Over-60s retain health cover

Statistics show that the number of people with active health insurance policies drops significantly once they reach their 50s and the cost of maintaining the policies increases.

But Health Funds Association data reveals that there has been an uptick in cover for older New Zealanders over the past year, which it says is due to more people seeing the value of the product.

While the number of teenagers, people aged in their early 40s and early 50s with health insurance dropped year-on-year, there was a 7% increase in coverage for people aged 70 to 74 and a 5% increase in lives covered over age 90.

Chief executive Roger Styles said older people saw value in cover.