
• Rehabilitation programmes
• Vocational retraining
• Home modifications or specialist disability equipment
• Home care
• Travel costs to return to New Zealand from overseas
• Premium suspension

Most New Zealand homes are timber-framed. Trees falling onto houses, burst pipes causing water damage, and fire are some of the most common causes of damage here. Repairs can be very costly, and home insurance lets you pass that risk on to your insurer.

What is usually covered:

• Household contents
• Furniture
• Clothing, bags and jewellery
• Electrical appliances
• Carpets and curtains
• Other personal belongings

Types of settlement:

• Replacement value
  This is the most common type of cover. If your belongings are lost or damaged, your insurer replaces them with new items or repairs them to an as-new condition, up to the maximum sum insured you have chosen.
• Indemnity (market value)
  Your insurer takes into account how much your belongings had depreciated before the loss, including their age and condition.

We offer a choice of car insurance options, including comprehensive (Full cover), third party (Third Party), and third party, fire and theft (Third Party Fire and Theft). Cover is available for motorcycles, classic cars, luxury vehicles, everyday private cars and commercial vehicles.

[Liability insurance]

In the course of doing business, you could be held liable for loss or damage caused to others through an accident, professional negligence or an inadvertent breach of the law. The cost to your business can be enormous, so it pays to have the right liability cover in place to minimise that risk. Common types include [Public liability] [Statutory liability] [Employers' liability] [Professional indemnity] and more.

[Business interruption insurance]

If your business assets (such as equipment or premises) suffer a loss and trading has to stop, this cover can pay out your lost income or insured profit, helping you get through a difficult period. Common events that trigger a claim include fire, flood, earthquake, and accidental or malicious damage.

[Contract works insurance]

If buildings or materials suffer loss or damage during construction, for example from fire, flooding, vandalism or theft, contract works insurance can cover the related repairs, rebuilding, lost materials and labour costs. It is the type of cover owners and contractors arrange before a project begins.

[Material damage insurance]

Your tools, materials, equipment, assets and stock are all at risk of unexpected loss in day-to-day business, such as accidental damage, loss or theft. Those losses can be significant, so material damage insurance protects the equipment and materials your business relies on against sudden and unforeseen events.

[Commercial vehicle insurance]

If your vehicle is used for business purposes, you need commercial vehicle insurance to avoid unnecessary risk. This includes, but is not limited to, taxis, carrying tools or goods, rental vehicles and courtesy cars.

[Commercial property insurance]

If your property is used for business purposes, choose commercial property insurance rather than standard home insurance. Examples include office buildings, offices, factories and workshops, shops and shopping centres. If you run a business from a residential property, your insurer may also treat it as commercial property depending on the circumstances.