Insurance is all about having flexibility and choice, and when it comes to taking care of your health, there's no such thing as "too many treatment options".
Many health insurance policies offer some level of cover for medical treatments that are not yet publicly funded. These are commonly known as "non-Pharmac medications", and in some cases, they may change or even save your life.
First of all, what does non-Pharmac mean?
Pharmac is the government agency that decides what medicines will receive public funding, based on its limited budget. While Pharmac does a great job in keeping medical costs down for Kiwis, sometimes it takes years for new and promising treatments to be funded, despite already being approved by Medsafe.
Non-Pharmac funded treatments - including certain life-extending cancer medications - can cost thousands of dollars. And unfortunately, without health insurance, Kiwis have few options: paying those hefty bills out of their pockets (if they can afford it) or turn to crowdfunding.
Needless to say, it can be an unnecessarily stressful experience during an already difficult time. This is where some having health cover can make all the difference.
How health insurance can help
Not all health insurance policies are created equal, so the key thing is to understand what level of cover you may need, what options you'd like to include, and what extras you can do without (at least, for the time being).
While most health insurers offer the opportunity to cover the cost of non-Pharmac treatments, not every policy allows for this option. Among those that do, the limits available can vary a lot - from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands, depending on the provider.
If you're looking at health insurance for the first time and would like to learn more about what different insurers offer, give our quote compare tool a spin to get health insurance quotes in minutes. Or call the LifeDirect team on 0800 800 400; our friendly advisers are here to answer your questions and help you explore your options in more detail.
Would you like to spread the word?
When it comes to protecting your health and finances from the unexpected, having appropriate cover makes good sense.
Do you know of someone - friends, colleagues, or family - who could benefit from having health insurance, with or without non-Pharmac cover? Please feel free to let them know we're here: at LifeDirect, we're passionate about helping Kiwis protecting what they value most.
Disclaimer: Please note that the content provided in this article is intended as an overview and as general information only. While care is taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information provided is subject to continuous change and may not reflect current developments or address your situation. Before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article, please use your discretion and seek independent guidance.
