The second largest health and medical insurance provider in New Zealand, nib, has launched new health insurance products specifically designed for new migrants arriving in the country.
“Nib becomes the first health insurer to embrace the changing demographics of an increasingly diverse New Zealand, transforming its business and health insurance product range to cater for all Kiwis,” said the media release from the health insurance provider.
Chief Executive Officer, Rob Hennin, said the transformation was driven by the health insurer’s desire to cater for the healthcare needs of the various ethnicities and family structures that constitute contemporary New Zealand.
“We are a country rich with cultural diversity with over 200 ethnicities and 160 spoken languages, the diversity that is also reflected among our own nib employees,” Mr Hennin said.
“We believe it’s important to embrace this diversity by adapting our business to allow us to help all Kiwis access and afford world-class healthcare when and where they need it,” he added.
The new health cover range which features enhanced everyday benefits and comprehensive hospital cover tailored for all Kiwis, from singles through to families.
“We understand that every customer is different which is why we’ve created health cover that satisfies a very diverse range of needs, benefits and budgets,” Mr Hennin said.
“We’ve included medical benefits and cover specifically to cater for the healthcare needs of an increasingly diverse population including young and migrant families, particularly Chinese and Indian migrants,” he added.
Identifying a need for targeted services to cater for the growing migrant population in the country, nib has shifted towards multilingual sales and services processes.
The health insurer has also evolved its web experience, customer communications and advertising into simplified Chinese.
Speaking at the product launch, Ben Rose, General Manager, Direct and Partnerships at nib said: “We have been talking to the Indian community who have given us the feedback that they are completely fine with the English language website and services.”
In addition, interpreter services are now provided for customers wishing to communicate in their language beginning with Mandarin telesales, customer service and claims assistance.
“We are disrupting the health insurance industry and ourselves to embrace and celebrate the new New Zealand. We want to ensure all New Zealanders can engage with health insurance on their own terms because we think that’s how it should be,” Mr Hennin said.