An Expat’s Guide to Health Insurance in New Zealand
Here’s what you need to know about private health insurance in New Zealand for foreigners. Find out how accidents are covered in New Zealand and which non-residents need private medical insurance. And learn how health insurance for foreigners works with New Zealand’s healthcare system, and how to get it.
Find the Best International Medical Insurance
- Compare multiple quotes from top insurers
- Get expert advice at no additional cost
- Find the right plan for your needs and budget
Overview of the New Zealand National Health Insurance Scheme
New Zealand is a very attractive destination for immigrants, expats, and visitors looking for a new life. Part of New Zealand’s appeal is its excellent public healthcare. In New Zealand, citizens and permanent residents are covered for emergency care by a universal healthcare system.
They also receive major necessary care like surgeries or cancer treatment, paid for by the publicly funded healthcare system.
However, New Zealand’s healthcare system is not perfect. Waiting times, especially to see specialists, can be weeks or months. Those wait times are a major reason why many New Zealanders and expats choose private health insurance.
In addition to minimizing waits, private insurance coverage also ensures you are treated in facilities that are more comfortable and private. Private health insurance can also help cover dental and vision costs not covered by New Zealand’s public healthcare system.
ACC Coverage After Accidents
Did you know that everyone in New Zealand, including foreigners, immigrants, and expats, is entitled to some free medical care for accidental injuries? This is known as the ACC or Accident Compensation Corporation program. It is a crucial aspect of healthcare in New Zealand.
The ACC is funded by a combination of government resources and levies, including a fee paid by people working as private contractors in New Zealand.
If you get hurt under accidental circumstances in New Zealand, you are covered, even if you caused the accident. This includes everything from hiking mishaps to automobile accidents.
When you visit a general practitioner (GP) or hospital, you’ll be asked to fill out a form so the ACC program will cover the cost of your care.
While ACC is a good program, it’s not a substitute for comprehensive medical insurance. As with specialist care, ACC approvals can involve long waits and frustrating delays. ACC recommends that visitors and expats carry private health insurance for aspects of care and travel support that are not covered.
Health Insurance for Work Visas and Permanent Residents
If you are an expat entering New Zealand with one or two specialized health needs, you will benefit from private health insurance. With private health insurance in New Zealand, you have more control over your healthcare.
You can see a specialist when needed and choose the hospital that offers the best surgery for you. Having options helps you advocate for your own care. And, with private health insurance for foreigners, you will receive travel health benefits that New Zealand’s system does not cover.
On a longer-term visa, you will be covered by New Zealand’s universal healthcare. If you are accepted for a longer-term visa in New Zealand, you likely have good overall health.
To get a work visa or permanent residency visa for New Zealand, you need to have an “acceptable standard of health,” meaning a lack of chronic health conditions. Your partner and family are also required to meet the same health standards if they are coming to New Zealand with you.
In your first few months in New Zealand, you will still benefit from private health insurance. It can take up to three months to be processed for entry into the New Zealand healthcare system. To do this, you enroll with a general practitioner (GP).
You need to find a GP who accepts new patients and is a good fit for you and your family. It’s an inconvenience to change your GP, so it’s important to find one who works well for you. Private medical insurance will cover you in New Zealand while you are being processed.
Best Health Insurance for Expats in New Zealand
As an expat, foreigner, or immigrant in New Zealand, you want a health insurance plan that covers your special needs. These can include travel support and repatriation assistance with your healthcare, as well as coordination with overseas care providers. These plans provide the support you need.
Cigna Global Insurance Plan
- Flexible plans tailored to your needs and budget
- 1.5M+ providers in 200+ countries
- 24/7 multilingual customer support
IMG Global Medical Plan
- Affordable global coverage with flexible options
- Coverage area options based on where you live or work
- Visit any doctor or hospital worldwide
Health Insurance for US Citizens Living in New Zealand
BCBS Global Solutions Worldwide Premier
- Unlimited annual and lifetime coverage
- Pre-existing conditions covered with prior insurance
- For U.S. citizens abroad or foreign nationals in the U.S.
How Private Medical Insurance Works in New Zealand
Let’s say you live in New Zealand and you have private health insurance. How does this work financially when you need care? Luckily, medical insurance for non-residents is easy to manage. You can work with your medical insurer to manage your healthcare in two ways.
Submit receipts for reimbursement – Pay for the care you need immediately or, for a hospital, within their invoicing period. Then submit your receipts to your health insurer for reimbursement. Based on your plan, this gives you choices about where to get your healthcare.
Get healthcare from providers who work with your insurer – When you do this, your healthcare provider will work directly with your health insurer. Specialists and private hospitals often work directly with health insurers.
Your health insurer may have specific specialists or hospitals for you to choose from. With these, you will only need to pay for what your insurer does not cover. You may find that even for major surgery, you have only a small co-payment or no payment at all.
New Zealand is a small country with a specialized healthcare system. You may need to submit receipts for health checks, family doctor visits, or specialist visits more frequently than with health insurance in other countries.
Because this care is reasonably priced to begin with, employed professionals can cover it briefly out of pocket while they await reimbursement.
You may need private medical insurance, or you may choose to carry it while you are outside your home country. Either way, an international health insurance plan will give you peace of mind. You can travel securely, knowing you have all the flexibility you need to call two countries home.
Travel Insurance for Short-Term Expats & Foreigners in New Zealand
Health insurance is essential in New Zealand for three types of non-residents: visitors, students, and short-term expats.
Savvy travelers know to get short-term travel insurance. Visitors are not legally required to have private health or travel insurance to enter New Zealand. However, while visitors receive necessary emergency care from ACC, they still need to cover many other areas of healthcare during their stay in New Zealand. These include:
- Medical evacuation and repatriation from New Zealand can be costly because of the distances involved.
- Visitors need to pay for a visit to a GP or an after-hours clinic for minor care.
- Visitors are also required to pay for any vision, dental, or prescription support.
In New Zealand, both students and expats on a short work visa (less than two years) are required to have private health insurance. This is a condition of student and short-term work visas.
Students and short-term workers who have health issues often want to return to their families. Private health insurance can help cover health-related travel costs, depending on the plan.
Find the Best International Medical Insurance
- Compare multiple quotes from top insurers
- Get expert advice at no additional cost
- Find the right plan for your needs and budget
Emily Cotlier is an experienced communications consultant and business analyst, senior analyst at New Zealand’s Parliamentary Counsel Office, specializing in visas, immigration, international relocation, and managing finance, insurance, and real estate.
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