What Is Health Insurance NZ — How It Works
NZ private health insurance is an opt-in supplement to the public healthcare system (Te Whatu Ora). It pays for elective treatment, faster specialist access, choice of private hospital, and non-Pharmac drug cover where applicable. Below is how it works + the real retail product set.
Key considerations
- › You don't replace public healthcare with private — you supplement it. ED, GP, acute care still go through the public system.
- › Health insurance excludes accidents (covered by ACC), pre-existing conditions (under disclose-and-accept or stand-down rules), pregnancy, mental health (often), IVF.
- › It covers elective surgery, specialist consultations, private hospital admission, oncology, and some day-to-day care depending on plan tier.
- › Premiums vary by age / smoker / dependants / excess / plan tier — get a real quote, don't trust indicative ranges.
Relevant deep dives
- Pre-existing conditionsNZ health insurers handle pre-existing conditions in two main ways: (1) disclose-and-accep…
- ACC interactionIn NZ, ACC covers accidental injury and treatment-injury costs. Health insurance generally…
- Pharmac vs non-Pharmac drug coverNZ's Pharmac funds a defined list of medicines. Non-Pharmac drugs (including high-cost can…
Active retail products
These are the 23 active retail health insurance products available in NZ — the same set that applies regardless of profession or audience.
AA Health Everyday Cover
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- dental $450
- eye care $200
- gp and prescriptions $150
KidSmart
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- oral surgery $300,000
- mental health $1,000
- general surgery $500,000
KiwiCare
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- chemotherapy base $48,000
- chemotherapy 100 upgrade $100,000
- specialist consultation $4,000
ParentStay
Wording effective 2025-10-01
- cancer care $100,000
- mental health $1,000
- return of remains $50,000
AA Private Hospital Cover
Wording effective 2023-10-01
- surgical $300,000
- non surgical $200,000
- physiotherapy $750
AA Private Hospital + Specialist Cover
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- surgical benefit $300,000
- non surgical benefit $200,000
- gp surgery $750
RegularCare
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- chemotherapy base $48,000
- chemotherapy 100 upgrade $100,000
- specialist consultation $4,000
SmartCare
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- specialist consultation $5,000
- gp visit $55
- home nursing $6,000
SmartCare+
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- specialist consultation $5,000
- gp visit $55
- dental cover $500
SmartStay
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- oral surgery $150,000
- general surgery $150,000
- ct scans per year $2,500
StaffCare
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- ct scan $2,500
- mri scan $3,000
- pet scan $2,500
StaffCare+
Wording effective 2026-05-16
- gp visit $55
- oral surgery $300,000
- general surgery $300,000
UltraCare
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- chemotherapy base $60,000
- chemotherapy 100 upgrade $100,000
- specialist consultation $10,000
UniCare Advantage
Wording effective 2025-08-01
- specialist consultation $4,000
- psychiatric hospitalisation $3,500
- ambulance $160
Wellbeing Modules
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- physiotherapy $300
- body care podiatry $250
- day to day gp per visit $65
Wellbeing One
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- chemotherapy base $60,000
- chemotherapy 100 upgrade $100,000
- specialist consultation $5,000
Wellbeing Two
Wording effective 2026-04-01
- chemotherapy base $60,000
- chemotherapy 100 upgrade $100,000
- specialist consultation $5,000
Machine-readable API
- Every product:
/api/product/{insurer}/{product}/facts.json - Topic comparisons:
/api/topic/{slug}/summary.md - Anonymous MCP:
POST /mcp
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Premium depends on age / smoker status / dependants — get a real quote rather than rely on indicative figures.
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