VitalityHealth
VitalityHealth is a UK based health insurer with over 1 million customers. It is owned by its parent company DiscoveryHoldings; a global insurance organisation covering over 5 million people worldwide.
Discovery Limited and Prudential plc set up a joint venture in 2004, launching PruHealth in the UK. In 2010 Discovery acquired Standard Life Healthcare, merging it with PruHealth in 2014 and rebranding to VitalityHealth.
Right back at the beginning in 2004, the company set out to offer not just health insurance but a different kind of cover that helps its members stay healthy by offering incentives and rewards. It has become well known for this ethos and has established a strong brand with sponsorship of major sports teams, athletes and a prominent advertising campaign featuring Stanley the Dachshund.
Discovery have made a bold pledge; to get 100 million people 20% more active by 2025.
Get a quote Vitality health insurance review
Vitality’s health insurance policy in the UK is called Personal Healthcare. In addition to covering the usual expenses of medical treatment and diagnosis, there is a key focus on rewarding its members for staying healthy through its partners and rewards scheme.
The Personal Healthcare plan is one of the most flexible health insurance policies available and allows you to enhance or reduce the cover options to suit your individual needs and budget.
Vitality key benefits
Full cover promise – providing they are recognised by VitalityHealth, consultants and anaesthetists are paid in full, leaving no shortfall for the member to pay.
Face-to-face private GP consultations – for just £20 you can book up to two private face-to-face GP consultations per year with the London Care hospital option.
Vitality GP app – 24/7 GP advice line, video consultations and access to physical and mental health information.
Advanced cancer cover – comprehensive cover for the treatment of cancer including full cover for biological and targeted therapies and discounts for breast, bowel, and cervical cancer screening.
Mental health support – as part of the core cover you can access up to 8 sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or counselling.
Rewards and discounts for healthy living – discounts on gym memberships, sportswear and equipment along with a Vitality points scheme whereby healthy ‘actions’ result in discounts at renewal.
2021
Excellent rating Over 22000 reviews
Best provider of: Individual health insurance 2017-2019
Best private medical insurance 2020
VitalityHealth - core cover
Here is a summary of what is included in every Vitality Personal Healthcare plan:
| Benefit | Details |
| In-patient and day-patient treatment | Consultant fees, hospital charges and diagnostic tests including MRI, PET and CT scans are covered in full. |
| Out-patient surgery | Surgical procedures when treated as an out-patient are covered in full. |
| Mental health cover | Vitality Talking Therapies provides up to 8 sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Includes access to Vitality Health Mind, encouraging you to engage in mindfulness and earn Vitality points for doing so.
Access to Togetherall; an online service providing an anonymous forum for people experiencing mental health issues to reach out and receive support from peers and qualified ‘Wall Guides’. |
| Cancer cover | Advanced cancer cover is included as standard and covers all eligible costs in full, from the point of diagnosis and end of life care if necessary. Biological therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy is covered in full as well as cancer surgery and reconstructive surgery.
Hormone therapies and bisphosphonate therapy is covered in full.
Mastectomy bras, prothesis and wigs are covered up to specific limits. |
| Additional benefits | Additional benefits under the core cover include:
- NHS hospital cash benefit; in-patient treatment £250 per night up to £2000 per year, day-patient treatment £125 per day up to £500 per year. Childbirth cash benefit £100.
- Specific complications of childbirth are covered.
- Oral surgery covers surgical removal of impacted teeth along with other specified procedures.
- Lifestyle surgery covers the removal of port wine birthmarks on the face, ear reshaping and breast reduction. Weight loss surgery, gastric bypass and gastric banding are also covered. Lifestyle surgery is subject to a 25% contribution and eligibility criteria applies.
- Home nursing, private ambulance, parent accommodation covered up to specified limits.
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| Digital GP | Using the Vitality GP app you can access a virtual GP consultation within 48 hours. The Vitality GP can provide onward referrals for treatment without the need to make another call to the claims team. More on digital GPs. |
VitalityHealth - benefit options
In addition to the VitalityHealth Personal Healthcare core plan there are further benefit options to choose from:
VitalityHealth - Consultant Select
As with most leading insurers VitalityHealth offer a ‘guided option’ called Consultant Select. The Consultant Select treatment pathway uses a consultant ranking tool that means you will see a consultant who has a track record of excellent treatment outcomes and positive feedback from patients. The VitalityHealth member care team assist you in finding the specialist appropriate for you from the Consultant Select network.
VitalityHealth pass on some of the savings in the cost of treatment and hospital charges therefore reducing the premium you will pay.
Guided options explained Excess options
An excess is the amount you will pay towards a claim, the higher the excess you choose the lower the premium will be. VitalityHealth offer the following excess options:
£0, £100, £250, £500, and £1000
There are two options for the excess: per year or per claim. The option to pay your excess per claim does offer a further reduction in your premium.
Per claim: The excess is paid per person per claim, so multiple claims in one year will be subject to the excess you have chosen.
Per year: The excess is only paid once per year if you claim, and not per claim so multiple claims can be made without paying the excess again.
Excesses can only be changed at renewal and subject to ongoing claims status at that time.
Underwriting options
As with most health insurers VitalityHealth have three options you can choose from for how your policy is underwritten:
Moratorium underwriting
You do not need to disclose your medical history; a moratorium period of two years is in place for any condition for which you have experienced symptoms or received treatment for in the last five years.
Continued medical exclusions
You will need to answer a few questions regarding your medical history in the last five years and some questions on specific health conditions. The underwriting will transfer from your previous insurer rather than being re-underwritten. This option is only available to those with an existing health insurance policy with another insurer.
Full medical underwriting
You will disclose your full medical history which is submitted to VitalityHealth who will then apply underwriting terms accordingly.
You can read more in our guides section on underwriting. Our expert advisors can use their knowledge to assist you in choosing the right underwriting, considering your medical history and future medical needs.
Underwriting explained What is not covered
As with most leading health insurers, VitalityHealth policies are for cover for acute conditions and flare ups of chronic conditions. Chronic conditions, in terms of ongoing monitoring and maintenance are not covered by health insurance policies. Read more on chronic conditions here.
Private medical insurance does not cover accident and emergency situations or rehabilitation and convalescence. Most leading health insurers do not cover treatment overseas. Self-inflicted injury and professional sports related injuries are also not covered on a health insurance policy.
With regards to treatment of medical conditions you have had, or had symptoms of, before you join VitalityHealth, these will be excluded unless you have switched from another plan and have underwriting for continued medical exclusions.
In many cases pre-existing conditions can be covered, dependent on the status of the condition at the time of joining, and the time that has passed since you last received treatment or experienced symptoms. This is something our expert advisors can assist you with when selecting the best policy and underwriting for you.
VitalityHealth do apply some general exclusions and limitations as below:
- Chronic conditions
- Cosmetic treatment
- Addictions and substance abuse
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Infertility
- Learning and development problems
- Gender re-assignment
- Experimental treatment
- HIV/AIDS
- Sleep disorders and sleep problems
- Preventative treatment and screening tests
Member rewards
VitalityHealth have the most comprehensive member rewards scheme available with a health insurance policy. Their Vitality Programme rewards members with Vitality points when you link an activity tracker to the programme, the more active you are the more points you will earn. Rewards include discounts on fitness membership and fitness products, hotels and spa stays, and health checks and screenings.
We will advise you of the best health insurance policy for you, making it a simple process from start to finish.
Get a quote Summary of VitalityHealth Personal Healthcare
VitalityHealth offer the most flexibility in their health insurance product, their core offering is substantial and there are many ways to build your cover to suit your budget with six out-patient levels to choose from. There is also the option to include full diagnostics regardless of the level you choose. Most insurers include diagnostics in a combined limit with out-patient consultations, you can still do this with VitalityHealth, or you can have the full diagnostics upgrade.
VitalityHealth also include out-patient mental health talking therapies under their core cover.
There are two hospital lists to choose from with good coverage across the UK. VitalityHealth also offer travel cover as an additional extra which includes emergency overseas cover and travel medication and vaccinations.
The VitalityHealth cancer cover is very comprehensive and covers every stage of cancer treatment. The cover extends to biological therapies and personalised cell therapy or proton beam therapy.
VitalityHealth launched enhancements to their Personal Healthcare product in 2021, including the premier consultant panel which provides access to consultants that have been evaluated as ‘high performing’ by VitalityHealth. Members can also receive cash-back for using the premier consultant panel. In addition, improvements to their ‘care hub’ mean you can access the consultant finder to choose your specialist, book a consultation and get instant claims authorisation online in one place.
VitalityHealth offer the most comprehensive rewards package along with a member engagement programme allowing you to earn points for claiming member rewards. While it is not for everyone it is worthwhile if the reward partners are those you regularly use anyway, and if it is not for you, you do not have to participate in the programme.
VitalityHealth do not offer no claims discount protection (NCD).
VitalityHealth - hospital list
VitalityHealth has one hospital list with the following options you can choose from: Country-wide and London Care.
Click on the link below to see the VitalityHealth hospital list in detail.
VitalityHealth hospital list Compare AVIVA Health with other leading providers
Click on the logo’s below to read about the other health insurers benefits and our independent review of their health insurance cover.
Health insurance guides
Below are our helpful guides that provide further information about how medical insurance works and the various options available. Should you prefer to speak to one of our expert advisors we are always available on the telephone to help.