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Member
Edition
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June
2026
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Welcome
to your latest
edition of
HealthChat. In
this edition, we
talk Men's
Health Week,
accessing mental
health support
and prioritising
gut health. Plus
- check out our
Active
Benefits!
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A message from our CEO.
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Kia ora tātou
Hard to believe
it…but the
middle of the year
is upon us.
It’s a bit of
a cliché to
say that time seems
to speed up as you
get older; but it
seems to me to be an
undeniable fact!
Getting through the
next few winter
months always brings
with it the usual
health challenges,
so remember to check
out our Active
Benefits to
help you take care
of your health
during this period.
Rules of
UniMed
Thank you to all
those Members who
gave feedback on our
new Rules and took
part in the recent
Special General
Meeting. I’m
pleased to share
that the vote to
adopt the updated
Rules was passed
unanimously.
This is an important
milestone following
a comprehensive
review to ensure our
Rules remain fit for
purpose in
today’s
environment.
While the updated
Rules modernise and
strengthen our
governance
framework,
it’s important
to note that they do
not change your
existing health
insurance benefits
or cover. You can
find more
information about
the updated Rules on
our
website.
Men’s
Health
Week
Men’s Health
Week serves as a
timely reminder for
all of us to take a
moment to reflect on
our own health and
wellbeing.
Working in health
insurance, I see
first-hand the
claims we pay for
conditions which, in
some cases, could be
prevented or
identified earlier.
I understand how
important it is to
take proactive steps
to stay healthy. And
yet, despite that
awareness, I still
fall within the
group Men’s
Health Week is
designed to reach -
men who don’t
always prioritise
their health.
This is a valuable
annual reminder to
focus on the small,
practical steps we
can take to stay on
top of our health. I
recently took that
opportunity myself
and have shared my
experience in my latest
blog.
Remember, as a
UniMed Member, you
can get reliable
medical advice from
the comfort of your
own home with a virtual
GP
appointment.
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Premium
changes
Each year, we review
our health insurance
plans to ensure they
are priced at an
appropriate level to
cover the cost of
claims that we
receive and continue
to support the
health and wellbeing
of our Members over
the long term.
As part of this
process, Members who
pay their premium
individually to
UniMed may soon see
some increases to
their premium. As in
previous years these
increases reflect
the rising cost of
healthcare and
medical treatments,
and ongoing high
demand for private
health services
which is reflected
in high claim
levels. As a
not-for-profit
mutual Society, our
pricing is always
designed to ensure
we can deliver the
best possible
service to our
Members both today
and into the future.
We are very aware
that health
insurance
affordability
remains a big issue
for many of our
Members so we do our
very best to limit
these increases to
balance
affordability today
with maintaining
access to quality
healthcare over the
longer term. This is
not an easy balance,
but it is one that
we take very
seriously.
You will receive
more details in the
coming months, and
of course my team
are always here to
support you with any
questions or
concerns you may
have, or to discuss
options to manage
affordability.
Every day my team is
motivated by
UniMed's
purpose: to help our
Members to stay in
lifelong good
health.
Thank you for your
continued trust in
UniMed.
Ngā mihi,
Lance Walker
CEO
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Access mental health support with
UniMed.
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If you're
feeling overwhelmed,
stressed, or just
need to talk things
through, you
don't have to
figure it out on
your own.
Eligible UniMed
Members can access
up to $1,000
towards
consultations with a
registered
psychiatrist,
psychologist,
psychotherapist, or
counsellor of your
choice.
UniMed partners with
3 Big Things and
Clearhead to make it
easy to book, with
options for
in-person, video, or
phone sessions.
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You
can check your
Health Plan
inside your Member
Portal
to confirm your
eligibility and
specific cover
details.
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Time to prioritise your gut health.
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Last month marked Good
Gut Month,
and we were proud to
support The Gut
Foundation
NZ’s Gut Check
campaign, helping
raise awareness of
gut health and its
importance across
Aotearoa.
While the campaign
may have wrapped up,
the message remains:
anytime is the right
time to get your gut
checked.
To launch Good Gut
Month, we recently
hosted a webinar in
partnership with The
Gut Foundation,
sharing practical
advice on
maintaining good gut
health and the
importance of early
action. If you
missed it, you can
watch
here.
And
don’t
forget, as a
UniMed Member,
you may be
eligible for a
bowel screening
kit. Find
out more and
check your
eligibility
here: Learn
more about bowel
screening.
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We’re
also here to
support you if
you’re
facing a cancer
diagnosis.
Through our
partnership with
Osara Health,
eligible UniMed
Members can
access a
personalised,
oncologist-designed
support
programme.
The
Osara
Health
programme is
available to
Members aged 18
and over who are
living with
cancer (whether
newly diagnosed
or managing an
ongoing
condition),
providing expert
guidance to help
navigate
treatment and
recovery.
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Your UniMed Portal.
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New
features in your
UniMed
Portal
UniMed Members can
access a range of
enhanced features in
the Member Portal,
designed to give
greater visibility
and control over
your policy. You can
now easily view your
policy anniversary
date and can choose
to add additional
information when
submitting prior
approvals and
surgical claims. The
Claims History
section has also
been upgraded,
allowing Members to
filter and search
their claims more
easily, and view
select information
for each claim
— including
who the claim
relates to, the
service provided,
service dates, and
reimbursement
details.
There is also a new
Billing Centre which
provides
information,
including the
premium instalment,
payment frequency,
payment method, and
upcoming payment
dates where
available.
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Stay
secure, set up
MFA
today
We've introduced
multi-factor
authentication (MFA)
to our Member
Portal,
adding an extra
layer of security to
help protect your
personal
information.
Once set up,
you’ll receive
a one-time code via
text message each
time you log in. You
may already be
familiar with this
process from online
banking or other
secure apps.
Your privacy and
security are
important to us.
This added
protection helps
keep your account
safe, even if your
password is
compromised. We plan
to make MFA a
required feature for
all Member Portal
users later this
year, so get in
early today. Find
out more
about setting up
your MFA.
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Health and wellbeing support.
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Active
Benefits.
Helping
you stay
well, every
day
T&C's
and eligibility
criteria apply.
Check our
website for
details.
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Active
Care.
Personalised
support when
illness
happens
- Coaching program
for people
living with
cancer
- Mental health
support
- Nutrition,
fitness and
recovery support
Eligibility
criteria
applies. Check
our website for
details.
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Staying healthy this
flu season.
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Winter
has
arrived,
bringing
the
flu
season
with
it.
The
most
effective
way
to
protect
yourself
and
your
loved
ones
from
influenza
is
to
get
a
flu
vaccination.
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Check
if
you're
eligible
for
a
free
vaccine
first.
The
flu
vaccine
is
free
for
people
at
higher
risk
of
getting
very
sick.
Visit
the
Health
New
Zealand
website
to
see
if
you
qualify.
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If
you
aren't
eligible
for
a
free
one,
UniMed
reimburses
flu
shots
up
to
$45
per
person,
per
year
(1
July
to
30
June).
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Meet our team...
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Musaddik
Musa
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Our
team
of
dedicated
Relationship
Managers
play
a
pivotal
role
in
delivering
trusted,
personalised
support
to
our
Members.
Meet
Musaddik
Musa,
our
Relationship
Manager
for
the
South
Island.
Musa
has
recently
joined
UniMed,
bringing
over
13
years
of
experience
in
the
insurance
industry.
He
is
passionate
about
building
meaningful
relationships
and
working
alongside
Members
to
help
them
achieve
their
health
goals
and
get
the
most
out
of
their
Health
Plans.
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We'd love to
hear from you.
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