May 03, 2022
Tainui kaumātua on health insurance plan
Peter VerschaffeltWaikato-Tainui has partnered with Southern Cross to offer health insurance to its 14,000 kaumātua.
Heritage and identity manager Glenda Taituha says they know that at least half of the Maori population is not satisfied with the health services they receive.
Cost is a barrier for many kaumātua, especially in Auckland, and putting them on a health essentials package should take away the anxiety.
She says the aim is to facilitate better health outcomes for all iwi members.
“We do concentrate on our kaumātua. They are the champions of our whānau. They are the connectors and we know if they are well-educated around access to health, the whole whānau will be,” Ms Taituha says.
Waikato Tainui will look at data on the services its people are using to drive future cost savings.
There’s also an opportunity for Iwi health providers to become Easy Claim providers within the South Cross System.