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Health
Chat.
Your regular catch-up with UniMed.
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Member edition #9 — September 2023
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Kia ora,
Welcome to our spring edition of HealthChat.
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With winter behind us, we’re all looking forward to spending more time outdoors. We hope you get the chance to enjoy some warmer weather, fresh air and Vitamin D. Remember to wear plenty of sunscreen of course.
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Health News.
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Important announcement
Proposal to combine UniMed and Accuro
Since UniMed was created in 1979, our organisation has been focussed on growing the positive impact we have on the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders. As part of our strategic growth plans, I am pleased to let you know that our Board is proposing to combine UniMed and Accuro (Accuro Health Insurance Ltd).
Like UniMed, Accuro is a not-for-profit mutual society, and we share a focus on keeping people in lifelong good health. We believe this proposal will not only help us continue delivering that promise, but also provide more opportunities to meet your health needs now and into the future.
Please note that this proposal will not affect your current health cover with UniMed and you will continue to receive the same, cover and benefits.
Why are we doing this?
Combining the portfolios and resources of both organisations in the UniMed legal structure will give us a membership of over 140,000 and a team of nearly 100 staff, making us the country’s third largest health insurer representing around 10 percent of the market.
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The scale means we will be able to improve services, provide better value, and create the opportunity for more product and service innovation in the future.
Proposal subject to approval
The UniMed Board has undertaken a thorough due diligence and endorses the proposal. Now it needs to be approved by Accuro members before being submitted to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) for final approval.
If approved by the RBNZ, Accuro’s insurance portfolio and activities would be transferred into UniMed early in 2024.
A copy of the media statement by UniMed and Accuro explaining the proposal can be found here.
If you have any questions, you can email me at ceo@unimed.co.nz.
Louise Zacest
Chief Executive
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Health Check.
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We have our Annual General Meeting coming up on
30 October 2023 and as a Member-focussed organisation we will shortly be asking you to get involved and vote on two resolutions. Please keep an eye on your inbox for the relevant communications which will be coming out on 5 October.
I’m delighted to celebrate spring with the launch of new Member offers that focus on services to help keep you in good health.
Last month, we launched our new partnership with Specsavers with a special offer on eye tests and glasses. This month, we’re announcing another new offer with bloom™ hearing specialists. You can read more further on in this issue.
I'm also please to share that since we launched our MoleMap offer back in March this year hundreds of members have had their skin checked. The results speak for themselves, on average one skin cancer was detected for every 7 people who had their skin checked. Hopefully these people will go on to live longer lives due to early detection. On a personal note, my husband had his skin checked last year and melanoma was detected, thankfully it was found early and successfully removed.
This really brought home to me how important it is to be vigilant and have your skin checked at least once a year. If you’ve had melanoma once, unfortunately you have a nine times higher risk of getting melanoma again. If there’s a history in your close family you’re twice as likely to develop melanoma. So, it is extremely important to be proactive. In my blog this month, I talk about skin health and go into more detail about how preventative measures can make all the difference to your health.
The change in season also marks another change in the air – pollen. We’ve included some great tips on how to help keep your allergies in check if you suffer from hayfever.
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If you’d like to chat through anything in the health, wellness or preventative care space, please feel free to email me anytime at ceo@unimed.co.nz.
Ngā mihi nui
Louise
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Did you know? 1 in 6 New Zealanders currently experience hearing loss, and according to the World Health Organization, this will increase to 1 in 4 by 2050. Work-related noise-induced hearing loss affects approximately 100,000 New Zealanders and is prevalent in industries such as manufacturing and construction. Disturbingly, about 30% of all workers in New Zealand are exposed to harmful levels of noise for a significant portion of their work time.
This makes routine hearing checks crucial because identifying early signs of hearing loss provides an opportunity to prevent further deterioration.
To give our Members the opportunity to maintain their hearing health, we have partnered with bloom™ hearing specialists.
All our Members can now receive, at any of the bloom™ hearing specialists clinics in New Zealand;
- Free hearing health checkups; and
- 25% off the list price off all hearing aids and assistive listening devices
- bloom™ hearing will also be able to advise if you are eligible for the Ministry of Health Hearing Aid Subsidy Scheme or any other relevant schemes.
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Full details can be found on our website here or you can visit bloom™ hearing's website for full terms and conditions.
In addition to the offer above: some Members will be eligible for reimbursement of costs to replace or acquire new hearing aids dependent on the level of cover of their plan. If you are unsure what plan you are on please contact our friendly UniMed team on 0800 600 666 or email us at sales@unimed.co.nz
When it comes to your hearing health, trust bloom™ hearing specialists to provide exceptional care and solutions that can truly make a difference in your life. bloom™ hearing has a focus on delivering personalised solutions. Through comprehensive hearing assessments, valuable insights into your specific requirements are gained, enabling the most suitable hearing solution recommendation. bloom™ hearing commits to guide you every step of the way on your journey to better hearing.
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Health Views.
Our latest CEO blog stems from Louise’s husband’s recent brush with melanoma and outlines how seriously skin cancer is affecting our outdoor workers. She also sets out the steps we should be taking to help combat what is a largely avoidable but deadly disease.
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Health Tips.
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While warmer temperatures, daffodils and longer days are synonymous with spring, the season can be challenging for those who suffer from hayfever. Our friends at Healthify He Puna Waiora, have excellent tips on how to reduce hayfever symptoms this season. As always, if you are concerned about your hayfever symptoms, please see your GP (doctor).
Self-care measures
Although it is hard to avoid pollens at all, there are things you can do to minimise your exposure when the pollen count is high.
- Keep your windows and doors shut as much as possible.
- Change your clothes and shower after you have been outdoors.
- Vacuum your house and dust with a damp cloth regularly.
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Wear a mask when you're working in the garden or doing other outside chores or better yet get someone else to mow your lawn!
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Wear wrap-around sunglasses to avoid pollen getting in your eyes.
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When driving, keep windows up and set the air conditioner on "recirculate."
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Getting a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
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Medicines to treat and help prevent hayfever are available from your GP or over the counter at your pharmacy. These can be very effective in reducing your symptoms.
If you also have asthma, hayfever can make it worse. See your GP to ensure you have everything you need to keep it under control.
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Health Team.
Meet Renée Walker our Chief Operating Officer who’s six months into her new role. Renée joined us because she believes, like us, in always putting people first. Whether that’s ensuring we settle people’s claims efficiently or removing roadblocks to make a team member’s job easier, she's helping change lives for the better. And with Renée’s combination of infectious enthusiasm and expertise, there’s no-one better to help lead the way forward. It’s great to have Renée onboard.
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Health Chat.
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As you know, we love to hear from our Members. For any enquiries, please email members@unimed.co.nz.
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Alternatively contact us Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm on 0800 600 666, our friendly team are here to help.
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