ACC covers accidents anywhere in New Zealand, and it's genuinely good. What it doesn't cover is illness. If a serious illness kept you off work for a while, ACC wouldn't help with your income or your bills. That's the gap trauma and income protection cover are there to fill.

As a resident you can use the public health system, which is great, but you join the same queue as everyone else. The public target is to see a specialist within four months, then there's a separate wait for treatment. Private cover means you can usually be assessed and treated sooner. I'll show you how it fits alongside the public system and whether it's worth it for you.

Sometimes, but often not the way you'd expect. Some overseas policies stop or change once you're living here, and cover through an old employer usually ends when the job does. Don't cancel anything yet. Bring along what you've got and I'll check how it compares.

It's actually a good time. Insurers here look at your health when you apply, so anything that comes up in the meantime could be excluded later on. The one thing I need is for you to be living in New Zealand, as I can't advise people who are still overseas.

The first chat is free and there's no obligation. If you go ahead with cover, I'm usually paid commission by the insurer, and I'll explain exactly how that works in writing before you decide anything.