Going overseas?

You can put your health insurance policy on hold when travelling overseas on three separate occasions during the lifetime of the policy. Your policy can be suspended for up to 5 years (60 months) in total. However, each suspension must be for a minimum of 2 months and be for no more than 3 years (36 months). If the policyholder or dependant is leaving New Zealand for longer than 3 years, contact us to discuss the options available.

To be eligible for a policy suspension you must have been a member for at least 12 months and have at least 12 months’ consecutive cover between each suspension period.

To put your Southern Cross health insurance plan on hold while you're overseas, you should contact us before you leave New Zealand.

• Let us know your membership number, your departure date, and expected return date.
• Your policy and premium payments will resume on the date you return. If you’re not sure when you’re coming back, your policy will automatically resume when you reach your maximum suspension period (between 12 and 36 months depending on your particular situation), unless you contact us to tell us otherwise.
• Members on a Critical Illness or HealthEssentials plan are not eligible to suspend their membership due to overseas travel. Depending on the type of plan they hold, members of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) work scheme may also not be able to suspend their cover when they are overseas with the NZDF.

Note: Your premium amount is subject to change, we will contact you to confirm your payments before you return.

Going overseas on secondment

If you belong to Southern Cross through your employer’s work scheme and are seconded overseas to work for more than 2 months, you may be eligible to request suspension of your Southern Cross policy. Your policy will then resume when you return.

• Your employer needs to let us know in writing (on company letterhead) that you’re going to be working overseas. The letter needs to include your name, your membership number, and the start and finish dates of the overseas secondment.
• To reinstate your policy, your employer will need to contact us on your behalf within 30 days of you returning to New Zealand.

Find out how Southern Cross Travel Insurance can cover you while you're away.

Working in New Zealand on secondment

If you work for an international company and are seconded to work in New Zealand, find out how Southern Cross Travel Insurance can cover you while you're here.

Southern Cross Medical Care Society (trading as Southern Cross Health Society) is a licensed insurer and a licensed financial advice provider. For more information about the financial advice service we provide and a copy of our public disclosure statement please visit southerncross.co.nz/disclosure-statement.

Southern Cross Medical Care Society (trading as Southern Cross Health Society) has an A+ (Strong) financial strength rating given by S&P Global Ratings Australia Pty Ltd. The rating scale is: AAA (Extremely Strong), AA (Very Strong), A (Strong), BBB (Good), BB (Marginal), B (Weak), CCC (Very Weak), CC (Extremely Weak), SD or D (Selective Default or Default). Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. Full details of the rating scale are available at S&P Global Ratings. S&P Global Ratings Australia Pty Ltd is an approved rating agency under the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010.