Home Page

Latest News

26 June 2008
Health Funds Association Cover Stories Health Insurance  News - June 2008
In this issue: Budget reaction; Health insurance coverage up; Insurers meet solvency standard; Healthier workers means healthier bottom line for employers. more

25 June 2008

Health insurers meet solvency standard

Health insurers today published details of their solvency positions under the Solvency Standard adopted last year. more

13 June 2008
Patients health and wallets will suffer from lab test scheme
Patients will suffer as a result of the decision by the Otago and Southland District Health Boards to stop paying for laboratory tests ordered by private specialists, the Health Funds Association says.
more


19 May 2008
Private elective surgery contribution needs recognition
The Government could do better with the growing elective surgery need if it recognised the valuable contribution of the private sector, says the Health Funds Association of New
Zealand (HFANZ). more

9 May 2008
Hospital strikes, uncertainty contribute to private sector growth
The number of New Zealanders covered by health insurance rose by 18,800 to a record 1.388 million in the year to the end of March, according to statistics released today by the Health Funds Association of New Zealand (HFANZ). more

17 April 2008

Lab test scheme 'failed exercise in cost-shifting'

Today's release of the long-awaited evaluation of patient charges for laboratory testing in Wellington shows the experiment to be a failed exercise in cost-shifting, according to the Health Funds Association. more

16 April 2008
Health industry supports call to scrap FBT
The health industry says 250,000 more New Zealanders could benefit from health insurance cover if a Government advisory group's recommendation to abolish fringe benefit tax (FBT) is adopted. more

8 April 2008
Healthy workers mean healthier bottom line
Employers could find it easier to attract workers to meet the skills shortage in many industries if they added health benefits to employment packages, according to Health Funds Association executive director Roger Styles. more

17 March 2008
Cover Stories - our quarterly newsletter
Keeping you up to date with trends and issues in the health sector
March 2008 Issue

New updated "
Making Sense of Health Insurance" brochures now available.  Our brochures contain all you need to know about private health insurance.  Place your order here

10 March 2008
Submission on Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Bill HFANZ supports the objectives of the Bill and the proposed requirement for registration of financial service providers. go to submission

3 March 2008
Delay of lab tests may be deliberate
South Island District Health Boards are to decide the fate of controversial laboratory test funding proposals without being allowed to see an evaluation of trials conducted in Wellington last year. More

18 February 2007

Latest stats show big jump in Health Insurance coverage
The number of New Zealanders covered by health insurance jumped by 17,000 in 2007, to reach 1.387 million people. More 

10 November 2007
HFANZ urges South Island DHBs to reject the proposed withdrawal of payments for privately referred laboratory testsmore

10 November 2007
Submission on proposal to withdraw DHB funding for privately referred laboratory testing. Our submission is based on our analysis of the Wellington experience. go to submission

26 October 2007
Health Insurance Coverage up, Claims top $600 million
More New Zealanders taking out health insurance, together with higher claims costs, have pushed total annual health insurance claims over the $600 million mark for the first time. more

21 August 2007
New Faces At The Top
August has been a month of change for HFANZ with Claire Austin leaving to move across the ditch and Roger Styles being appointed as her successor?. 

Steve Boomert Chief Executive Officer Tower Health & Life Auckland was elected President at our recent executive meeting. Steve takes over from Dermot Martin CEO of Union Medical Benefits Society (Unimed) Christchurch.  Having held the position since 2000, Dermot decided it was time to hand the reins over.

Our sincere thanks to Dermot for his commitment and work in overseeing the Association and we look forward to Steve adding his experience and expertise to this position. more

13 August 2007
New Executive Director Appointed
Roger Styles has been appointed Executive Director at HFANZ.  Roger is not new to us as for the past 15 months he has been 2IC to Claire Austin who leaves us at the end of this month.

Congratulations Roger. The Executive Committee look forward to your continued great work for HFANZ members. 



10 August 2007
Health Insurance Statistics as at 30 June 2007

This is a quarterly supplement providing statistical information for the health insurance industry in New Zealand. It contains
data on the most recent quarter ended 30 June 2007.  Open stats

10 August 2007
News Release - Older Persons Drive Health Insurance Growth
A surge in the number of people aged 60 and over with health insurance is behind official figures released today showing
continued growth in voluntary health insurance coverage in New Zealand. More

5 July 2007
Warning on Patient Charges for Lab Tests
Health Funds Association debunks myths on costs for labs tests.
Click here for article

3 July 2007
Executive Director resigns
Claire Austin is taking up a new challenge - Chief Executive of the Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Claire leaves HFANZ on the 31st August 2007.

HFANZ is appreciative of all the great work Claire has done for the Association and  wishes her the very best in her new position.




3 & 4 May 2007

Great Expectations - Health Leaders Conference

HFANZ organised this conference to spark debate between key players and stakeholders on public and private sectors working together.  More