A Look Back at Last Year… and What We Learned Along the Way

Looking back over last year, one thing is clear.

Claims are never just claims… but they’re also not always the dramatic, movie-level moments people imagine when they hear the word “insurance”.

Most of the time, they’re about everyday life doing what it does best. Throwing in a curveball when you least expect it. The difference is having the right things quietly working in the background when that happens.

This year, the bulk of claims coming through were private medical (specialist and surgical) and accidental injury. The kind of claims that don’t make headlines, but completely change how manageable a situation feels when life takes an unexpected turn.

One client was still off work four months on, living with ongoing pain and undergoing investigations for nerve damage. Without cover, they would have been in a serious financial hole. While the claim was being assessed, the uncertainty added pressure (understandably). Once it was approved, the shift was immediate. Less stress about money. More space to focus on getting better. Which is exactly the point.

We also worked through accidental injury claims for people we know personally. 

And yes, that hits differently. 

Even when you see this stuff every day, it’s a reminder that accidents aren’t “rare” or “other people’s problems”. They’re just… life. The upside in those moments is knowing the cover was already doing exactly what it was meant to do.

Alongside the more common claims, 2025 also brought some bigger ones. Terminal illness, trauma and cancer-related claims, as well as a number of income protection claims linked to illness rather than accidents. What stood out wasn’t just the situation itself, but how often people were surprised by what their cover actually included.

• Mental health support.

• Help around ADHD diagnoses.

• Premiums being covered while on claim.

• Access to financial advice when things feel overwhelming

These are the “small” benefits people don’t think about much… until they’re suddenly very glad they’re there.

There are also a few patterns we see every year. One of the biggest is that illness and injury don’t discriminate. There’s no ideal age, stage or level of preparedness where you’re magically exempt.

One case this year involved a healthy woman in her early thirties with two young children facing a terminal diagnosis. Very quickly, the focus shifted from treatment to time. Supporting access to a terminal illness benefit in situations like this is never just procedural. It’s deeply human.

We also see many people reach out because something has happened to someone close to them. A family member. A friend. A workmate. Seeing it up close often flips a switch. 

Insurance moves from a “one day” task to a “maybe now” conversation.

When the cover is sorted, people can keep living their lives. Supporting their whānau. Focusing on recovery or next steps. Not constantly worrying about the financial side of things ticking away in the background.

Most of our clients are well educated on their cover or know when to check in, but one of the biggest differences we see in how smoothly a claim goes is when we’re involved early. While some insurers offer online claim options, having someone help you work through what information to keep, what questions to ask and what benefits might apply makes the whole process feel far less daunting.

If a client messages us from hospital or mid-treatment, we can help cut through the noise. Less admin. Less Googling. More clarity.

So if there’s one takeaway heading into next year, it’s this…

• You don’t need to have everything perfect.

• Something is genuinely better than nothing.

• And if you’ve thought about this more than once… that’s probably worth listening to.

Don’t let admin or fear of judgement be the thing that stops you. We handle the paperwork and we judge no one (promise). This is simply about protecting the life you’re building and keeping things ticking along when life throws a spanner in the works.

Because insurance doesn’t need to be dramatic to be useful.

It just needs to be there when you need it.

The R&P Girls x