Health insurance for families

Family health and medical cover

Get medical and health care for you and your family.

Easy claiming process, great member benefits and access to online doctors’ consultations are just some of the reasons New Zealand families trust Southern Cross.

We’re here for New Zealanders and their families. Because we’re 100% made for New Zealanders. Southern Cross is a not-for-profit Friendly Society, so we have members, not shareholders. This means you and your family are our priority.

Find affordable cover for the whole family.


Why Southern Cross Health Insurance for families?

  • We pay out more in claims than any other New Zealand health insurer. [1]
  • In 2023, for every dollar received in premiums, we returned 88 cents in claims to members. [2]
  • Protect your newborns. Add your baby before they're three months old, we'll cover their qualifying pre-existing conditions.
  • Discounts for larger families. You only pay for two children and any additional children children receive cover for free.[4]
  • Child rates apply until they’re 21 years of age.[3]

Membership benefits



Get more than a health care plan

Gain access to a great range of membership benefits, discounts and partner offers.

Unlimited online GP consultations with CareHQ free of charge

Outside of your family GP practice hours, or can't get to your family GP? No problem. Get free of charge video GP consultations via your phone, tablet, or computer with CareHQ  for appointments between 7am to 7pm when booked through the MySouthernCross app.

Save money for you and your family

Save with discounts on your premiums for healthy living, low claims and paying by direct debit. Get discounts on life insurance, travel insurance and pet insurance too. Find out more here.

Great partner offers

Take advantage of partner offers that'll help keep you and your family healthy. From discounted hearing tests to Les Mills gym memberships to Ecostore cleaning products.


Hear from our members

See how Southern Cross helps families with medical cover, discounts and other benefits:

More member stories


Why choose health insurance for your family?

New Zealand’s public health system offers many healthcare services free to children under the age of 14 years. But some common conditions that affect children may require costly ongoing treatment or have a lengthy waiting list on the public health system.

Many families choose health insurance to help them with the cost of healthcare, and for peace of mind in case the unexpected happens.

Common conditions and procedures for children*

Condition

Procedure

Cost

Ear infections

Grommet surgery

$2,300 - $3,000

Eye squint

Squint correction

$5,200 - $9,100

Throat infections

Tonsil removal

$4,800 - $7,300

*Indicative costs are GST-inclusive and sourced from 2022-2023 Southern Cross claims data.

The top five most common treatment claims at Southern Cross made by families are for:

  1. GP visits
  2. Prescriptions
  3. Specialist consultations
  4. Physiotherapy
  5. Diagnostic imaging

Health insurance can enable you and your children to get back to enjoying family life together, faster. Join the thousands of families with Southern Cross today.


Are you with us yet?

We’re here for you and your family. We’ve got a range of plans with flexible options so you can tailor your health insurance to your family’s needs and budget. Keeping your whole family covered could be less expensive than you think – get a quote or contact us now to find out more.




[1] We pay 72% of the value of all health insurance claims paid in New Zealand. Based on data provided by The Financial Services Council.

[2] Based on Southern Cross claims data.

[3] One rate applies for children aged 0 to 21. Subject to standard annual premium changes. Not applicable to the HealthEssentials plan.

[4] If you have more than two children under the age 21 on your policy, your third and subsequent children are covered for free. Not applicable to HealthEssentials plan and CancerCoverPlus.