Kerre Woodham: I'm so glad I have health insurance

I am really not surprised to see more people signing up for health insurance, even though we're going through a cost of living crisis and the premiums are not cheap.  

Southern Cross is the country's largest private health insurer and they've seen eight years of growth in their membership, with almost one in five Kiwis on their books. A Kantar survey for Southern Cross from last month showed that cost of living was the top concern for 91% of respondents, but 84% were concerned about not having access to affordable health care. So yes, they're concerned that there's not a lot of disposable, what disposable they have they're putting into their health and their health care.  

Two thirds of those who responded said they had experienced a long-term impact to their physical and mental health from Covid-19. They were also very concerned about long wait times and the unavailability of health care professionals. Half of Southern Cross members made a claim on their health insurance in the latest year, up from a third prior to the pandemic in 2019.  

The cost of claims has also risen due to the high cost of everything and more claims for expensive procedures, and that means premiums have to go up to pay for this. It's a not-for-profit organisation, it's not there to make squillions for shareholders, it's there to put the money back into its membership. If it's costing more, then members have to pay more and that's the way it works. Southern Cross has been increasing premiums by 10-15% as policies come due, but they are expected to normalize back to around 6-6.5% next year as inflation is brought under control.  

I am so glad I have health insurance. I've had it for years and I've never needed it till the last few years, which is the way of it. When you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s, you generally don't need much more than a general checkup. If you're lucky to have been born with relatively good health, you don't need to spend a lot of money on your healthcare. Once you get into your 50s and 60s, then you start to see a little bit of wear and tear. And if you don't have healthcare, you will be waiting years for elective surgeries, things like knees and hips. If you've done them in because of hard physical labour, you will not get ACC paying for them, they'll just say wear and tear.  

Other things, like me with a constantly blocked nose which I thought was just a head cold, it's acute sinusitis. I would be forever getting head colds thinking it was just being prone to head colds. No, it's something that I need surgery for. It's not life threatening, it's really annoying, it means I have to take time off work. Those of you have listened for a while know when I've got it. In fact, Toni Street’s ear nose and throat surgeon diagnosed me over the wireless and said I needed to get in and see him. As it was, I'd already booked the surgery and I was lucky enough to be able to do that because of the premiums I've been paying for years and years and years.  

It does get more expensive but I will prioritise paying it, paying the premiums even as they rise, as long as I can because why live with this sort of thing if you don't have to? It's painful, it's uncomfortable, it takes me off work, and that could be the same for many non-life threatening ailments that many of us suffer. People with knees, hips, hernias, all of those sorts of things that are deemed not to be urgent, not to be critical, not to be acute but have a huge impact on people's day-to-day lives and their ability to work, their ability to be full members of the family, full members of the community. I am counting the hours till the operation next week as are my colleagues.  

I know that the premiums will only get more expensive, but I know I'm only going to need it more if I'm lucky enough to make it into my twilight years.   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to. The Carrywood of morning's podcast from news
Talk said, b.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I am really not surprised to see more people signing
up for health insurance, even though we're going through a
cost of living crisis and the premiums are not cheap.
Southern Cross is the country's largest private health insurer. They've
seen eight years of growth in their membership, with almost
one in five kiwis on their books. I can to

(00:35):
survey for Southern Cross from last month showed that cost
of living was the top concern for ninety one percent
of respondents, but eighty four percent we're concerned about not
having access to affordable healthcare. So yes, they're concerned that
there's not a lot of disposable. What disposable they have,

(00:56):
they're putting into their health and their healthcare. Two thirds
of those who responded said that experienced a long term
impact their physical and mental health from COVID nineteen. They
were also very concerned about long wait times and the
unavailability of healthcare professionals. Half of Southern Cross members made

(01:17):
a claim on their health insurance in the latest year,
up from a third prior to the pandemic in twenty nineteen.
The cost of claims has also risen due to the
high cost of everything and more claims for expensive procedures,
and that means premiums have to go up to pay
for this. It's a not for profit organization. It's not

(01:38):
there to make squillions for shareholders. It's there to put
the money back into its members. But if it's costing more,
then members have to pay more, and that's the way
it works. Southern Cross has been increasing premiums by ten
to fifteen percent as policies come due. I think mine's

(01:59):
due next year, but they are expected to normalize back
to around six to six point five next year as
inflation is brought under control. I am so glad I
have health insurance. I've had it for years and I've
never needed it till the last few years, which is
the way of it. You know, when you are in

(02:20):
your twenties, thirties, forties, you generally don't need much more
than a general checkup. If you're lucky to have been
born with relatively good health, you don't need to spend
a lot of money on your healthcare. Once you get
into your fifties and sixties, then you start to see
a little bit of wear and tear, and if you

(02:43):
don't have healthcare, you will be waiting years for elective
surgeries things like knees and hips. If you've done them
in because of hard physical labor, you will not get
acc paying for them. They'll just say we're in tear.
Other things like me with a constantly blocked nose, which

(03:04):
I thought was just a head coult. No, it's a
cute cynosiitis. I will or a chronic one or the other.
I'm not the surgeon, thank god, but you know I
would be forever getting head colds thinking it was just
being prone to head coolds. No, it's something that I
need surgery for. It's not life threatening. It's really annoying.

(03:27):
It means I have to take time off work. Because
those of you have listened for a while, you know
when I've got it. In fact, Tony Streets he knows.
Some throat surgeon diagnosed me over the wireless and said
I needed to get in and see him. As it was,
I'd already booked the surgery and I was lucky enough
to be able to do that. Because of the premiums
I've been paying for years and years and years. It

(03:51):
does get more expensive, but I will prioritize paying it,
paying the premiums even as they rise, as long as
I can, because why I live with this sort of
thing if you don't have to. It's painful, it's uncomfortable,
it takes me off work, and that could be the
same for many non life threatening ailments that many of

(04:17):
us suffer, people with knees hips, hernias, all of those
sorts of things that are deemed not to be urgent,
not to be critical, not to be acute, but have
a huge impact on people's day to day lives and
their ability to work, their ability to be full members

(04:39):
of the family, full members of the community. I am
counting the hours till the operation next week, as are
my colleagues. I know that the premiums will only get
more expensive, but I know I'm only going to need
it more if I'm lucky enough to make it into

(04:59):
my twilight years.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings, listen live to
news talks that be from nine am week or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.