A Healthy Head Start

The time to start training for the marathon is not when you’re standing on the start line.  The time to start saving for a house deposit is not when you’re at an auction for your dream home and the time to start thinking about health insurance is not when you’re staring down the barrel of a difficult diagnosis.

Yet all too often, that’s exactly what happens.  Health insurance isn’t sexy.  It isn’t fun and, like making a will or going to the dentist, it’s one of those jobs you know you should do but it’s all too easy to keep putting it off.

Castle Trust Financial Adviser Kathryn Alborough’s advice is to get in early – ideally before any health complications have occurred. 

“The reason for this is what’s covered by a health insurance policy is dependent not only on the type of policy but also on any pre-existing health conditions at the time the policy is written.  Quite often pre-existing health conditions won’t be covered – which is why it makes sense to take out health insurance while you’re young, fit and healthy.

“We want to encourage people to get themselves and their children in early – before medical circumstances arise,” she says.

While the New Zealand public health system and ACC are largely very good, sometimes time is of the essence and you might want or need to go private – which is where health insurance kicks in, giving you access to private medical services in a timely manner.

For fit and healthy mother of three Katie, a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of thirty-two came as a huge shock.  “I had just literally finished a half marathon the weekend before I was diagnosed,” she says.

For Katie and her family having health insurance with nib meant that at a stressful time, there was one less thing to worry about.

“The fact we were insured, it was amazing really.  We were able to eliminate one stress in the whole situation. It was awesome just having one person to deal with.  They knew our case, knew us, knew what we were going through, the treatment we needed.  I personally feel like it was the best care I could have gotten…  You felt like everyone actually really cared about you and you weren’t just a number being shuttled through the system,” she says.

Now thirty-five and with treatment behind her, Katie says if people ask her whether to get health cover, she says: “Yes, do it, sign up with nib it’s so worth it.  It’s made the world of difference really, being covered.  I can’t imagine what it would have been like if we hadn’t.”

If health insurance is something you’ve been thinking about, give the friendly team at Castle Trust a call for a free, no-obligation chat on Ph 03 528 4184 or email info@castletrust.co.nz.