Asteron Life New Zealand has added Kids Trauma Cover as a built-in feature for all its Employee Insurance policies, as well as free access to Asteron Life Connected Care with income protection.

It has also replaced its Specific Injury Benefit and Personal Accident & Major Burns Benefit with a new standalone Specific Injury Support Benefit, and covers three new trauma diagnoses, including diabetes and terminal illness.

It says the changes make its Employee Insurance more comprehensive and easier to understand, and helps employees attract and retain employees in a tight labour market.

“We’ve heard through our adviser network that customers want a more holistic employee insurance offering and, by adding kids trauma and specific injury support to our life, trauma, total and permanent disablement and income protection coverage options, we’re ensuring they get just that,” Life Distribution EM Graham Hill said.

Kids Trauma Cover ensures members with a child who has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition or is undergoing a major surgery won’t incur additional financial stresses, while the Specific Injury Support Benefit sees lump sum payments made if an employee suffers any of 25 specified injuries.

Asteron Life Connected Care provides policyholders and their partner, children, parents and parents-in-law with access to expert medical, mental health and wellbeing advice.

Several policy terms have been updated and clarified, including 22 existing trauma cover definitions and three new diagnoses.