Claims hit nib's bottom line

Rob Hennin

It was up 9% on the previous half.

Chief executive Rob Hennin said more members received hospital treatment or visited an ancillary provider, such as a dentist or physiotherapist. During the half year, hospital treatments lifted more than 22% and the number of members visiting an ancillary provider increased by almost 26%.

“We exist to help our members access and afford world class healthcare, so we’re pleased members are accessing medical treatment when they need it and doing so without incurring significant costs,” Hennin said.

Those claims costs pushed nib New Zealand's underlying profit down 29.7% to $10m in the half-year. Premium revenue rose 6.2% to $113m.