Auckland Heart Group (The Heart Group): private cardiology costs and which insurers cover them
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.
Auckland Heart Group is New Zealand's largest private cardiology group, now trading as The Heart Group, with 36 cardiologists across six Auckland clinics, and it does not publish a standard consultation fee on its website (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026; Ormiston Hospital, Auckland Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Is Auckland Heart Group the same as The Heart Group?
Yes. The old Auckland Heart Group web address, heartgroup.co.nz, redirects directly to theheartgroup.co.nz, and Ormiston Hospital's own page for "Auckland Heart Group" links straight through to that current site, confirming they are the same organisation under an updated trading name (The Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026; Ormiston Hospital, Auckland Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026). QuoteHub keeps "Auckland Heart Group" in this page's title and web address because that is still the term people search for, while the facts below describe the current organisation.
What is Auckland Heart Group / The Heart Group and who owns it?
The Heart Group describes itself as New Zealand's leading private heart health group, established in 1997, with 36 cardiologists and a full range of consultative, diagnostic and therapeutic cardiology services delivered with cardiac nurses, sonographers and physiology technicians (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Ormiston Hospital's own page for Auckland Heart Group describes it as New Zealand's largest private cardiology group, with extensive subspecialty expertise across children and adults, covering general and preventive cardiology, arrhythmia, heart failure, valvular disease and chest pain investigation (Ormiston Hospital, Auckland Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026). See health insurance companies and QuoteHub's health insurance guide for how each insurer's specialist-consultation benefit works.
| Detail | What is published |
|---|---|
| Former/still-searched trading name | Auckland Heart Group |
| Current trading name | The Heart Group (The Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Established | 1997 (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Cardiologists | 36 (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Clinics | 6, across Auckland (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Head office | 1 Gilgit Road, Epsom, Auckland (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Phone | (09) 623 1020 (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
What does a cardiology consultation cost at Auckland Heart Group?
No published standard consultation fee was found on The Heart Group's website in the source pack for this page, so cost is a "not published" answer here, and the practical route is to ask at booking, or to check with your insurer about what proportion of a specialist consultation it will cover (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026). QuoteHub's specialist consultation cost and echocardiogram cost pages carry New Zealand-wide indicative cost context for the kind of appointment and testing The Heart Group offers.
| Question | What is published |
|---|---|
| Published consultation fee | Not published in the source pack for this page |
| Cardiac imaging services offered | Echocardiography (including exercise and transoesophageal echo), CT angiography, CT calcium score testing, cardiac MR scanning (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Where to get indicative national cost context | QuoteHub's specialist consultation cost and echocardiogram cost pages |
Which insurers cover treatment at Auckland Heart Group?
This is the most useful practical section, because several of the tests The Heart Group offers, including ECG, echocardiogram, stress echocardiogram and cardiac imaging, sit directly on Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider-only list.
Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider-only healthcare services list, effective from 20 May 2026, names advanced electrocardiogram (A-ECG), resting ECG, exercise ECG, Holter monitoring, echocardiogram, stress echocardiogram, dobutamine stress echocardiogram and transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) as cardiac tests that must be performed by an Affiliated Provider for cover under policies where that benefit applies, alongside CT coronary angiogram and myocardial perfusion scan under diagnostic imaging, and "all consultations" (except psychiatrist consultations) under specialist consultations (Southern Cross, Affiliated Provider-only healthcare services, retrieved 9 September 2026). Confirm your specific cardiologist's Affiliated Provider status in Southern Cross's own Healthcare Finder before booking.
nib's Ultimate Health cover pays a Hospital Specialist Consultations Benefit with a GP or specialist referral, and a Diagnostic Investigations Benefit that names CT scan and CT angiogram among covered investigations, while cardiac-specific tests such as echocardiography are not itemised in the list reviewed for this page, so check nib's current policy wording for your specific plan (nib, Ultimate Health Base Policy Document, retrieved 9 September 2026).
| Insurer or route | What is published |
|---|---|
| Southern Cross | Cardiac tests (ECG, echo, stress echo, TOE, Holter monitoring), CT coronary angiogram and specialist consultations are Affiliated Provider-only where that benefit applies (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| nib | Hospital Specialist Consultations and Diagnostic Investigations benefits apply on Ultimate Health tiers with a referral; cardiac-specific tests are not separately itemised in the wording reviewed (nib, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| AIA | Prior approval required before non-emergency treatment tied to a claim (AIA, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Partners Life | Non-surgical hospital and surgical benefits may cover cardiology treatment, subject to policy terms and prior approval (Partners Life, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| UniMed | Hospital cover pays specialist and diagnostic benefits per plan wording, prior approval required (UniMed Hospital Select, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
How do referrals and prior approval work for a cardiology appointment?
A GP referral is the usual route into The Heart Group for a routine cardiology consultation, though urgent cardiac symptoms should go through emergency care rather than a scheduled referral.
Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider system means the provider often organises prior approval and claims on the member's behalf where both the provider and the service are eligible (Southern Cross, Affiliated Provider, retrieved 9 September 2026). See Southern Cross prior approval, Southern Cross claims, nib prior approval and UniMed prior approval for the general processes.
| Step | What is published |
|---|---|
| Referral | From a GP for a routine cardiology consultation (QuoteHub Research, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| GP Advice Line | 0800 222 411, for GPs only (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| Southern Cross prior approval | Often organised by the Affiliated Provider on the member's behalf (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026) |
| If not covered | Pay The Heart Group directly |
Common questions about Auckland Heart Group
How much does a cardiology consultation cost at Auckland Heart Group?
No published consultation fee was found on The Heart Group's website; ask when you book, or check QuoteHub's specialist consultation cost page for national indicative pricing (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Do I need a GP referral to see a cardiologist at Auckland Heart Group?
Yes for a routine, non-urgent cardiology consultation; The Heart Group also publishes a dedicated GP Advice Line for referring doctors (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Is Auckland Heart Group covered by health insurance?
Often yes for the cardiac tests and consultations named on Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider-only list, including ECG, echocardiogram and specialist consultations, but confirm your specific cardiologist's status in Southern Cross's Healthcare Finder and check your own policy's specialist-consultation and diagnostic-test benefits for other insurers (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Where is Auckland Heart Group located?
The Heart Group has six Auckland clinics: Central Auckland (Epsom), North Auckland (Southern Cross Hospital, Wairau Valley), South Auckland (Ormiston Hospital), West Auckland (Totara Health, New Lynn), East Auckland (EastMed, St Heliers) and Pukekohe (Pukekohe Health Centre) (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026).
How long is the wait to see a cardiologist at Auckland Heart Group?
No single published waiting time was found for this page; ask The Heart Group directly, since wait times can vary by clinic and by urgency, or see QuoteHub's treatment costs and waiting times research for the public-system comparison.
Is Auckland Heart Group the same as The Heart Group?
Yes, the Auckland Heart Group web address now redirects to The Heart Group's site, and Ormiston Hospital's own listing for Auckland Heart Group links to the same organisation, confirming a single, current trading name change rather than two separate companies (The Heart Group, retrieved 9 September 2026).
What cardiac tests does Auckland Heart Group offer?
The Heart Group offers general cardiology consultations, cardiac electrophysiology including ablation and pacemaker insertion, and imaging including echocardiography, exercise and transoesophageal echo, CT angiography, CT calcium score testing and cardiac MR scanning (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026). QuoteHub's echocardiogram cost page has New Zealand-wide cost context for that specific test.
Does Auckland Heart Group treat children?
Yes, Ormiston Hospital's description of Auckland Heart Group specifically mentions expertise in diagnosing and treating heart disease in children as well as adults, and The Heart Group's services list includes paediatric cardiology (Ormiston Hospital, retrieved 9 September 2026; The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Does Auckland Heart Group offer insurance medicals?
Yes, "Insurance Medicals" is listed among The Heart Group's general cardiology services (The Heart Group, About, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Does Partners Life or UniMed cover treatment at Auckland Heart Group?
Both can cover cardiology treatment through their surgical, non-surgical or hospital benefits, subject to policy terms and prior approval, but neither publishes an Auckland Heart Group-specific network in the source pack for this page; check Partners Life or UniMed directly (Partners Life, retrieved 9 September 2026).
What are the alternatives to Auckland Heart Group?
This page's source pack does not confirm a directly comparable named competitor cardiology group of the same scale in Auckland; for the hospitals where The Heart Group's cardiologists consult, see Ormiston Hospital and Southern Cross North Harbour Hospital, and for the wider specialist precinct, see Ascot Central. For imaging referred alongside a cardiology consultation, see Allevia Radiology and Auckland Radiology.
What is the difference between a cardiac test at Auckland Heart Group and one at a hospital?
Auckland Heart Group's clinics are standalone specialist practices, some co-located at hospitals such as Ormiston Hospital and Southern Cross Hospital Wairau, but booking, payment and referral pathways are handled through The Heart Group itself rather than the hospital's own outpatient department (The Heart Group, Contact, retrieved 9 September 2026).
How does a private cardiology consultation compare with public cardiology waiting times?
New Zealand's public treatment waitlist had 77,455 people at 31 March 2026, and cardiology-related conditions are among the reasons patients seek a faster private consultation with a group like The Heart Group when they can pay directly or claim through insurance (QuoteHub Research, treatment costs and waiting times, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Verdict
QuoteHub's read is that Auckland Heart Group, trading today as The Heart Group, is straightforward to verify as New Zealand's largest private cardiology group, 36 cardiologists, six Auckland clinics, established in 1997, but it leaves cost to a phone call, since no consultation fee is published. The insurer question is worth doing properly: several of its core cardiac tests sit directly on Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider-only list, so confirm your specific cardiologist's status before booking. See Southern Cross, nib, health insurance companies, the providers hub and the private hospitals directory for where cardiology treatment often leads next.
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.
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's read is that Auckland Heart Group, now trading as The Heart Group, is easy to verify as New Zealand's largest private cardiology group by cardiologist count, 36 across six Auckland clinics, but it publishes no consultation fee, so cost is a phone call away. Cover turns on whether your cardiac test is on Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider-only list, which it usually is, and on your insurer's specialist-consultation benefit more generally.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Auckland Heart Group: Cost and Insurer Cover. www.quotehub.co.nz/providers/auckland-heart-group. Updated 2026-09-09.
References
- The Heart Group, About
- The Heart Group, Contact
- The Heart Group, homepage
- Ormiston Hospital, Auckland Heart Group
- Southern Cross Health Society, Affiliated Provider-only healthcare services, effective 20 May 2026
- Southern Cross Health Society, Affiliated Provider
- nib, Ultimate Health Base Policy Document
- AIA Private Health Policy Wording
- Partners Life, Private Medical Cover overview
- UniMed Hospital Select Plus Modules Plan 2025
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