“Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful things a person can do to improve their long-term health and wellbeing. In terms of increasing life expectancy, it sits second only to not smoking.”
“There are many examples globally where insurers contribute towards the cost of people being active because healthier members ultimately mean lower long-term healthcare costs. It’s a genuine win-win.”
“If we are serious about preventative health in New Zealand, supporting more people to be physically active needs to be part of the solution.”
Exercise New Zealand has criticised the decision by Southern Cross Health Society to remove its physical activity reimbursement from member policies, saying the move removes one of the few incentives within private health insurance that encourages people to invest in their own health preventatively.
Exercise New Zealand CEO Richard Beddie says while the benefit itself was relatively small, its removal sends the wrong signal at a time when improving physical activity levels should be a national priority.
“Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful things a person can do to improve their long-term health and wellbeing. In terms of increasing life expectancy, it sits second only to not smoking.”
The World Health Organization reports that people who are insufficiently active have a 20–30% higher risk of death compared with those who meet recommended activity levels. Recent research published in The Lancet also estimates that 7–9% of deaths globally are attributable to physical inactivity, making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.
Exercise New Zealand notes that many insurers internationally actively support physical activity among their members, often contributing towards gym memberships, exercise programmes, or other activity incentives, because healthier populations reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Beddie says the organisation would welcome the opportunity to work with Southern Cross to explore how insurers can better support preventative health through physical activity.
“There are many examples globally where insurers contribute towards the cost of people being active because healthier members ultimately mean lower long-term healthcare costs. It’s a genuine win-win.”
Exercise New Zealand says stronger collaboration between insurers and the exercise sector could play an important role in improving physical activity levels across Aotearoa and strengthening preventative health outcomes.
“If we are serious about preventative health in New Zealand, supporting more people to be physically active needs to be part of the solution.”
