NIB Holdings chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon says the omicron variant kept people from scheduling non-urgent surgeries throughout the six months to December 31 and even into January, after the health insurer delivered a 25 per cent increase in interim net profit to $81.4 million.

NIB increased its interim dividend by 10 per cent to 11¢ a share after premium revenue grew 8.2 per cent, with the pandemic spurring more people to take policies.