ACC and Health Insurance
 

Hi Everyone

My partner and I have been here for just over a year now on PR visa's. I have just got a new permanent job and the union there offers medical insurance which is about $70 a fortnight for myself and my partner (age 30 & 37).

I know ACC will cover us for accidents but if for example we fell ill, went to the doctors for an appointment, they sent us for tests and we were diagnosed with some illness. Would we then have to pay for the medical costs as it wasn't an accident? What about ongoing treatment, e.g if you were diagnosed with cancer or needed surgery?

I have read the different threads on here and people seem to have varying experiences. Im just wondering if the medical insurance offers much more than having medical insurance does in the uk, mainly shorter waiting times?

Thanks guys :)

Jayne

Re: ACC and Health Insurance
 

If you are a permanent NZ resident, then you have full access to the health system like anyone else: co-payments for prescriptions and GP appointments, free hospital appointments and investigations...

ACC covers occupational conditions and accidental injuries.

Have a careful think about whether health insurance is worthwhile for you. Yes, it will pay for dentistry, private surgery and private outpatient appointments, but many health insurance policies have an enormous list of exclusions, including 'chronic conditions'.

You might decide it is more worthwhile to put $70 into a savings account each fortnight, or to pay off your mortgage earlier.

Re: ACC and Health Insurance
 

We have insurance as we have the legacy of a good work deal a few years ago. we pay $80 per month for two of us. Our cover is for hospital and surgery only and we haven't ever made a claim. We used to have a cover that covered us for GPs etc but we go so rarely that it wasn't worth it. Especially as GP visits and scripts have come down so dramatically in price

However...if you are a better saver than us, i would recommend saving , like drrobert says, then using it to pay for a specialist if you need one.

A lot of the wait involved is wait for an initial appointment so if you can reduce that you're home and hosed in some circumstances.