Accuro launches free mental health solution for more than 15,000 members

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Easy and quick access to mental health diagnosis and support has been added to the range of services that Kiwis can call on from Accuro Health Insurance.

“For many, issues such as depression or anxiety really affect their lives. Yet a lot of people don’t seek help or have issues with their treatment plan,” says Geoff Annals, CEO of Accuro Health Insurance, a not-for-profit health insurer based in Wellington. 

“The Government announced significant mental health funding this year, yet access to specialists can still be very limited, with long wait times, and can also be very expensive, so Accuro is launching Mental Health Navigator in partnership with Best Doctors.”

First launched in Canada in 2016, Mental Health Navigator has since launched in Australia and will soon be launching in Europe. Accuro members are amongst the first New Zealanders to have access to this service.  Mental Health Navigator is completely free for Accuro members to use alongside their specialist insurance cover, which includes a $500 benefit towards further consultations with New Zealand registered psychologists and psychiatrists, should follow up be required.

The Mental Health Navigator is available from 1 September, for everyone covered by an Accuro Specialist Plan, aged 18+. It’s designed to break down barriers by providing fast, comprehensive and confidential access to a team of mental health professionals.

A call to the Mental Health Navigator number will be answered by a specialist mental health nurse and 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.

“Fast access to diagnosis and treatment is an important part of people getting better before they get worse, and with typical wait times of two to six months through the public system, we feel access within two weeks can make a dramatic difference to a person’s wellbeing,” says Annals.

“Mental Health Navigator is free, and people can access the service without having to leave their own home, an important detail for members who might be fearful of hospital appointments, or have trouble travelling to them.”

“This is the first time such a quick, easy and professional mental health support service has been available to New Zealanders through health insurance. The Accuro Mental Health Navigator joins Best Doctors, SkinVision, our wellbeing Health Hub and bowel cancer screening kits as active benefits that Accuro offers its members in supporting their health before they might need to call us. We call it Active Insurance,” adds Annals.

Source: Accuro media release, 20 September 2019

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