Health bills cut for fitness fans
August 04, 2004

Health improvements should bring lower premiums
People who regularly work out at the gym are to be rewarded with lower private medical insurance premiums, it has emerged.
PruHealth policyholders will be assessed on an annual basis for signs of improved health.

If they can show that they have regularly attended the gym or given up smoking they can expect their premiums to fall.

Insurer Prudential will offer the PruHealth scheme from next spring.

Loyalty

Prudential announced it is to enter into partnership with health and fitness companies Cannons and Holmes Place to offer discounted gym membership.

The insurer will be able to see how many times PruHealth policyholders who take up their discounted membership offer have visited the gym, and this will impact on annual premiums.

In a similar vein to retailer loyalty point schemes, policyholders that show improved levels of fitness will be able to claim discounted cinema tickets and flights.

"We call our approach, consumer-engaged healthcare. By incentivising people, we can help them to make a real difference to their health and well-being," Catherine McGrath, PruHealth's chief executive, said.

Similar schemes already operate in the US and South Africa.

The UK scheme is a joint venture with South African health insurer Discovery.
Adrian Gore, Discovery chief executive, said that he hoped the scheme would attract one in 10 of the seven million Britons who already have private medical cover