Leading Over 50s insurer, APIA, is entering the Private Health Insurance market in Australia. 
The move into the health insurance space was prompted by strong customer demand as the specialist insurer’s reputation grew.
David Skapinker, APIA spokesperson, said “We’re always getting calls about it. There’s an assumption that because we do other insurance that’s really suited to their life stage, that we also do health.”
APIA has designed a range of Health Insurance Hospital and Extras covers (underwritten by nib health funds (nib)), tailored to meet the varying and individual needs of Australians aged over 50.
“We’ve worked with nib to design our levels of cover to ensure it provides access to things they will use, rather than things they may use, Mr Skapinker explained. “We don’t provide pregnancy cover, for example, but we do provide cover for joint replacements, hip procedures and hearing aids, right from our entry level hospital package.
“In essence, we’ve specifically designed it to be relevant to their stage of life.”
Mr Skapinker said APIA’s choice of partner was critical, given the brand’s reputation and that nib provided the perfect fit. “We wanted to empower people, not tell them what to do, and nib understood that. So for example, where other health insurance providers make you choose from their list of specialists or health care providers, APIA will let you choose your own. There’s no reason you should have to stop seeing your usual dentist, optometrist or trusted specialist you’ve always seen.
“Over 50s have different needs when it comes to health insurance. They don’t want to slow down or stop when they turn 50 or when they retire. They want to keep going, keep doing the things they love doing. We wanted to develop health cover that enabled them to do that,” said Mr Skapinker.
“We wanted to help Australia’s over 50s continue to live at their best by giving them the means to better manage their health.”
“We already insure the cars and homes of over 750,000 older Australians, so it made sense for us to extend our offering into health insurance,” he concluded.
From 2nd June, Apia Private Health Insurance will be available to purchase over the phone on 13 50 50. Further information will also be available on APIA’s website www.apia.com.au