Accuro ventures deeper into SME market

Health insurer Accuro has rolled out two new products to help advisers do more business with small to medium sized enterprises in New Zealand.

Tuesday, June 21st 2016, 10:01AM

SMEs currently account for 90% of New Zealand's businesses provide good business opportunities for advisers. Accuro itself is an SME, and its understanding of this market has helped in the development of StaffAssist and StaffStay.

“Accuro is a medium-sized not for profit, and there are a lot of other small to medium businesses out there taking care of New Zealanders," Accuro general manager of sales and marketing Kelleigh Aston says.

She says there wasn't a lot of suitable health insurance products for the small businesses, and its new product StaffAssist was created to specifically cater to this market.”

StaffAssist is a primary product that allows companies with more than five employees to be covered with no underwriting. "Traditionally with health insurance, you are only covered for conditions that arise after your cover starts. This product is a market leader."

StaffAssist covers employees for the everyday costs. "It is a great way for organisations to take care of their teams so they are fit and healthy to take care of their business."

Key benefits include specialist appointments, physiotherapy, GP costs, prescriptions and more.

Accuro has also announced lower group numbers for their other products.

StaffSmart: 5–14 employees (three-year stand-down for pre-existing conditions).
StaffCare and StaffCare+: 15+ employees.

This move is to ensure small to medium businesses have access to the best possible healthcare, Aston says.

Accuro's other new product is StaffStay which is designed for companies with a lot of non-resident employees, such as in the horticulture.

“All the non-residents I spoke to were paying large sums for travel insurance, and we knew there had to be a way Accuro could help them.”

Non-residents of New Zealand are generally not covered by the public health system if they get sick. That’s why Accuro has created StaffStay health insurance especially for employers wanting to provide cover for their non-resident employees.

StaffStay will be available for employers who employ more than 25 non-residents at any one time – this plan has no underwriting.

“This will be a great product for farmers, hospitals and many other industries who employ staff from overseas,” Aston says.

Accuro chief executive Geoff Annals says that other health insurers tend to focus on the big companies, and Accuro wants to be there for the smaller organisations that make up the bulk of our workforce.

Tags: health insurance