Specialties
- Employer group schemes.
- Health insurance.
- Natural and genuine client skills.
- Trustworthy and committed relationship building.
About Carmen
I would love to be described as an adrenaline-seeking, gym bunny/health nut - but after years of working in the hospitality industry while my children were growing, a more accurate description would be: a wine tasting (quality control naturally) foodie who loves to read in the sun, socialise with friends, and who tries (really tries) to get in a decent bit of exercise.
I have just over eight years’ experience in the insurance/financial world. Starting out in the industry with Southern Cross Medical Care Society & more recently as the Lifetime health insurance adviser for Southland & Otago. Employer group schemes are my specialist area, with 11+ years working with and for local companies, aiding the decision-makers and group members at every level - from the implementation of a new group scheme right through to obtaining approval for surgery on behalf of a client. All confirm the invaluable benefit of being situated locally and available for assistance in person.
The most exciting news in the health insurance area is the increasing competition from strong providers who are offering fantastic benefits in direct competition with the major insurance companies. This means we have a varied and comprehensive selection available which enables us to get the best fit. “Best cover at the best price with the best on-going service.”
My Three Golden Rules
- Do unto others...
- Practice gratitude.
- Do the work.
Reviews & Feedback
Thwaites Aluminium Ltd, Fairview Queenstown and Fairview Southern Lakes Wanaka have been with Lifetime Insurance & Financial for many years, we have been loyal clients.
When Carmen took over as our account manager she has kept in touch with how the business is going and where we are at, Carmen takes all of the hassle out of signing on any new employees, she travels to us in each of our locations and absolutely nothing is a problem. We have found Carmen to provide outstanding service, confidentiality, excellent customer service.
About our scheme – we offer all of our employees an opportunity for the company to pay for step one for the Southern Cross Health Policy. This has helped us gain the right employees over the years and is a real incentive for new staff coming onboard, I think that some of our younger staff do not appreciate the scheme as much as our older employees but they are beginning to see the value, it’s not till you need it, that you realise the true value. The scheme has meant that our employees have faster access to treatment by avoiding public waiting lists for hospital and specialists, this for us is invaluable, it gets our employees back to work quicker at no cost to them and it also makes them feel valued, we have provided this because we care about our staff, all employees also get the opportunity to bring their families on board.
Should the opportunity arise Carmen would definitely be our first point of contact, I highly recommend anyone considering insurance to contact Carmen and see what she can do for your business and your staff.
Charlaine Black
Assistant Manager
Thwaites Aluminium Ltd, Fairview Queenstown, Fairview Southern Lakes Wanaka
Neither Lifetime nor I have been subject to a reliability event. A reliability event is something that might influence you in deciding whether to seek advice from either myself or Lifetime. As an example, this would be a serious event such as legal proceedings against me, or bankruptcy in the last four years.
Get In Touch
Contact Carmen on 03 211 1172 | 027 655 5252 | carmen.lapthorne@lifetime.co.nz or alternatively send us an online enquiry below.
Group health insurance: four pitfalls companies need to avoid
Health benefits can play a critical role in retaining existing staff and attracting new talent to your organisation. Lifetime financial adviser Carmen Lapthorne warns business owners and HR managers against making these common mistakes.