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Southern Cross Health Insurance paid nearly $ 1 billion in claims in the year through June, with New Zealanders’ hips and knees responsible for most of the bill.
Health insurance coverage has increased in recent years, from 1.35 million lives covered in December 2016 to 1.41 million in December 2019.
Southern Cross said it funded more than 1,800 knee replacement surgeries in its most recent financial year, at a cost of $ 47.9 million, and more than 1,900 hip replacement surgeries, worth a combined $ 45 million.
Hip replacements were the most expensive claim category for both genders, but colonoscopies ranked second for men and knee replacements second for women.
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Women also claimed $ 21.8 million for hysterectomies and $ 14.1 million for endometriosis treatments, while men claimed $ 12.5 million for spinal fusion surgery and $ 18.8 million for skin lesion excisions.
The children claimed a combined sum of $ 5.2 million for surgical tooth extraction and $ 4.8 million for tonsillectomies.
Southern Cross Health Insurance Medical Director Stephen Child said it showed that insurance plays a role in helping New Zealanders access the treatment they need.
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Health insurance coverage has increased in recent years.
“While the public health system does a fantastic job of treating acute and urgent medical problems, health insurance gives Kiwis access to elective surgical procedures and specialist consultations when they need it and the choice of where to receive it,” he said.
“Health insurance allows people quick access to quality treatment when it is most needed,” he said. “Southern Cross Health Insurance funded nearly half a million specialist consultations and a quarter of a million surgical procedures in the past year, helping to reduce the burden on the public health system.”
Southern Cross Health Insurance has more than 879,000 members.
