17/08/2026
Over 100,000 Kiwis cancelled their health insurance last year.
That's the finding in new MartinJenkins research covered by Stuff this week — nearly 1 in 10 policyholders walked away in 2025 as premiums climbed.
Here's the part that worries us: cancelling is rarely the only option, but it's often the only one people know about. Higher excess, adjusted benefits, a different insurer, cover matched to what you actually need now ..... most people have never had anyone check.
Before you cancel, get a second opinion. It's free, takes about 10 minutes with a licensed NZ adviser, and there's nothing to sign. Worst case, you learn your cover is fine.
We broke down exactly how insurance costs got here (75% in five years — faster than butter, petrol and power): insuranceguide.nz/costs
