The short story: we give Kiwis and their families a range of affordable and easy health insurance options to help keep them healthy.
The long story: nib started all the way back in 1952 as a small community fund set up by steel workers in regional New South Wales. Over the decades, it grew to become one of Australia’s largest health insurers before landing in New Zealand in 2012!
Today, we’re helping over a million members on both sides of the Tasman with more than 60 years of experience in the health insurance field.
Here are some of the top reasons to choose nib:
Comprehensive cover: Whether you’re looking for cover from the big things, like hospital stays, surgeries or specialists, or the smaller things like GP, optometrist and dentist visits, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for with nib..
Immediate protection: Knowing you’re covered from the moment you join nib (subject to any waiting periods).
Easy claims: No mountains of paperwork or long-winded affairs, just a quick claim via our mobile app, online or over the phone. Getting money back to you is our priority, and your claim is usually sorted out within five working days.
14-day free-look period: Not sure if the cover you want is right for you? Try it out for 14 days. If you think it’s not a great fit, you can cancel it at any time and get any premiums paid straight back (provided no claims have been made).
You’re never locked in: With no fixed contract, you’re free to cancel your health cover any time you like.
A first choice: With nib’s First Choice network, you have access to a wide range of medical services that pay you back 100% of your eligible costs. Plus, your healthcare provider can make the claim for you!
Click, click, done: That’s the sound of someone signing up as a member with nib. With no up-front medical questions and a short online process, it’s easy to join.
The short answer is: a lot! Every working day, we pay out approximately $500,000 in claims to Kiwis just like you.
All our cover provides incredible value, but our premium policies offer fantastic features difficult to find elsewhere. For example, when you take out Premium Hospital cover , you get things like:
When you take out Premium Everyday cover, you get (among other benefits):
nib is one of New Zealand’s largest health insurers and has over one million members across New Zealand and Australia.
We’ve got plans that cover all sorts of lifestyles and needs. This includes hospital and specialist services , along with “every day” needs like visits to the GP, dentist or physio . Take a closer look at our plans and get a quote online or, if you’d like to discuss your options, call us on 0800 123 642.
Yes, there are some waiting periods on nib policies. These periods depend on the cover you have and treatment you’re looking to claim for. For example, if you have our Everyday cover, you can claim on GP visits after two months.
If you’d like to know more, contact us and we’ll give you details on any waiting periods that might apply to you.
Regardless of the Hospital cover you take out, many pre-existing conditions are covered after you’ve been with us for three continuous years. However, there are some pre-existing conditions we never cover, specifically cancer, cardiovascular conditions, hip, knee or back problems, transplants and reconstructive or reparative surgery. Pre-existing condition exclusions don’t apply for Everyday cover , so once you’re past any waiting period, eligible claims you make will be paid.
To make sure you’re covered for what you expect, get in touch before you join and we’ll answer any questions you have around pre-existing conditions.
No! Once you’ve bought health insurance, there’s no obligation for you to keep it. If you ever feel your policy may no longer be right for you, we can walk you through all of your options. Plus, you also get a 14-day free look period when you join to help you decide whether your policy is a good fit for your circumstances.
Yes, you certainly can. To get a full list of the nib First Choice providers near you, simply visit our First Choice Directory . You can still see anyone who’s not an nib First Choice provider, however, a co-payment from you may be required.
Yes, you’re able to add your spouse and children to be covered under your policy.
Premiums for each family member are calculated on a number of factors, such as your age, gender, whether you smoke or not, the level of cover and the excess you’ve chosen to pay. This is designed so you get the best premium and value for your insurance that we can offer, and as a result, means we don’t offer multi-life discounts for any cover you currently take up.
You sure can! We cover up to 80% of the cost for removal of wisdom teeth under our Standard and Premium Everyday policies, after you’ve served a 12 month waiting period.
If you have impacted or unerupted wisdom teeth, an oral surgery benefit that covers the removal of these is included in our Hospital cover. A 12 month waiting period also applies for this benefit.
It’s important to know that any issues or symptoms with your wisdom teeth before joining nib would be classed as a pre-existing condition. For example, if you were diagnosed with impacted or unerupted wisdom teeth before joining nib, you would only have cover to have these removed after being a member for three years. If you haven’t had any signs or symptoms of problems with your wisdom teeth before joining nib, you’ll only have the standard waiting period of 12 months before you can claim.
Yes, with our Standard and Premium Everyday cover, you can claim back the costs of periodontal treatment you receive up to your benefit limits. A 12 month waiting period does apply.
An excess is the amount you pay towards any health service you receive that might have otherwise been covered under the policy. It allows you to discount your premiums while still getting cover. You always have control of how much excess you’ll pay.
It’s important to know that the excess on some of our policies work on a per claim basis, while other work on a per year basis. If you’d like to know how your excess works, refer to your policy document or get in touch.
A pre-existing condition is anything, like a sign or symptom, of a condition which you were aware of or had followed up medical advice or treatment for before joining nib. Pre-existing conditions can be almost anything, from a heart condition to hay fever. If you have any questions about this, please contact us.
Making a claim is quick and easy, and you’ve got options. We recommend using my nib to make your claim online or use the nib app.
Your claim is processed by us as quickly as we can! Most claims are looked at within five working days, and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s been processed.
For smaller claims, such as those on your Everyday cover, you pay the cost up-front and then claim it back through nib. If your claim is eligible, we’ll refund you the approved amount. For big claims, like diagnostic investigations or surgery, we recommend you apply for pre-approval. If approved, you can take your pre-approval as assurance you’re covered and you will only be out-of-pocket for any excess or gap payments.
The First Choice network makes things even easier when it comes to claiming. Using a recognised First Choice provider means you get 100% of your eligible costs covered (up to your benefit limit and in line with your policy). In some cases, your claim might even be sent in by your healthcare provider, so you won’t have to do a thing!
Yes, you don’t need referrals from GPs or specialists to make claims against your Everyday cover.
Private health insurance gives you a way to pay for faster access to private medical services without bearing the brunt of the potentially high expense. With Hospital cover , this can mean you’re covered to see private specialists about a serious condition or have major surgery in a private hospital. With Everyday cover, it can mean smaller things like visits to the dentist, GP and physio are mostly paid for.
As a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand, you can rely on public health for emergencies and treatment of serious conditions. However, using the public system may mean you go on a waiting list for treatment, causing delays, extra discomfort for you and stress for your family. If you choose to pay for private medical treatment yourself, it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
Private health insurance gives you a way to bypass the possible delays with public health and save you the potentially enormous expense of private health treatment.
Just as everybody’s different, the health insurance you take out can also vary. For example, the price of our Hospital cover can depend on your age, the excess you’re willing to pay, whether you’re a smoker, your gender and other aspects. If you’re taking out Standard or Premium Everyday cover, you’ll pay one premium if you’re an adult aged 21 or over, and another premium for children and teenagers under 21.
All New Zealand citizens and permanent residents are welcome to join nib.
If you’re on a working visa, you may be able to sign up and claim on Hospital cover so long as you’re eligible to get public health care. You can read a full guide around public health care eligibility on the official government site .
Citizens, residents and anyone on a working visa can sign up for Everyday cover.
If you’ve smoked any form of tobacco or other substance in the last 12 months, you’ll be rated as a smoker and your premium adjusted to reflect this. Once you’ve not been a smoker for 12 months, you can contact us to reduce your premium with a non-smoker rate.
1. Pre-existing conditions: you won't be covered at any time for pre-existing conditions that relate to the following conditions: cardiovascular, cancer, hip or knee, back, transplant surgery, reconstructive or reparative surgery. Please refer to the policy document for further information.
