More public-private health partnerships are the key to delivering a more sustainable health system for New Zealanders, says Rob Hennin, CEO of health insurer nib.
He says sweeping changes were recommended in a recent Health and Disability System Review and how the next government – the general election is on 17 October – responds to those will set the direction for the country’s healthcare system.
In an interview with the National Business Review, and shared by nib, Hennin says the health review opens up more possibilities for outsourcing public health services to the private sector, which he sees as important for the sustainability of the country’s healthcare system.
I would like to see the public system partner more with private…
“I would like to see the public system partner more with private, including insurance and the private hospitals,” he says. “To reduce the amount of out-of-pocket expenses for New Zealanders.”
He says nib also supports the rise of telehealth and home delivery pharmacy services, “…which improve access to healthcare at home and take the strain off of existing healthcare infrastructure”.
Hennin also says more services can be efficiently delivered at home or in the community, in partnership with private providers.
An area where transformation is happening is in data science, both for risk prediction and to deliver targeted medical treatment.
“There’s a huge opportunity to do that on a bigger scale,” says Hennin. “But that requires the public system and the private system to work more collaboratively together.
“Clearly there’s a health crisis. But also there’s an economic crisis. And so what we’ve done is to really try and support our members.”