New Zealand Health Insurance
Before you leave for New Zealand, have you considered taking out international health insurance? Mondassur allows you to cover all your risks (emergencies, illness, repatriation...) by choosing a personalized international health insurance policy adapted to all your needs.
With international health insurance cover, you can visit New Zealand with complete peace of mind. Whether you plan to live in New Zealand for an extended period as an expatriate, are an international student, or simply an occasional traveler, you can benefit from coverage tailored to your situation. Health cover will help you meet medical and hospital costs, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Student Insurance New Zealand
The insurance that covers your stay for your studies in New Zealand.
From
27€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 35
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €250,000 per year
- Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
- Contraception coverage + vaccines
- Maternity care
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Repatriation assistance
- Civil liability
- Individual protection
Expatriate insurance New Zealand
Health insurance to cover your expatriation to New Zealand.
From
93€
- Worldwide coverage
- Minimum age: 14
- Maximum age: 65
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €1,500,000 per year
- Maternity coverage up to €4,000
- Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Coverage of pharmaceutical expenses up to €370
- Optional dental and optical care
- Maternity plus option
- Prevention and well-being as an option
- Optional repatriation assistance
- Optional third-party liability
Travel insurance New Zealand
Health insurance to cover your trip to New Zealand.
From
30€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 85
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Up to €500,000 per trip
- Covers loss, theft or destruction of luggage
- Repatriation assistance
- Travel assistance
- Civil liability
Any questions? Need advice?
Information about health insurance in New Zealand
Political system: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Wellington
Surface area: 268 680 km²
Population: 4.1 million
Languages spoken : English, Moari
Currency: New Zealand dollar
New Zealand's healthcare system
New Zealand’s healthcare system comprises both public and private sectors. As an expatriate, you’ll need to meet a number of criteria if you want to join the social security system.
This health system closely resembles the British NHS, which means that New Zealand citizens benefit from a certain amount of free care. For expatriates, conditions vary according to the type of visa you have. When you consult a doctor, you’ll need to enclose a copy of your visa so that he or she can determine your status.
Who can benefit from Public Funded Healthcare in New Zealand?
Here are the different expatriate statuses that can join the New Zealand healthcare system:
– Expatriates with British nationality can join the social security scheme very easily;
– Australian citizens and expatriates with permanent resident status who have been in Australia for at least 2 years or who plan to stay for at least 2 consecutive years;
– Expatriates with a work visa valid for 2 years or more.
– A minor expatriate living under the guardianship of a parent or eligible guardian;
– Any expatriate holding an interim visa;
– Any student on the New Zealand aid program who receives funding from official development assistance;
– Be a foreign language teaching assistant;
– Be a refugee or protected person, a person who has applied for protection status or a victim of human trafficking.
If you’re going to New Zealand on a student visa, or for a PVT or a stay of less than 2 years, you won’t be able to benefit from New Zealand social security. This means you’ll have to pay full price for the healthcare you receive, whether in the public or private sector.
New Zealand's private healthcare system
The government does not fund private healthcare services, such as private hospitals or clinics. You’ll have to pay for these services.
A number of companies offer private health insurance policies that cover the costs of the private system. You can decide the level of coverage you want and the types of services you want to be covered for. Note that to be eligible for most private health insurance plans in New Zealand, you must be eligible for New Zealand social security. In other words, if you don’t have permanent resident status you won’t be able to access any form of New Zealand insurance.
The private healthcare system gives you control over when and where you are treated for health problems. You can also choose the doctor, specialist or hospital you prefer.
Choosing your GP in New Zealand
If you have Public Funded Healthcare status, you can register with a GP. However, this is a private service, so family doctors can charge whatever they like. It’s a good idea to find out what family doctors are available in your area, and what they charge, before making your choice. By joining a DPO (Primary Health Care Organization) you will benefit from the lowest costs for a consultation. If you consult a doctor with whom you are not affiliated, he or she is likely to charge you a higher price for the consultation.
That’s all there is to it, and then you can book an appointment with your GP when you need one.
The cost of a consultation with a doctor varies according to your status and the practitioner you choose. For a person subsidized by social security, the cost of a consultation averages $65 NZD, or around forty euros in OPH. Please note that the cost of the first consultation with your GP is higher than the previous ones.
For any medication prescribed by your doctor, the cost is generally less than $15 NZD (free for children aged 13).
Consult a specialist in New Zealand
Your GP may refer you to an office-based or hospital-based specialist for further assessment or diagnosis. Specialized care is free under the public health system, but you will almost certainly have to join a waiting list. This means that consulting a specialist can take time, even months. What’s more, you can’t choose which specialist you’ll see – they’ll be assigned to you.
If you’d like to get a specialist’s opinion quickly, you can contact a hospital or a private specialist. You will then have to pay a fee, unless you have private health insurance. The cost of a consultation with a private specialist is much higher than with a general practitioner.
How do I see a dentist in New Zealand?
If you are affiliated to the New Zealand social security system, you will be assigned to a dentist whom you will consult each time you make an appointment. Dental treatment is not covered by social security, unless it is for a child under the age of 18.
Standard treatments (are free for children and) include:
– a routine examination to check teeth for cavities and examine gums and mouth for possible problems.
– X-rays to detect cavities and other problems invisible to the naked eye
– fluoride treatment, which helps make tooth surfaces more resistant to cavities
– removes plaque, stains and tartar from teeth
– fillings to restore teeth affected by tooth decay
– extractions to remove teeth severely affected by tooth decay.
According to a survey conducted by the New Zealand Dental Association, the average cost of a consultation with a dentist is $75 NZD. The average fee rises to $100 NZD if you have an X-ray during the examination. What’s more, the cost of a consultation also varies depending on the city in which you consult a dentist.
For a filling, expect to pay an average of $220 NZD; for a composite or gray metal filling, the price will be higher.
Finally, if you go to the dentist for more extensive treatment, such as a bridge, implant or denture, it will cost you an average of $3500 NZD, $3000 NZD, $2800 NZD respectively.
The emergency department in New Zealand
If you need to call an ambulance or have a medical emergency, dial 111. You will be put in touch with an English-speaking person who will determine how you will be looked after.
Most of the time, it’s a road ambulance that will respond, but in certain circumstances it may be an air ambulance. New Zealand ambulances are equipped with cardiopulmonary resuscitators and defibrillators.
Depending on the seriousness of your situation, you will either be taken to the emergency department of the nearest hospital, or the ambulance driver will provide first aid on the spot.
Hospitals in New Zealand
New Zealand has around 220 public and private hospitals. The major regional public hospitals are :
– Whangarei Hospital
– North Shore Hospital
– Waitakere Hospital
– Auckland City Hospital
More than 1.3 million New Zealanders have health insurance that covers them for private healthcare. Medical and surgical operations carried out in private hospitals are mainly financed by medical insurers. New Zealand’s only national network of private hospitals is the Southern Cross Healthcare Group.
Other renowned private hospitals in New Zealand outside the network:
– MercyAScot (Auckland)
– Ormiston Hospital (Botany)
– Wakefield Hospital (Wellington)
– Royston Hospital (Hastings)
– Bowen Hospital (Wellington)
– Braemar Hospital (Hamilton)
– St George’s Hospital (Christchurch
You can also receive care in PHOs (Primary Health Organizations). These are not-for-profit primary health care organizations, based in communities to provide access to primary care without going to hospital. There are around thirty of them scattered around New Zealand. PHOs are made up of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in the community (dieticians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and midwives).
Paramedical care in New Zealand
Physiotherapy in New Zealand
The cost of a physiotherapy session in New Zealand covered by ACC (accident insurance) is $30 NZD, and slightly less if the patient has student status or is receiving a discount. A consultation with a private physiotherapist costs around $75 NZD.
See an optician in New Zealand
A full consultation with an optician in New Zealand, lasting around 1 hour, will cost you around $140 NZD. A shorter consultation, including an emergency visit, will usually cost between $70 and $110 NZD. In the event of injury, ACC will cover part of your costs.
Evaluation of myopia control $170 NZD
Eye examination $ 60 NZD
Evaluation of new contact lenses $170 NZD
Buying glasses comes at a price. However, depending on your requirements, this price can vary from $100 NZD to over $1000 NZD. If you’re looking for a pair of brand-name glasses, with accessories etc., you’ll easily find yourself paying $1000 NZD. Most standard frames + lenses will cost between $100 NZD and $300 NZD. If you wish to have progressive or bifocal lenses, this will cost you around $200 NZD more.
Speech therapy in New Zealand
Seeing a speech therapist costs money in New Zealand: for your first one-hour session with a speech therapist, expect to pay around $150 NZD, whether for your child or yourself. Subsequent sessions cost around $90 NZD for 45 minutes.
Consulting a psychologist in New Zealand
Public health services in New Zealand are free for New Zealand residents, so psychologists working in the public health system won’t charge anything to see you. However, getting a consultation with a psychologist in the public sector usually takes months. In fact, demand far outstrips the number of psychologists working in the public sector.
For a quicker and easier consultation, we recommend that you consult a psychologist in the private sector. Psychologists working in the private sector charge fees that vary considerably from one clinical psychologist to another.
Maternity in New Zealand, from pregnancy to childbirth
5 things you need to know about pregnancy in New Zealand
1. The first thing to do when you’re pregnant is to choose the person who will accompany you throughout your pregnancy. In New Zealand, this person is called LMC or Lead Maternity Carer. Your LMC may be a family doctor who can provide maternity care, a midwife or an obstetrician. Your CML should :
– Providing you with maternity care throughout your pregnancy;
– Being present at the birth;
– Providing care for you and your baby for up to 6 weeks after birth.
2. If you have obtained permanent resident status in New Zealand, your maternity costs will be free unless you have chosen to give birth privately.
3. You can obtain up to 10 days of special unpaid leave during your pregnancy. If it’s a medical appointment or prenatal class – you don’t need to take a full day off.
4. If you are a tenant, you must inform your landlord of your pregnancy. If you want to keep the apartment after the birth of your child, make sure your rental contract allows you to take in another person. If not, ask your landlord to modify the contract to include an additional person.
5. Getting tested for diseases like HIV can help prevent transmission of the disease to your baby during pregnancy.
Giving birth in New Zealand
Most births in New Zealand take place in clinics or hospitals. While maternity care is free in New Zealand, a private obstetrician will cost you between $3,000 NZD and $4,000 NZD. You’ll be entitled to more examinations, a more medical and personalized approach to your care, and better follow-up. If complications arise, an obstetrician will of course look after you in the public system too, but you won’t be able to choose one, and you may have to deal with different doctors.
Regional hospitals take care of normal births as well as complicated pregnancies and deliveries. Your midwife will take care of you, but there will always be an obstetrician on hand in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Large hospitals have multidisciplinary teams to deal with high-risk pregnancies. They also have a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in case your baby needs extra care.
The advantage of hospital births is that you have access to specialists quickly at the slightest complication, and a wider range of pain management options. On the other hand, hospital births are often more medicated, and as a new mother you’ll have to follow very specific routines and protocols. If you need to stay a few nights after giving birth, you will be placed in the postnatal ward. You may have to share a room, and the baby’s father is not allowed to stay overnight.
The cost of childbirth in New Zealand
The cost of an uncomplicated birth in New Zealand if you are not a permanent resident at Birthcare Auckland is $3360 NZD. The cost of a post-natal night is :
– 980 NZD for a standard room
– $1212 NZD for a private room
– 1,430 NZD for a premium room
What’s more, if you don’t have permanent resident status, you’ll have to pay 50% of the initial cost of delivery as soon as you register at the hospital.
How to see a paediatrician in New Zealand, and at what cost?
A general practitioner will usually recommend a hospital or private paediatrician. You can also get recommendations for a pediatrician from other expatriates living in the same geographical area as you. The cost of a private consultation with a paediatrician averages between $150 and $200 NZD. If you have permanent resident status in New Zealand, or New Zealand or Australian nationality, consulting a public paediatrician is free of charge. However, to get a consultation, you’ll have to wait up to several months.
Vaccines in New Zealand
For a trip to New Zealand, you’ll need to have your vaccination schedule up to date, as well as the hepatitis A vaccine. For a longer stay, you’ll also need to be vaccinated against :
– Hepatitis B
– Typhoid
New Zealand presents no risk of malaria.
Why take out private international health insurance in New Zealand?
If you are planning to expatriate to New Zealand, we strongly recommend that you take out private international health insurance. On the one hand, joining New Zealand’s social security system is quite complicated. In fact, only a person with permanent resident status can be eligible for Public Funded Healthcare. For example, anyone with a student visa, a PVT or a stay of less than 2 years will not be able to obtain permanent resident status and therefore benefit from New Zealand’s free public healthcare system. The cost of healthcare in New Zealand is quite high, and can quickly become a problem if you are not eligible for local social security or private health insurance. New Zealand is a long way from Europe and North America, so the cost of medical repatriation is extremely high. It is essential that you are covered for medical repatriation costs in the event of prolonged hospitalization, for example, in order to be repatriated to Australia or your country of origin.
