Newsletter Spring 2016 New leadership
Claims, Subscriptions & Payments:
On August 8th John Seed started his role as the Chief Executive for HealthCarePlus. John has had extensive experience in the insurance industry both in New Zealand and overseas, a career spanning 30 years.
Phone: 0800 800 441 Office Hours: 8am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
General Enquiries Phone: 0800 268 3763 Office Hours: 8.30 am – 5pm, Monday to Friday
Website
John has noted two key reasons for taking up this position: “HealthCarePlus is an organisation that helps our members and Whanau who are
doing it tough due to health issues and associated costs, plus it has been well managed financially so is in a very good financial position. The team at HealthCarePlus are committed to continuing to provide you with a quality product and superior customer service.”
www.healthcareplus.org.nz
Claims For “Fast-Track” claims Email copies to contact@healthcareplus.org.nz
If emailing claims please ensure you retain the original copies until your claim has been settled
Do you wear glasses? Remember you can claim 50% of costs incurred up to $250pa. Including: Optometrists eye examinations Prescription glasses or contact lenses where there has been a change in vision (the effective date is the date of the prescribing eye examination i.e. not the date of purchase or supply). You have 12 months from the date of your eye exam to put in claims for either of the above.
Your union supports you! Or Post claims together with receipts to: PO Box 11-045 Manners Street, Wellington 6142
Not only does your union support you in the workplace, but through HealthCarePlus they are supporting you and your families too! Primary Care & Primary Care Extra benefits are only available if you are a member of one of these unions*
Disclaimer The information and opinions contained in this newsletter are of a general nature and may not be relevant to your situation
If you are not currently a union member, HealthCarePlus benefits are good reasons to take another look at what’s on offer! * or qualify under a special membership category, see policy document http://healthcareplus.org.nz/forms?src=nav for more detail
What is Better Food Literacy? The NZ Food and Grocery Council wants to help grow Kiwis’ food literacy through four short videos that aim to make healthier eating easier. The videos, written and presented by trained dietician and Registered Nutritionist Nikki Hart, tackle subjects people are often confused about: what to eat for breakfast, fad diets, processed foods, and how to use the new Health Star Rating system.
HealthCarePlus Supports Better Funding Photos from the recent Paid Union Meetings
In the videos, Nikki Hart, who has 20 years’ experience helping people eat healthier, offers practical tips to support healthier eating with plenty of real food examples. The videos are based on the Ministry of Health National food and Nutrition Guidelines, so the information is consistent with what New Zealandtrained food and nutrition experts advise. “It begins in childhood and continues throughout our lives. Because our lifestyles, including the way we eat, have changed so much over the past few decades, the biggest challenge is often knowing what a healthy diet looks like. “I want people to see that healthy eating can be easy, and that there are no good or bad foods. It’s about how often and how much we eat of different foods, and choosing the lower fat, lower salt and lower sugar versions when we can. The videos show simple and practical advice to build food literacy.”
PPTA General Secretary Michael Stevenson & NZEI General Secretary Paul Goulter and teaching staff visit our stands around NZ
FGC is releasing the videos on what to eat for breakfast, fad diets, and processed foods. They are available on FGC’s Healthy Balance website http://healthybalance.nz/ Article from www.fgc.org.nz
Out & About
The staff from the HealthCarePlus office recently braved a cold and wintery day on the streets of Wellington to collect for the Cancer Society’s ‘Daffodil Day’. If you didn’t get the opportunity to donate in your area, you can still make a $3 donation by texting ‘HOPE’ to 469 or by visiting their website http://www.daffodilday.org.nz
The donations they receive go towards vital scientific research into the causes and treatment of all types of cancer, as well as providing a wide range of support services, information, health promotion and education programmes to reduce cancer risk, awareness campaigns and programmes for people affected by cancer.
Finding out more We are committed to visiting all schools at least once a year. We understand that for a wide range of reasons schools can find it difficult to accommodate our requests. Having the opportunity to meet with one of our representatives can make a considerable difference to a family’s situation. So if you have not had one of our representatives visit your school recently and if you and your colleagues would like to know more please call us on 0800 268 3763 so that we can share these benefits with you. If you work at an early childhood centre or a tertiary education worksite – please phone us on 0800 268 3763 to let know the best way to share the news about what’s on offer to you and your colleagues.
What happens… If I go overseas, but plan to return?
For your Primary Care or Primary Care Extra plan your subscriptions can be suspended for up to 12 months if you are travelling for 3 months or more.
For your HealthCarePlus Hospital, Life, Trauma or Income Protection benefits contact your local HealthCarePlus Representative or phone us on 0800 268 3763
Special Hospital Cover Offer through nib – extended to October 31st
20% discount for all education union members under 60
Most pre-existing conditions covered after 2 years Medical history not required on application Quick and easy application process
Conditions apply. Cover offered by nib EasyHealth™ through your local HealthCarePlus Representative. Talk to your representative to see if this plan is right for you – call us on 0800 268 3763