HealthplanInsurersVitality Health Insurance Review

Vitality Health Insurance Review

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What Is Vitality?

Vitality is a UK-based company that provides insurance services, investments, and pension plans. It was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between Prudential Plc and the South-African company Discovery Ltd. The idea was to offer a new kind of health insurance that would cover illness while providing incentives for people to stay healthy.

Upon acquiring Standard Life Healthcare in 2010, Discovery Ltd emerged as the UK’s fourth-largest private medical insurance provider. Eight years later, Vitality had approximately 1 million international health care customers.

Below we provide a comprehensive vitality health insurance review and answer several essential questions you may have before you opt for this insurance company. We also include cover prices, cover options, and examples.

Vitality Health Insurance Key Points

Vitality’s private medical insurance policy provides all of these benefits, plus more if you choose optional coverage:

  • Fast access to private treatment.
  • Flexible plans tailored to your needs.
  • A variety of private hospitals and healthcare providers are available.
  • You can access the latest drugs and medicines not available through the NHS.
  • More choice is available over the doctor who will treat you and when.
  • Privacy is assured at the time you need it most.

Is Vitality a Good Insurance Company?

Insurance policies offered by Vitality have great ratings by independent institutions and a good reputation for payouts. Over 23,400 customers have reviewed them on Trustpilot, a well-known review platform. 77% of these customers have rated the company ‘Excellent’ and ‘Very Good,’ and it received a 4.3 TrustScore.

Though there are a few unsatisfied customers, Vitality has garnered mainly positive views, with customers appreciating its policies and exceptional customer support. This indicates the high standard of service they offer.

Additionally, Vitality has received a 5-star rating on Defaqto.

How Much Does Vitality Health Insurance Cost?

Several factors will determine the insurance cost. Firstly, it is defined by your age, postcode, and current health status. And secondly, by the level of insurance cover you choose. It may be more expensive to pay for optional extras, but they will also provide you with greater coverage in case of illness.

With Vitality Health, you can opt for various optional benefits that won’t lower your premiums but may help manage your costs once you have coverage.

Type Health Insurance Premium
Starts From £35 per month.
Factors Included in Cover Age, current health status, lifestyle factors, and excess options.

The table below is an example of the pricing structure of Vitality’s health insurance:

35 Years of Age 45 Years of Age 55 Years of Age
Basic Health Insurance Cover
£39.78 £54.80 £78.19
Comprehensive Health Insurance Cover
£86.10 £102.96 £138.33

What Does Vitality Personal Healthcare Cover?

Vitality’s standard health insurance package, or core cover, will include hospital treatment, such as diagnostic scans, oral surgery, and hospital stays. The package can be extended to include cover options, such as therapies, mental health, hospital lists, and more.

Cover Options Inclusion in Core Cover Additional Pay
Acute Conditions Yes No
Private Hospital Stays Yes No
Specialist Consultations Yes No
Diagnostic Tests Yes No
Cancer Treatment Yes No
Oral Surgery Yes No
Outpatient Cover Yes Yes
Hospital List Yes Yes
Therapies Yes Yes
Mental Health Yes Yes
Optical, Dental, and Hearing Yes Yes
Worldwide Travel Yes Yes
Chronic Conditions No No
Pre-existing Conditions No No
Any treatment you receive outside the UK No No
Pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions No No
Emergency treatment or visits to your NHS GP No No
Cosmetic treatment No No
Any treatment for dementia, learning or behavioural problems. No No
Any treatments or practices that are experimental, unproven, or unregistered No No

What Does Comprehensive Core Cover Include?

Comprehensive core cover is Vitality’s standard package and includes the following:

01

Day-patient and inpatient treatment: hospital expenses such as accommodation options, nursing and medicines, critical care services, and operating room costs.

02

Outpatient care: surgeries covered by the plan.

03

Diagnosis: CT, PET, and MRI scans.

04

Additional benefits: NHS cash benefit, therapies, rehab, home nursing, oral surgery, and other surgeries.

What Does Outpatient Cover Include?

This covers medical treatment which does not require hospitalization. The outpatient cover is available as an optional extra in Vitality’s health insurance plan.

Outpatient Cover
Consultation sessions Yes
Scans and tests for diagnosis Yes
Physiotherapy Yes (If availed through Vitality’s Priority Physiotherapy Network)

What Does Inpatient and Day-Patient Treatment Include?

A hospital bed is required for all medical treatment provided to an inpatient or day patient, with an additional fee for consultants. It may be overnight or just for the day.

Inpatient and Day-patient Cover
Treatment in Hospital Yes
Fees for Specialist or Consultant Yes
Scans and Tests Yes (based on inpatient admission eligibility)

What Does Lifestyle Surgery Cover?

Since obesity can lead to additional life-threatening medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, etc., Vitality covers gastric bypass/ gastric banding when eligible and required.

Vitality also covers any surgical procedure or treatment for prominent ears and port-wine stain birthmarks because these conditions may affect young people emotionally. 25% of the full cost is charged if the insurance has been held for less than 12 months.

01

Surgery for Obesity: If you have a BMI of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher with co-morbid illnesses such as type sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, Vitality will pay for weight reduction surgery to fit a gastric sleeve, gastric band, or perform a gastric bypass.

02

Prominent Ear-Correction Surgery: Ear reshaping surgery or pinnaplasty to repair prominent (bat) ears in a child aged 5 to 14 is covered by Vitality.

03

Port-Wine Stain Birthmark Correction: Includes up to 10 laser therapy sessions for a child under the age of five who has a port-wine stain birthmark on their face.

04

Breast Surgery: An insured person under 21 years with a BMI of less than 27 can get a feminine breast reduction or have extra male breast tissue removed.

What Do Therapies Cover?

These are paid by Vitality in full cover. Vitality provides physiotherapy under outpatient care, but this option adds chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropody/podiatry, homoeopathy, and up to two dietician consultations after a GP recommendation.

What Does the Mental Health Cover Include?

Inpatients, day-patients, and outpatients have access to unlimited treatment and therapies. It covers the following expenses:

01

Conversation therapy sessions are available indefinitely (e.g. counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy).

02

Outpatient mental health wellbeing is covered up to £1,500.

03

Inpatient and outpatient therapy through psychiatric treatment is covered for up to 28 days.

What Is Dental Insurance?

Vitality’s dental cover has two options:

01

Major Dental Treatment: This includes more complex procedures like root canals, bridges, and extractions.

02

Major and Routine Dental Treatment: This includes procedures like exams, hygiene, and dental fillings.

What Is Worldwide Travel Cover?

This is an alternative for anyone who is 64 years or below and requires travel more than usual. It covers up to £10 million in international emergency medical expenditures for up to 120 days.

What Is the Hospital List?

The hospital list influences the facilities you may utilize for private healthcare and the cost of the premiums. Since some hospitals are costlier than others, having access to a more significant number of private institutions raises prices. Hospital listings at Vitality are divided into three categories:

01

Local

02

Countrywide

03

London Care

04

Consultant Select

What Are the Medical Underwriting Options?

As an individual health insurance holder, you get to pick how your insurance provider will evaluate you. There are two medical underwriting alternatives available via Vitality:

Full medical underwriting: When you apply for insurance, you must reveal your medical history.

Underwriting moratorium: Vitality will not ask for any medical information until you file a claim.

These are two quite distinct prospects that can influence how your insurance plan decides on pre-existing condition exclusions. Your circumstances will determine which underwriting option is appropriate for you.

What Is the Consultant Panel?

The Premier Consultant Cashback–which ranges between £20 and £50 depending on Vitality status – ensures that members receive a monetary advantage and certainty that they are seeing a consultant who is a member of a panel.

Are There Any Additional Benefits?

Vitality offers some additional benefits that you can avail yourself of freely with Vitality Health Insurance. They are:

01

Private Ambulance: If you need to be transported in a private ambulance, this coverage will pay for it.

02

At-home Nursing Care: Following qualifying day-patient or inpatient treatment, a nurse will examine you at home if medically necessary.

03

Assistance for psychological health: Vitality provides up to eight talking therapies. These may include counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.

04

Bonus: A cash benefit of £100 on childbirth or the adoption of a child under 18 years.

05

Lodging for parents: If a child under the age of 14 in your coverage is receiving qualified private inpatient care through your Health Insurance, Vitality will cover for you to remain nearby.

06

Oral surgery: After an accident, Vitality will pay for the surgical removal of impacted teeth, the excision of jawbone cysts, and the reduction of facial and mandibular damage.

07

Rehabilitation: Provides up to 21 days of a rehabilitation program following a stroke or severe brain injury after a period of qualifying inpatient care. This is if the stroke or severe brain damage occurs within two months of the initial diagnosis.

08

Cash assistance from the NHS: Vitality pays £250 each night of inpatient stays up to £2,000 annually, and £125 for day-patient treatment up to £500 per policy year. This is in case you opt to have care on the NHS that you would have qualified under your Health Insurance.

What Are the Optional Extras?

Vitality provides some optional extra cover options you can add to enhance your health insurance policy:

01

Outpatient cover.

02

Hospital list.

03

Mental health cover.

04

Worldwide travel cover.

05

Dental, optical, and hearing cover.

Would I Need to Pay for My Treatment?

You may add an excess to your policy with Vitality, which is the total amount of money you decide to pay ahead for personal medical treatment. The monthly premiums will be cheaper if you have a more considerable excess.

Even if you make many claims within a policy year, if you opt to pay your excess once each policy year, you will not have to pay it again during that period. When you choose to pay once per claim, on the other hand, you pay the excess on each claim you make.

You don’t have to add excess and pay for therapy if you don’t want to. Through Vitality, you also have the choice of paying your excess either once every insurance year or once each claim.

Vitality’s excesses options include:

  • £0
  • £100
  • £250
  • £500
  • £1000

What Is Not Covered by Vitality Health Insurance?

Vitality does not cover the following costs:

01

Chronic illnesses

02

Conditions in which symptoms emerge gradually and increase over time, such as diabetes.

03

Pre-existing conditions.

04

Any treatment you get outside the UK Emergency care or visits to your NHS GP.

05

Pregnancy, delivery, and associated issues.

06

Cosmetic treatments.

07

Organ transplants.

08

Any experimental, untested, or unlicensed therapies or practices.

09

Any treatment for learning and behavioural issues, including dementia.

What If I Рave a Medical Condition? Will the Insurance Cover Me?

No, Vitality does not cover pre-existing conditions. Policies may be different for different insurers.

How Can You Lower the Cost of Vitality Health Insurance?

You have the option of selecting a higher excess which will lead to lower premiums. You can also participate in the Healthy Living Programme to boost your Vitality level.

Can I Switch My Existing Health Insurance Cover to Vitality?

Yes, you can switch to Vitality while having another health insurance. The existing cover will not be cancelled before Vitality has accepted your application.

How to Cancel Vitality Health Insurance in the UK?

If you want to cancel your health insurance cover, contact Vitality’s customer support team through their contact number or social media platforms.