Member privacy statement

As a member of Southern Cross Medical Care Society (“Southern Cross”), your privacy is very important to us. We value the trust you place in us to handle your personal and health information the right way.

Our Member Privacy Statement sets out how we will do this, in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. During the course of our relationship with you, we may also tell you more about how we will handle your information, for example when you make a claim.

How may Southern Cross use your information? 

You authorise us to use information about you for the following purposes:

  • to consider your eligibility for cover under the policy
  • to consider the specific terms applying to the policy (including any pre-existing conditions)
  • to administer the policy and your membership with the Society including general meetings
  • to consider whether any healthcare service is eligible for cover under the policy and
  • to process, investigate and review any claims made and/or paid (including historical claims).
You also authorise us and other "Southern Cross' branded businesses to use information about you for the following additional purposes:
  • to assist with the administration of any products and services you have with other 'Southern Cross' branded businesses
  • to contact you from time to time, including within a reasonable time of you ceasing to be covered by the policy, about products and services relating to us, other ‘Southern Cross’ branded businesses, and our trusted business partners 
  • to prevent, detect and investigate any fraud including where in our reasonable opinion we suspect any fraud 
  • to conduct analysis and research in relation to the above purposes and 
  • where permitted or required by law

Who may Southern Cross collect your information from?

You authorise us to collect information about you for the above purposes, directly from you, or from:

  • the policyholder (e.g. directly from the policyholder via their application, claims and approvals) 
  • the spouse or partner of the policyholder (provided they are covered by the policy) 
  • a previous Southern Cross health insurance, Cancer Assist or Critical Illness policy (including previous application(s), Membership Certificate(s) and or claims) 
  • health services providers (including Affiliated Providers), approved facilities, and medical authorities (including ACC and Ministry of Health) 
  • ‘Southern Cross’ branded businesses and our trusted business partners 
  • the adviser associated with the policy 
  • the Group Administrator, if the policyholder is part of a work scheme or association scheme for the purpose of administering premiums (if applicable) and verifying the policyholder’s eligibility to be part of the work scheme or association scheme (excluding the collection of health information) and 
  • any other person when authorised by you,  the policyholder or an adult dependant
You also authorise the disclosure of such information by such parties for any of the above purposes. 
Please note that we generally record inbound and outbound telephone calls we have with you for operational and training purposes. 

Who may Southern Cross disclose your information to?

You authorise us to disclose information about you for the above purposes, directly to you, or to:

  • the policyholder
  • the husband / wife or partner of the policyholder (provided they are covered by the policy) 
  • relevant health services providers (including Affiliated Providers), approved facilities and medical authorities 
  • any other person when authorised by you, the policyholder or adult dependant
  • the adviser associated with the policy (including disclosure of health information) 
  • the Group Administrator if the policyholder is part of a work scheme or association scheme for the purpose of administering premiums (if applicable), including the disclosure of premium information about any dependants on the policy (if applicable), and verifying the policyholder’s eligibility to be part of the work scheme or association scheme (excluding the disclosure of health information) 
  • other ‘Southern Cross’ branded businesses and our trusted business partners (for example, suppliers of services such as mailing houses, research and insight agencies, and information technology) and 
  • any other party in accordance with the law
Any disclosure of your personal and/or health information will only be for the purposes set out above under ‘How may Southern Cross use your information’. 

All communications from us relating to you, whether or not you are the policyholder, will be sent to the policyholder. This means that your personal and health information will always be disclosed to the policyholder, including when you make a claim or request prior approval, and you authorise this disclosure.

Is your information secure?

We take all reasonable steps to make sure your personal and health information is kept safe from loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure and/or misuse, in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act and Health Information Privacy Code. 

How can you access and correct your information?

You are entitled to have access to and request correction of any of your personal information or health information held by us. Please contact us on 0800 800 181. 

We do our best to ensure that the information about you that we collect, store, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date. Prompt notification of any changes to your contact details will help us to do this. You can update your personal details online in My Southern Cross, or the mobile app. If we do not have your correct contact details we may not be able to provide you with important information about your policy. 

From time to time Southern Cross may send you marketing and other information electronically such as by email or text message. If you have provided your email address or mobile phone number we take this as your implied consent to us doing this. If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time please contact us.

If you do not provide us with your information, what then?

If the information provided to us is not accurate or complete we may not be able to process the application or claim, or it may result in us not being able to provide you with cover until such information is provided. The consequences of providing incomplete, false or misleading information are set out in your policy document.

Need more information?

If you have any queries about how we handle your personal and health information, or our Member Privacy Statement, please contact us on 0800 800 181. 
Your information is collected and held by Southern Cross Medical Care Society, Level 1, Te Kupenga, 155 Fanshawe Street, Auckland City 1010.

Version updated March 2021.