Can I choose to be treated by any doctor, specialist or private facility?
For the most part, yes. Unlike the public health system, you are not assigned to a doctor; you can choose your own. You also have greater control over where (and when) you are treated. However, all providers require your chosen specialist to be a registered medical professional.
Some providers, such as AIA, require policy takers to undergo treatment in one of their recognised private hospitals, while other providers such as Southern Cross require you to access treatment through an affiliated provider. To avoid any surprises, read the fine print of your preferred policy before you opt in.
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Will my medical insurance cover me while I’m overseas?
Australia and the UK have reciprocal health care agreements with New Zealand and some cancer patients may opt to seek treatment overseas. In these circumstances, several medical insurance providers include overseas treatment in their policies. Conditions do apply and they can vary depending on provider.
Important: An overseas treatment benefit should not be used in place of travel insurance.
Some providers also include a medical tourism benefit that allows the policyholder to seek medical treatment in a country of their choice. The key provisor is that the treatment must be recommended by a registered specialist in New Zealand. The treatment must also be of a type that could be performed in New Zealand within the next six months.
Most providers have additional clauses about the kind of cover their medical tourism benefit includes, so we recommend reading the fine print of your policy if you intend to seek treatment outside New Zealand.
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What about travel insurance for my pre-existing conditions?
Unfortunately, travel insurance policies will exclude any pre-existing condition. In the case of cancer, this also includes any cover for cancelled air fares and cancer-related costs while you travel.
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Can I get health insurance if I’ve had cancer?
Yes. However, most insurance providers will not cover serious pre-existing conditions such as cancer. If you have had cancer and want to take out a new health insurance policy, cancer cover will likely be excluded from your new policy.
To avoid exclusions relating to pre-existing conditions, we recommend getting medical insurance while you are young and healthy. This way, you are not only covered for any health issues that appear after you’ve taken out a policy, but you also reduce the risk of a claim being affected by a previous medical condition.
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Does medical insurance cover cancer treatment?
Yes. However, there are limits. Some insurance providers only cover Pharmac (publically funded) drugs, while others will extend their cover to non-Pharmac drugs that are on the Medsafe approved list.
The amount of cover also varies from provider to provider. For example, Southern Cross’s Wellbeing Two policy covers up to $10,000 worth of claims per year in chemotherapy treatment only, while Partners Life covers up to $300,000 per year.
All health insurance has some form of surgery cover and this can vary from $300,000 per person, per year to an unlimited value.
To make sure you get the right cover, we recommend you read the fine print of your preferred policy.
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Will my medical insurance cover cancer screening
No. However, you may be able to utilise a loyalty benefit (if you policy has this) towards the cost of elective screening.
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What are the excess options?
Most insurers offer the option of adding an excess - in other words you pay a set amount of the bill and your insurance pays the rest; the higher your excess, the lower your premium. Note: excess options vary between companies and you can increase your excess at any time.
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How do I claim?
To make a health insurance claim, you need to complete a form and send it to your insurer along with any referral letters or other supporting documentation. We can sort and send the paperwork for you, and act as your advocate.
We always recommend you get prior approval for treatments and investigations, so you know for certain that you will be covered, giving you one less thing to worry about.
It's really important to give the insurance company as much information as possible to allow them to process your claim quickly.