Quicker treatment is one of the many reasons Kiwis opt for private health insurance. If you rely on the public health system, the average waiting time to get from your first GP consultation to surgery is 177 days. That’s right - one hundred and seventy seven days. Who has time for that! You can train for a marathon in less time.

If you can call on the private system, then that wait could reduce significantly to around 76 days. In the case of some serious illnesses, getting the treatment you need within a reasonable timeframe can make all the difference to your recovery.

Did you know that common surgeries in private care could cost upwards of $20,000?* Many people don’t have this sort of money put aside in a ‘just-in-case’ fund, so if private surgery is needed the costs can be out of reach, or at the very least, life changing. Private healthcare can take this financial stress away letting you focus on getting better.

Public hospitals need to do their best with the funding made available to them. However, in the public system, you can be in a room, not only with a number of other patients, but also their family and friends that visit - which is less than ideal when you are trying to recuperate. With private cover, you can have your own room and enjoy the benefits of private facilities as you recover.

Which means only paying for a health cover that suits you, your age, lifestyle and financial position. Options include the kind of cover you need, excess level, payment frequency and more that can affect the cost of health insurance cover. Check out some of the choices available to you here.

From annual check-ups to hygienist treatments, fillings to root canals, most good healthcare plans may include dental work options. Good dental health is really important to overall wellness – so it’s worth having cover that allows you to have treatment when you need it, rather than putting it off until you can afford it.

Health insurance protects you against the unexpected. It can give you choices and puts you in control of your health. And it’s a lot more affordable than you might think.

With a provider like nib, you can structure your plan to work for you with Hospital or Everyday cover to help take some of the financial costs of medical care off your shoulders at the time you need it.

Build a plan with nib today. Because you may not think you need health insurance, until you do.