# Health Care Insurance



## Graham798 (Jun 12, 2011)

Hi apologies if this has already been asked but I'm still confused having read the various posts.

My wife and I are moving to NZ next month on PR Visas, we have no existing medical conditions, do we need private health cover.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Graham798 said:


> Hi apologies if this has already been asked but I'm still confused having read the various posts. My wife and I are moving to NZ next month on PR Visas, we have no existing medical conditions, do we need private health cover.


You'll be moving over on Resident Visas - not PR Visas. You'll need to have held RV for 2 years before you become eligible to apply for PR.

No you don't need to have private health cover.
It's an option for you that's all.
Luckily I get it for all the family as part of my salary package so costs me nothing and we get 80% of our GP / prescription / medication costs refunded. Haven't needed it for anything else however a similar migrant colleague has used it and he basically got treated immediately, had to have surgery all with private care and it cost him nothing.

You've got to make the decision whether it's gonna work for you or not.


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## jawnbc (Apr 28, 2012)

My husband gets "private cover" through his work; I don't and I'm one of those rare socialists who wouldn't take it up even if offered to me: I believe in a single payer system that doesn't allow anyone to buy speedier access. Call me Canadian. 

We have both, however, needed surgery since we arrived here:

I needed urgent spinal fusion surgery and waited 7 days from diagnosis to surgery last April. Care was excellent. Out of pocket expenses were some GP visits (2 x $54 each) and meds ($5 for 3 month supplies - $15). Care was excellent; I was in a 4 bed ward. Have had 5 follow-up specialist consults, which cost zero. Something of an assembly line (check in, get X-rays, here, wait there, name called, see specialist for 5 minutes, on your way) but all's gone very well.

He had a long-term shoulder tendon repaired a couple of weeks ago. Since he had private cover it took about a month to get a spot at a private clinic (more like a tiiiiny hospital), where he had a private room with Sky and restaurant quality food. Everyone was lovely, he was into surgery 15 minutes AHEAD of schedule and things seem to have gone well. Since his scripts came from a private hospital they cost him more (2 x $12 and 1 x $15= $39). Dunno what he paid for the private specialist consults. Insurance pre-approved all expenses so should be only out of pocket for the scripts.

None of which has made me at all interested in private cover. I've lived 2 countries with huge health disparities (US and Australia) and am not willing to contribute to NZ's system becoming even more like these. I know I"m in the minority.


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