The two insurers have merged but are still operating under two brand names for the time being.

Under the HealthScreen programme, one of 22 nurses employed by the programme throughout New Zealand visits customers at home to take blood tests or put together basic medical information, including blood pressure, BMI and medical histories,  for an insurance application.

Between June 2017 and July 2018, HealthScreen nurses visited 4150 customers throughout New Zealand.

AIA/Sovereign chief customer officer Sharron-Moana Botica said it would not only speed up applications but gave customers a more positive experience.

"Between July 2017 and June 2018, customers who used the HealthScreen service rated their experience extremely positively, with an average score of four point six out of five − five being the highest possible rating,” she said.

“Most people appreciate a bit of face-to-face assistance, especially when doing something that can be a significant undertaking. And of course the convenience of receiving a visit when and where it suits them most is also a big positive for people.

“When we announced the integration of AIA and Sovereign, we said we’d be bringing together the best of the best from the two companies, for the sake of making New Zealand one of the healthiest and most-protected nations in the world. The adoption of HealthScreen is just one example of how we’re putting that into practice."

Queenstown-based HealthScreen nurse Phillipa Dobson Brown said customers were more receptive of having an assessment or being provided with health information when they are in their own environment.