Kiwis are increasingly moving to private healthcare and it is costing health insurance companies.

Southern Cross Health Insurance paid out close to $1.5 billion in claims in the last year – equal to $6 million every business day.

2024 results from Southern Cross show the number of claims made is up with 995,000 kiwis now on the books.

Southern Cross Health Society Group CEO Nick Astwick tells Heather du Plessis-Allan kiwis are concerned about access to quality healthcare.

In a normal year, the insurer finds one third of its members make a claim, but in 2024 nearly half did.

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<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Kiwis are increasingly moving to private healthcare and it is costing health insurance companies.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Southern Cross Health Insurance paid out close to $1.5 billion in claims in the last year – equal to $6 million every business day.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">2024 results from Southern Cross show the number of claims made is up with 995,000 kiwis now on the books.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Southern Cross Health Society Group CEO Nick Astwick tells Heather du Plessis-Allan kiwis are concerned about access to quality healthcare.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">In a normal year, the insurer finds one third of its members make a claim, but in 2024 nearly half did.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Nick Astwick: Southern Cross Health Society Group CEO nearly $6 million paid out in insurance claims every business day

When it comes to the Dunedin hospital scale back, the Government's in trouble on this.

That protest over the weekend was big. 35,000 people is more than a quarter of Dunedin's population.

If you assume they came from all over the region, which is probably true given the hospital would service the Otago region, it’s still big. It’s 14% of the population.

There are very few issues that would drive that kind of frustration, but health is one of them.

It's because we want to know that there are the medical facilities to save our kid's lives, or our parent's lives.

Or our life.

But this is the reality - we are broke.

New Zealand can’t afford a $3b hospital, and $3b dollar ferries and 64,000 public servants and any number of other things we may want.

We are running an operating deficit every single year. That's basically the household equivalent of spending more every year than you make and just running it on the credit card forever.

You can’t do it.

If you want to know how broke we are listen to the Treasury warning last week. 

Dominick Stephens, the Chief Economist there, warned that for us to get back to surplus the Government would have to cut so much spending, and so fast, it would be unprecedented in recent history in New Zealand.

Our debt is out of control, largely thanks to what Grant and Jacinda did during Covid.

Treasury's been warning about our debt levels since 2006. But back then they thought we were heading for net Crown debt of 13% of GDP.

We are now 3 times that. So, we’re broke.

I don’t want to see projects like a hospital scaled back. I don’t want to be sailing on tinpot ferries I’m not sure will make it to the other side.

But you need money to buy and build and we don’t’ have any.

And we need to wake up to that.

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<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">When it comes to the Dunedin hospital scale back, the Government's in trouble on this.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">That protest over the weekend was big. 35,000 people is more than a quarter of Dunedin's population.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">If you assume they came from all over the region, which is probably true given the hospital would service the Otago region, it’s still big. It’s 14% of the population.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">There are very few issues that would drive that kind of frustration, but health is one of them.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">It's because we want to know that there are the medical facilities to save our kid's lives, or our parent's lives.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Or our life.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But this is the reality - we are broke.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">New Zealand can’t afford a $3b hospital, and $3b dollar ferries and 64,000 public servants and any number of other things we may want.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">We are running an operating deficit every single year. That's basically the household equivalent of spending more every year than you make and just running it on the credit card forever.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">You can’t do it.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">If you want to know how broke we are listen to the Treasury warning last week. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Dominick Stephens, the Chief Economist there, warned that for us to get back to surplus the Government would have to cut so much spending, and so fast, it would be unprecedented in recent history in New Zealand.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Our debt is out of control, largely thanks to what Grant and Jacinda did during Covid.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Treasury's been warning about our debt levels since 2006. But back then they thought we were heading for net Crown debt of 13% of GDP.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">We are now 3 times that. So, we’re broke.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I don’t want to see projects like a hospital scaled back. I don’t want to be sailing on tinpot ferries I’m not sure will make it to the other side.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But you need money to buy and build and we don’t’ have any.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">And we need to wake up to that.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

Heather's Minute: The Government is in Trouble over Dunedin Hospital

Thousands of Australians have collectively rallied in a National Day of Action in protest of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

This comes following Israeli strikes into Lebanon, which killed 30 Hezbollah leaders including Hassan Nasrallah.

Australian correspondent Steve Price tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the turnout was the strongest Australia has seen in a long time.

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<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Thousands of Australians have collectively&nbsp;rallied in a National Day of Action in protest of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">This comes following Israeli strikes into Lebanon, which killed 30 Hezbollah leaders including Hassan Nasrallah.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Australian correspondent Steve Price tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the turnout was the strongest Australia has seen in a long time.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

Steve Price: Australia correspondent on National Day of Action, Labour polls, bushfires

New Zealand wool carpet company Bremworth is claiming to have made the country’s first TV commercial using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Bremworth Chief Brand and Product Officer Rochelle Flint tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the AI advert is an innovative way to showcase and elevate the wool industry.

The use of AI is estimated to have reduced advertising spend by 60%.

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<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">New Zealand wool carpet company Bremworth is claiming to have made the country’s first TV commercial using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; background-position: 0px 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2,); border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;">Bremworth Chief Brand and Product Officer Rochelle Flint tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the AI advert is an innovative way to showcase and elevate the wool industry.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">The use of AI is estimated to have reduced advertising spend by 60%.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

Nick Astwick: Southern Cross Health Society Group CEO nearly $6 million paid out in insurance claims every business day

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