HFANZ renews call for health insurance tax breaks

That's the view of the Health Funds Association of New Zealand (HFANZ) - whose members account for around 99% of health insurance policyholders in New Zealand - outlined in a briefing paper for incoming Minister of Health Tony Ryall.

It says there is an imbalance in health funding and the subsequent rising cost of providing pubic healthcare HFANZ chief executive Roger Styles said, "policy consideration must be given to rebalancing the public and private contributions to health spending."

Currently 31% of New Zealanders, or 1.4 million people, have health cover, but worryingly for insurers the report says insurance levels are trending down, "with a forecast drop in coverage in coming years, particularly for older age groups."

To increase the number of people covered there needs to be specific policy measures that encourage people to buy health insurance, Styles says.