Vitality health Insurance Review

Vitality health insurance is provided by leading UK health and life insurer Vitality. Their range of comprehensive health insurance plans protect families and rewards them for leading a healthy more active lifestyle.

By Ashley Shepherd

Updated 1st February 2024 - I have reviewed Vitality Health Insurance to help you understand more about the company and the services they offer. Here’s what I found:

Vitality health and Vitality Life, formally known as Pruhealth and Pruprotect are owned by leading global insurer Discovery Holdings. Having joined the UK market in 2007 in a joint venture with Prudential plc, Discovery holdings purchased 100% of the shares in 2014, launching Vitality health and Vitality Life.

What products do Vitality Health offer?

Under the Vitality umbrella, Vitality Health, Vitality Life and Vitality Invest offer the following products:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance – term and whole of life
• Serious illness cover
• Income protection
• Mortgage protection
• ISAs
• Retirement plans

Vitality health insurance

Vitality health insurance offers one of the UK’s most comprehensive private medical insurance plans. In-patient and day-patient care, advanced cancer cover, 24-hour access to GPs and mental health support are all included as standard. Plus, Vitality’s flexible cover options helps you tailor your health insurance to suit your needs.

In addition to their health cover, Vitality also promote healthier lifestyles, providing tools, information and rewards, encouraging their members to get active.

How does Vitality health insurance work?

All Vitality health insurance members get comprehensive core cover as standard. You then have the option to tailor your private healthcare plan to suit your needs by choosing from their list of cover options.

Vitality health core cover – included as standard

• In-patient and day-patient treatment
• Vitality GP
• Advanced cancer cover
• Vitality Care
• Consultant Panel
• Mental health support

Vitality health cover options – tailor your plan by adding one or more of the following

• Out-patient cover
• Therapies cover
• Mental health cover
• Dental cover
• Worldwide travel cover

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What’s covered in the Vitality Health Insurance Plan

• Comprehensive Core Cover
  • In-patient and day patient treatment – pays for hospital fees including overnight stays, nursing and drugs, intensive care treatment and charges for operating theatres.
  • Consultants fees – includes surgeons’ anaesthetists’ and physicians’ fees. Also, consultant appointments if registered with an accredited body recognised by VitalityHealth.
  • Advanced cancer cover – includes costs of all eligible treatments associated with the condition once diagnosed.
  • Diagnostic cover – in or day patient cover including procedures such as blood tests, x-rays, MRI, CT and PET scans.
  • Out-Patient Treatment – including surgical procedures covered by the plan
  • Plus a range of other benefits such as a cash benefit if you are treated by the NHS instead of receiving private healthcare; home nursing; counselling, rehabilitation, oral surgery and certain corrective surgeries to name but a few.

• Outpatient Cover add on

  • Two levels of cover offering full out-patient cover or out-patient cover with a limit for consultant’s fees, out-patient diagnostics such as scans, blood tests, x-rays, radiology and pathology.

• Therapies Cover add on

  • Full cover for chiropractic treatment, osteopathy, podiatry, acupuncture, homeopathy and two consultations with a dietician.

• Mental health cover add on

  • Unlimited therapy for in-patients, out-patients and day-patients and £1,500 out-patient support for psychiatrist and psychologist consultations.

• Dental Cover add on

  • Choose between ‘Major dental treatment’ which covers more serious treatments such as root canal, bridges and extractions or ‘major and routine dental treatment’ which also includes everyday treatments such as examinations, hygiene and fillings.

• Worldwide Travel Cover add on

  • Possibly an option for someone who travels a lot including up to £10 million overseas emergency medical expenses for up to 120 days, as long as you are aged 64 or younger.

• Plan Exclusions

  • Although Vitality health don’t list their exclusions on their website, they will be included in their terms and conditions which you should read carefully before applying for the plan.

    When applying, you have the option to choose either an underwritten or a moratorium plan:

    Full Medical Underwriting:  

    Underwritten health insurance takes into account your age, medical history and previous claims. Based on this information, the health insurance company decides whether any exclusions should be added to the plan.

    Moratorium Underwriting:

    Moratorium underwritten health insurance requires no health or medical questionnaires. However, you won’t be covered for any pre-existing conditions you may have had within the last 5 years. (timeframes depend on the health insurer).

Switching your existing health insurance to Vitality Health

Switching to Vitality health insurance from your existing insurer is straightforward and has saved their existing members an average of £138. To ensure your health cover is continuous, they simply ask you not to cancel your existing health insurance provider until they have accepted your application - please note that you can switch from your current provider at anytime.

Reasons you may consider the Vitality Health Insurance Plan

• Award winning health insurance – rated 5 star by Defaqto
• 24/7 access to a private GP helpline, with private GP video consultations within 48 hours
• Flexibility to tailor the health insurance to your requirements
• Includes health advice and rewards that save money and help promote a healthier lifestyle
• Treatment selected by medical experts – not insurers

Vitality apple watch

The Vitality apple watch is available to eligible Vitality health members with minimum monthly premiums of £35. The upfront cost of the Vitality watch is £99 plus 24 monthly instalments of £0 to £12.50, based on activity level. The more you do, the cheaper your Vitality apple watch will be.

Vitality rewards

As a Vitality health member, you benefit from the Vitality rewards scheme. The online health review, health check and tracker help you set goals, get fit, monitor your activity and earn Vitality points. These Vitality points then give you access to discounts and savings with Vitality’s team of reward partners.    

Vitality partners

The Vitality reward partners include but are not limited to:

• Apple
• Amazon Prime
• American Express
• Waitrose and Partners
• Virgin Active
• David Lloyd Clubs
• Cineworld Vue
• Starbucks
• Mr and Mrs Smith