UniMed Rules Review
The revised and updated Rules of UniMed were approved and adopted unanimously by Members at our Special General Meeting held on 28 May 2026. Thank you to all those Members who participated in the process.
It is important to note that the updated Rules will not affect Members’ health insurance benefits or cover.
The next step is for the Rules to be registered with the Registrar of Industrial and Provident Societies. When this process is completed, the Rules will take effect and will be uploaded to our website under the Important Documents section.
What are the Rules?
The Rules of UniMed are an important document – they guide how we operate and are governed.
Why did we review the Rules?
The last review of our Rules was in 2012. Since then, the market and regulatory environment for health insurers have changed significantly, which was further highlighted in a thematic review of governance by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) and the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in 2022.
As a result, our Board and our solicitors, Simpson Grierson, completed a comprehensive review of the Rules to ensure that they:
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Are compliant with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations – both existing and coming in the near term.
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Are reflective of best practice governance guidance and practice outlined in the RBNZ’s and FMA’s governance thematic review.
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Balance the historic kaupapa (purpose) of UniMed as a membership organisation with the need to implement UniMed’s current and long-term strategy, and act in accordance with all its financial services licensing requirements.
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Are fit for purpose, and suitable in the context of the present-day operating and regulatory environment.
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Are easily understandable and use plain English.