WealthDesign

But it’s not a list we’re boasting about!  Along with our Australian mates across the ditch, we have the highest melanoma rate, of any population in the world! 

So here we are in Melanoma March – and Melanoma New Zealand is focusing on getting kiwis to be proactive in looking out for the early stages of this deadly skin cancer.

Melanoma New Zealand has teamed up with our Olympic and America’s Cup sailors to raise awareness for melanoma, which is a real risk for New Zealanders (that ozone layer isn’t helping matters).

Recently, the media has honed in on melanoma treatments, and specifically, why the drug Keytruda is not funded by PHARMAC.  The argument goes, if Keytruda is more effective, why are we not funding it?  There is uncertainty about the size and duration of any benefit, along with what PHARMAC is describing as the drug’s ‘extremely high cost.’  So it seems obvious that it won’t be funded anytime soon, despite the 54,000 signatures that have been collected on various petitions.

So how can the general public get access to this drug?  Medical insurance, of course!  Medical insurers nowadays have policies that include access to non-PHARMAC funded medicines.  This means that you’re going to get access to Keytruda and the countless other treatments that are proven to be effective, yet aren’t funded due to the high treatment costs.

Medical insurance is vital and with medical insurers paying out over $1,000,000,000 last year, you know it pays.

Our health is so important, and if you have medical insurance, you get access to tools that can complement your health journey. 

Give us a call at WealthDesign to discover how medical insurance will give you peace of mind, when it comes to your health.

And if you feel like donating to Melanoma New Zealand, text MELANOMA to 5464 – it’s a great cause! 

Melanoma New Zealand

Wilson O’Fee
WealthDesign – a life well lived

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Isn’t travelling a right of passage for us Kiwis? Unfortunately, for the next generation, things aren’t as simple as buying a plane ticket and loading a pack with jeans and a few tee shirts.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Make sure you have quality travel insurance for the whole time you are away.  Asia might be a cheap place for a holiday, but you wouldn’t want to be hospitalised in a third world country.  Not all travel insurance policies are equal, so get good advice.
• Check you KiwiSaver payments. If you are away and stop paying into KiwiSaver, you might find yourself back to square one with the ‘first home subsidy’ rules.
• If you have a student loan, know the rules.  If you are only out of the country for 183 days and have lived in New Zealand for the previous 183, your interest on your student loan is written off.  If you are outside these rules, you are going to be paying interest and the government expects you to make the repayments.
• Australia has always been the alternative work place of choice.  Unfortunately, Kiwis are clearly discriminated against in Australia.  If you plan to work over there, make sure you get your insurance sorted before you go.  Cover such as trauma, total and permanent disability and income protection cover taken out in New Zealand, will cover you while you work in Australia.
• Lastly, make sure you have all the right visas etc.  Flying 10 hours to spend 20 hours in a holding cell and then sent back home, isn’t fun.  This happened to one of our clients – yes, it does happen!

Travel is great – it is important to get out of New Zealand to realise how small and insignificant New Zealand is on the global stage. It also makes you appreciate this great country we are privileged to live in. 

We know what possibilities could arise, because we’ve seen them. Give us a call and before you know it, you’ll be packed, prepared and ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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Recently I had a client in my office who has given up smoking. The great news is, it keeps him healthy and saves him money.

Not only is he saving money on the smokes he was buying, but after 12 months, his insurance bill has dropped by 50% – no medicals, no questions. As long as he can honestly say he hasn’t smoked a cigarette for 12 months, the monthly life insurance bill is halved.

He showed me the app on his iPhone that tracked his savings – over $6,000 in 12 months! It’s a neat little reminder that helped him beat an unhealthy habit. This wasn’t the only thing he used to support him on his journey, he also used nicotine patches and other tools.  But hey, technology can definitely help along the way!

If you are a smoker and need a little financial prompt, check out the website below – lots of help at a time when you need all the help you can get!

Quit smoking with healthline.com

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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Kiwis are a mobile breed – we love to take flight and nest down in locations all over the world.  Sometimes this is on a permanent basis, other times just for a year or two.  If you or someone you know is planning to head overseas, there are some financial matters that will need some attention.

KiwiSaver – in some instances you can take it with you, but keep in mind, there is some fine print you’ll want to know about, BEFORE you leave. 

House insurance – will you rent it out or keep it unoccupied for a while?  Check out the insurance implications.

Travel insurance – definitely not just for tourists.  In fact, you won’t want to get caught in a predicament overseas without it.

Life insurance – your existing life policy probably works wherever you live,  or some policies can be ‘suspended’ while you are away.

New Zealand life insurance companies always ask questions about residency, but few people have an idea what the implications are.  For example, if you are about to head off to Afghanistan to work in the ‘security’ industry, insurers would consider that an important titbit of information.

Before hopping on that plane, give us a call to ensure your financial matters are taken care of.  An hour spent with us can avoid time, suffering and money!

Regan Thomas
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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ANZ has proposed selling their OnePath medical business to nib.  If the sale proceeds, nib will be the insurer of all current medical policies and will honour all medical policy holders’ terms and conditions, including any pre-existing medical conditions currently covered by OnePath. In fact, nib is planning to enhance the current policies to give clients even better coverage.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call.

Regan Thomas
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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