Southern Cross Health Insurance (SCHI) has revealed key policy updates which will be effective from 22 October 2024.
The updates, says the organisation, are designed to meet the changing needs of the friendly society’s 955,000-plus members, to improve accessibility, and address increases in the cost of healthcare.
Regan Savage, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for SCHI says: “While we are increasing some benefits, we are also very mindful of costs to members and we’re using our contracting tools with affiliated providers accordingly.
“We’re also making it easier for our members to engage with Southern Cross by re-writing some of our policy documents in plain language.
“We are also removing excess on some benefits.”
Key changes include:
- Enhanced allowances for breast reduction and breast symmetry. Eligible members will benefit from an increase in cover up to $15,000 per lifetime for breast reduction surgery, and an increase in breast symmetry cover to $10,000 per lifetime.
The increased lifetime limits will apply to Wellbeing One, Wellbeing Two, KiwiCare, RegularCare and UltraCare policies. The restriction of one procedure per lifetime and the requirement that a breast symmetry surgery must take place within two years of the first eligible breast reconstruction following an eligible mastectomy will also be removed from all plans with cover for breast reduction and breast symmetry surgery - Increased cover for other life-changing procedures under some plans such as Unilateral and Bilateral TMJ, Periurethral Injection (as a prosthesis) for incontinence, Cochlear Implant Receiver/Stimulator Prosthesis and Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
- The excess requirement has been removed from certain benefits for plans with an excess, e.g., surgical allowances, obstetrics and the GP minor surgery benefit. For plans with an excess, the excess will only apply to claims for surgical procedures, chemotherapy for cancer (including Cancer Cover Plus) and radiotherapy. The excess will apply to each person covered under the policy once each claims year
- More choice under psychiatrist consultation benefit
- More choice and higher annual benefit limit for mental health consultations for UltraCare members. There will also no longer be a requirement that psychologists must be clinical psychologists
- More healthcare services will be affiliated provider-only (this applies to all plans except UltraCare and HealthEssentials). SCHI has contracted more healthcare services which must be provided by an affiliated provider
- List of affiliated provider-only healthcare services will only be available on the Southern Cross website
- SCHI is also revising its policy exclusions section, updating terminology and combining exclusions under the same heading where appropriate
- Many policy documents have been re-written in plain language