Southern Cross Medical Care annual surplus climbs 38 percent after claims bottleneck following quake

Southern Cross Medical Care annual surplus climbs 38 percent after claims bottleneck following quake
By Paul McBeth Sept. 14 (BusinessDesk) - Southern Cross Medical Care Society, the insurance arm of the not-for-profit health group, lifted its annual surplus 38 percent after a bottleneck in claims followed the 2011 Canterbury earthquake that levelled the country's second-biggest city. The net surplus rose to $39 million in the 12 months ended June 30, from $28.3 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based society said in a statement. Premium revenue rose 6.7 percent to $706.8 million, outpacing the 4.9 percent increase in net claims expense...