Today marks national fitness day across the UK, which is designed to raise awareness of the importance of leading a healthier and active lifestyle. Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer by up to 50% and even lower the risk of death by 30%.
The message from the Government’s new anti-obesity campaign is how those who are conscious to be fit and healthy can prevent all sorts of health problems. The Prime Minister’s efforts to get people losing weight through cycling has grabbed the headlines because too much weight increases the risk of being seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. Getting the nation fit enough to fight the virus will ease the strain on the NHS, so everybody wins.
Whilst protection plans are designed to provide financial support if the worse happens, many insurers offer value-added services with other benefits at no extra cost;
- Nutrition Consultation
- Fitness Programmes
- Virtual GP services
- Counseling Support
- Mental Health Support
- Health Check
- Best Doctors
You might find that your insurer offers a fitness service which is designed to help people to eat well, stay active and take care of their mental wellbeing, which helps to prevent conditions that are caused, or aggravated by factors such as lifestyle.
It is not uncommon for the insurance provider to work in conjunction with a third party. RedArc, which works with Royal London, Scottish Widows, and Guardian, focuses on practical advice and emotional support in situations such as coping with illness or bereavement. Teladoc Health, AIG’s fitness service provider, specialises in virtual healthcare by phone and video. Lifeworks, partner of British Friendly, and Health Assured, Aegon’s partner – both promote health and wellbeing. Finally, Square Health, which works with The Exeter, was set up specifically to help insurers with healthcare and related issues in technology and claims.
Vitality are quite different however as they partner with a range of companies and sporting stars and embed healthy living into the very core of their plan. Vitality aims to encourage healthy living within their clients’ day to day life and incentivise clients by offering discounts on additional services such as coffee, cinema, and big brands if they earn “Vitality points”. Earning these points can be as simple as walking a certain number of steps each day, getting a health check, or taking part in one of their organised runs.
If you hold an insurance policy we would recommend you check what your insurer offers and when you can access these services at a time of need. You may also find that it covers additional family members in addition to the lives assured. Leaving those policy documents in a drawer means you could be missing out on several benefits that are free to use.
If you have any queries or would like one of our advisors to help you ascertain your policy provisions please contact us on 01780 480600.
