Insurance
Claiming your consultation
I’m a Registered Clinical Nutritionist with Clinical Nutritionists Aotearoa, and CNA is recognised by three New Zealand insurers. Depending on your policy, some of what you pay may come back to you.
Southern Cross · NIB · UniMed
Registered Clinical Nutritionist — CNA
Receipt issued after every session
AfterPay on request
Who recognises CNA
Three insurers, one condition
Clinical Nutritionists Aotearoa is a professional body recognised by Southern Cross Health Insurance, NIB Health Insurance and UniMed (formerly Accuro) Health Insurance. The condition is your own policy. Recognition of the body is not the same as cover on your plan, and the two can differ quite a lot between policies.
Southern Cross
Recognises CNA registration
NIB
Recognises CNA registration
UniMed
Formerly Accuro. Recognises CNA registration
Check with your provider before you book and ask them directly. It takes about five minutes and it’s the only way to know what your plan actually covers.
How the process works
Four steps, in order
01
Check your cover
Check with your provider and confirm your plan includes a Registered Clinical Nutritionist. Do this first, not after.
02
Book and attend
Choose the session or package that suits you. Payment is due at the time of your consultation. Insurers reimburse you, they don’t pay me.
03
Get your receipt
I issue a formal receipt after the session, with my registration details on it, so your insurer has what it needs.
04
Submit the claim
Upload the receipt to your insurer’s app or portal. They reimburse you directly, up to your policy limits.
Before you call
What to ask, and what you’ll get
Ask your insurer
Four questions worth having answered before you book anything.
- Does my plan cover consultations with a Registered Clinical Nutritionist?
- What’s my annual limit, and how much of it have I used?
- Do you cover telehealth consultations at the same rate as in person?
- Are my dependants covered under the same benefit?
On your receipt
Issued after each session, with everything an insurer normally asks for.
- My full name and CNA registration details
- The date of your consultation
- The service, described in the terms insurers use
- The amount you paid
Health insurance FAQs
What people ask
Are packages covered by insurance?
Insurers generally cover the clinical consultation part of a package rather than the package as a whole. If you buy one, I’ll itemise the receipt so the consultation fees show separately and your insurer can see what it’s looking at.
What if my policy isn’t with Southern Cross, NIB or UniMed?
Those three formally recognise CNA, but they aren’t the only option. Other insurers run wellbeing or health management grants that a consultation can sometimes be claimed against.
It’s worth a phone call. Ask whether they’ll accept a receipt from a Registered Clinical Nutritionist.
Can I claim for blood tests or lab work?
The consultation where I review your bloods is usually claimable as a session like any other. The cost of the tests themselves is a separate question. Run privately through a lab like Awanui, they’re often not covered under a nutrition benefit.
Tests requested by your GP are typically free or covered under your medical diagnostic benefits instead, which is nearly always the cheaper route. If you’d rather go that way, I’m happy to write a referral note for your GP.
Are online consultations covered the same as in-person sessions?
Yes. Since the pandemic, Southern Cross, NIB and UniMed (formerly Accuro) treat telehealth video consultations as a valid clinical service, provided the practitioner is registered with a recognised body such as Clinical Nutritionists Aotearoa. My consultations run on Google Meet.
Can I claim for my partner or children?
If you’re on a family plan, your dependants are often covered under the same wellbeing benefit, which is a useful way to use a policy limit you’re already paying for.
Worth knowing before you book for a child or teenager: I do see them, but it isn’t a focus of the practice, so talk to me first and I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right person.
If your policy won’t cover it
Any session or package can be split into four interest-free payments with AfterPay. Get in touch before you book and I’ll set it up.
What you’re actually paying for
Every consultation includes a written clinical protocol, built over 3–4 hours of research and case review after we’ve spoken. The hour together isn’t the product. The protocol is, and it’s yours to keep.
Schedule your consultation
Still not sure whether your policy covers it? Book the free 15-minute call. It costs nothing either way, and we can work out what you’re dealing with before any money changes hands.