AIA Specialist and Testing Support
Specialist and Testing Support (STS) is an entry-level, health-adjacent benefit inside AIA Living, effective from 1 October 2025. It pays toward the cost of specialist consultations and diagnostic imaging or tests, up to $10,000 and $100,000 a policy year respectively, aimed at people who want faster access to a diagnosis than the public system or who hold a health plan with a narrow specialist and diagnostic window.
Key facts
- Effective date
- 1 October 2025 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Specialist consultations maximum
- $10,000 a policy year (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Diagnostic imaging and tests maximum
- $100,000 a policy year (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Purpose
- Designed for basic, entry-level cover to help with the cost of specialist consultations or diagnostic tests and procedures, as an alternative to waiting in the public system or paying privately in full (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Pregnancy or infertility allowance waiting period
- Available only after 24 months of continuous cover (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Screening allowance frequency
- Available once every 3 years, with a higher allowance for AIA Vitality members (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Underwriting
- Medical underwriting applies at application, as with any health-related cover, and pre-existing conditions may not be covered immediately or may be excluded (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
Specialist and Testing Support pays up to $10,000 a year toward specialist consultations and up to $100,000 a year toward imaging and tests, and the table below sets out the published limits (AIA Specialist and Testing Support product page, retrieved 8 September 2026).
| Benefit | Annual maximum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist consultations | $10,000 a policy year (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) | Helps with the cost of seeing a medical specialist to reach a diagnosis (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Diagnostic imaging and tests | $100,000 a policy year (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) | Covers imaging and testing procedures used to investigate a health issue (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Pregnancy or infertility allowance | Not published as a separate dollar figure (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) | Available only after 24 months of continuous cover (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Screening allowance | Not published as a separate dollar figure (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) | Available once every 3 years; a higher allowance applies for AIA Vitality members (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
Entry ages
| Cover | Entry ages |
|---|---|
| Specialist and Testing Support | Not published in the public product page. (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
Waiting periods
| Cover | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy or infertility allowance | 24 months of continuous cover (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| General specialist consultations and imaging or tests | Not published as a standard waiting period on the public product page (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
Exclusions
- Pre-existing conditions may not be covered immediately, or may be excluded, in line with standard medical underwriting for health-related cover. (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- A full list of exclusions is not published on the public product page and sits in the STS policy wording appendix. (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
Questions about AIA Specialist and Testing Support
What is AIA Specialist and Testing Support?
It is a health-adjacent benefit inside AIA Living, effective 1 October 2025, that pays toward specialist consultations and diagnostic imaging or tests so you can get a diagnosis faster than waiting in the public system (AIA STS product page, retrieved 8 September 2026).
How much does AIA Specialist and Testing Support pay?
Up to $10,000 a policy year for specialist consultations and up to $100,000 a policy year for diagnostic imaging and tests (AIA STS product page, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Is there a waiting period on AIA Specialist and Testing Support?
The pregnancy or infertility allowance requires 24 months of continuous cover before it is available, and the screening allowance is available once every 3 years, higher for AIA Vitality members. A general waiting period for the core specialist and testing benefit is not published on AIA's product page.
Does AIA Specialist and Testing Support cover pre-existing conditions?
Standard medical underwriting applies at application, so a pre-existing condition may not be covered immediately, or may be excluded, depending on your health history at the time you apply (comparelifecover.co.nz, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Who is AIA Specialist and Testing Support designed for?
AIA positions it as basic, entry-level cover for people who want to skip long public-system wait times for a specialist appointment or diagnostic test, or who hold a health plan with a narrow specialist and diagnostic window (AIA STS product page, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Is AIA Specialist and Testing Support the same as health insurance?
No. It is a benefit inside a life insurance policy (AIA Living), not a standalone health insurance plan, and it is narrower than a full health policy, focused specifically on specialist consultations and diagnostic imaging or tests.
When did AIA launch Specialist and Testing Support?
It became effective on 1 October 2025 as an addition to the AIA Living suite (QuoteHub AIA Living review, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Does Southern Cross health insurance also cover specialist consultations?
Yes, though Southern Cross Wellbeing plans can restrict specialist and diagnostic cover to a window around surgery. See the Southern Cross Wellbeing One and Two comparison on this site for how that plan's specialist and testing cover works.
What is the entry age for AIA Specialist and Testing Support?
Not published on AIA's public product page. Confirm the current entry age range with an adviser before applying.
What is excluded from AIA Specialist and Testing Support?
A full exclusion list is not published on the public product page; it sits in the STS policy wording appendix, alongside the standard exclusion for a pre-existing condition assessed at underwriting.
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's view is that Specialist and Testing Support solves a narrow problem well: it pays toward faster diagnosis, not toward treatment itself, so it suits someone already worried about public-system wait times more than someone chasing a comprehensive health benefit. Check the annual caps against your own specialist history before assuming it will cover a real episode.
Documents
- AIA Specialist and Testing Support product page, retrieved 8 September 2026
- AIA's Specialist and Testing Support explained, comparelifecover.co.nz, retrieved 8 September 2026
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Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). AIA Specialist and Testing Support: Review 2026. www.quotehub.co.nz/life-insurance/aia/specialist-and-testing-support. Updated 2026-09-08.
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