nib launches child free cover to better protect the health of Kiwi families

We've launched a new campaign via our nibAPPLY platform, to help Kiwis better prioritise the health of their families. The Kids Cover Free offer is available through nib’s adviser partner network and provides free base cover for one child for 12 months with every adult insured under a new policy.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Rob Hennin, said the special offer reflects nib’s mission to support the better health of Kiwi families and aims to provide members with greater peace of mind, knowing their child’s health is cared for.

“As a parent, taking care of the health and wellbeing of your children is one of your greatest priorities, and biggest concerns. We know from our own 2020 State of the Nation Parenting Survey, that at least three-quarters of Kiwi parents are more mindful of their family’s physical health because of COVID-19,” Mr Hennin said.

“Investing in private health insurance for your children is one way parents can significantly reduce these sorts of stresses, giving them the peace of mind that their child’s regular check-ups or unexpected healthcare needs are likely to be covered and that they’ll have access to timely and efficient care. We hope our Kids Cover Free offer helps take this burden off Kiwi parents, especially after a really difficult year,” he added.

Research from BNZ in 2018 estimates that the average cost of raising a child in New Zealand is just under $16,000 annually or around $285,000 up until the age of 18. Furthermore, IBISWorld uncovered that childcare, clothing and footwear costs had increased by up to 60% from 2013/2014 to 2018/2019.

nib’s own claim statistics also show that the number of healthcare claims for children has increased by 5% in the past 12 months* at a cost of more than $10 million.

The most common claims for children during the period* were:

• Specialist services (consultations including seeing a dermatologist about skin issues such as eczema, dermatitis or an ENT specialist due to tonsils or ears issues) – 3,500 claims, totalling $915,000
• Treatment by General Practitioner – 1,300 claims, totalling $45,000
• General diagnostic –700 claims, totalling $205,000

And individual claims for children can be quite large. nib’s three largest claims for members under the age of 21 during the period* were:

• Fusion to treat scoliosis - $90,000
• Jaw surgery - $69,000
• Electrophysiology and ablation to treat racing heart and restore normal heart rate - $58,000

“We know raising a child doesn’t come cheap, even more so if you’re faced with the need to pay for unexpected healthcare costs out of pocket. Common conditions such as grommets can often set parents back between $2,200-$3,500 and wisdom teeth extraction can cost on average $3,500 - $5,200.

“Making sure your children are insured early means that many of these conditions may be covered, as they have a policy in place before they become pre-existing conditions - which are excluded from most health insurance policies. That’s a huge benefit and one that enables parents to provide greater certainty around their child’s access to quality healthcare for the future,” Mr Hennin said.

The Kids Cover Free is valid for one designated child (under the age of 21) per every adult insured under a new nib policy between now and 31 October 2021. The offer which applies to base cover only is applicable for new members who apply for nib’s Easy Health, Ultimate Health or Ultimate Health Max policies through nibAPPLY (usual underwriting conditions and terms and conditions apply).

In addition to the special offer, nib also provides child only cover options for families looking to cover just their children.

For more information and to view the terms and conditions advisers can visit nib.co.nz/adviser/ or contact their nib Adviser Partner Manager.

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Email: [email protected]

*12 month period to February 2021 vs February 2020.