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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