Cancer is New Zealand's biggest killer – causing almost one in three deaths (31 per cent) – and while patients with health insurance are often better equipped to battle the disease, one leading health insurer says more preventative action is needed.
"The problem is that many insurers do not engage with their members until after they have been diagnosed," says Gavin Rutherford, acting CEO of New Zealand not-for-profit Accuro health insurance. "We all know the huge advantages of detecting cancers early – so we try to go beyond being a passive insurer by actively engaging with our members to help them stay healthy."
That is behind Accuro's "active insurance" which sees innovations like free bowel screening kits, skin cancer detection apps and the Mental Health Navigator, addressing another key Kiwi health concern – mental health.
Rutherford says New Zealand has some of the highest rates of bowel and skin cancers in the world. There is a one in 12 chance of contracting bowel cancer before the age of 75 and it kills about 1200 people a year, according to the Ministry of Health – a death rate of about 40 per cent of those who contract it and more than breast and prostate cancer combined.
Accuro is the only New Zealand health insurer offering free bowel screening kits to members and Rutherford says early detection is key: "We know from doctors that the early stages of bowel cancer can be asymptomatic – people do not exhibit any symptoms, making screening vital."
New Zealand is well into the $200 million National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP) which will eventually invite about 700,000 people to be screened every two years. However, the roll-out will not be complete until June 2021 and is limited to those aged between 60-74.
With bowel cancer being detected in younger age groups, the Cancer Society has asked the Government to drop the eligible screening age for the NBSP to 50, with special priority for Maori and Pacific Island people as they figure largely in bowel cancer detected in that age group.
"There is a lot of work going on nationally with regards to bowel cancer," says Rutherford, "but as of last month the roll-out is about halfway with 10 out of the 20 DHBs offering screening.
"Irene, an Accuro member from Auckland, took up our offer of a free bowel testing kit despite having no symptoms or issues to indicate that anything needed looking into. She was surprised to receive a positive test result.
"She undertook further medical investigation, covered by Accuro, and found she had a large and partially obstructive mass growing in her lower bowel. Without the testing kit, she may not have known about this until it was too late."
The story is similar when it comes to skin cancer. New Zealand has the highest rates of skin cancer incidence in the world – four times higher than Canada, the US and the UK. According to New Zealand's Science Research Hub, up to two out of every three Kiwis will develop a non-melanoma skin cancer during their lifetime.
"It's the most common type of cancer for 25-44-year-olds," Rutherford says, "and it's been estimated it costs New Zealand over $57m a year, according to the Cancer Society, making it one of the most expensive cancers for the New Zealand health system."
Melanoma is detected in hundreds of Kiwis annually and causes 80 per cent of all skin cancer deaths. Accuro has a free Skin Vision app for members for preventative melanoma screening. Simply download the app to an appropriate mobile phone, take a photo of the suspicious spot – and wait 30 seconds for Skin Vision to send you a high or low risk indicator along with advice about next steps.
Another "active insurance" feature is a free wellbeing programme to all of its 30,000 members, the first health insurer in New Zealand to do so. The Accuro Health Hub (operated with partner Synergy Health) gives each member access to support, information and resources, including a personal health report and insights into how members can track their health and make changes to improve it.
Mental Health Navigator, a partnership between Accuro and Best Doctors, is another pro-active service – designed to provide fast, comprehensive and confidential access to a team of mental health professionals, avoiding prolonged waiting times.
A call to the Mental Health Navigator number will be answered by a specialist mental health nurse, followed up within 10-14 days by a video call with specialist psychologists and psychiatrists. This team can diagnose mental health conditions, develop a treatment plan, or act as a valuable second opinion. The mental health nurse then provides follow up support over the next 6-12 months.
Serious mental health alone costs NZ $12 billion a year, according to the Government inquiry into mental health and addiction. Recent research from PriceWaterhouseCoopers Australia suggests that for every dollar spent on implementing successful mental health strategies, businesses receive more than $2 in return.
For more information: www.accuro.co.nz