Pruhealth scrapping its free/discounted gym loophole in November. Discussion

bargainseeker100

I am writing in response to your letter ref xx received a couple of weeks ago.

I am very annoyed that the terms and conditions for the gym membership have been changed so dramatically, no longer linked to Vitality status and just a flat rate 25% discount at best. Also, it seems the 100% No Claims Discount for the health policy is being removed and at best a 40-50% rate is achievable. This is introducing a massive hike in premiums, totally divorced from any incremental increase.

I roughly calculate my premiums will triple or quadruple next year upon renewal. It is highly unlikely that I will be able to afford this sudden dramatic hike. It seems many, including myself, will probably leave your scheme upon renewal, feeling disgruntled and will also be unlikely to buy any further Prudential products.

I wish to register my protest at the dramatic changes to the scheme and urge you to re-consider these ill-thought out changes to the scheme.

Yours sincerely

:mad::mad::mad:

sacherlover

healthcare_guru wrote: »

Not quite. You clearly didn't look closely at the detail. When you go for a Free Fitness Assessment you have certain things measured: blood pressure, Body Mass Index, fitness levels. You can earn up to 120 points for getting each one of these measured and being healthy, so no 300 points are not available, 360 are.

I suggest you re-visit my earlier post.

At present, you get 300 points just for going for a Fitness Assessment - even if everything you get measured on has worsened.

In this instance, you will get NO points. The PruHealth document that I have seen clearly states the Change is:
Points no longer awarded for attendance (at a Fitness Assessment).

I also acknowledged that you will only get points if you have maintained or improved the various areas that are measured at the Fitness Assessment. I have not seen any document that states actual points for these, so I cannot comment on points that would be awarded.

healthcare_guru

sacherlover wrote: »

I suggest you re-visit my earlier post.

In this instance, you will get NO points. The PruHealth document that I have seen clearly states the Change is:
Points no longer awarded for attendance (at a Fitness Assessment).

And I suggest you research exactly what you're commenting on. I spoke to a Pru rep yesterday who confirmed you will get 60 points for having each of 5 key areas measured at a Fitness assessment (like your BMI, fitness levels etc, as mentioned in my earlier posts). You then get a further 60 points in each area for being healthy. So you WILL get points.

Can you post a link to the PruHealth document you're referring to, as it appears points are still available (now more points), albeit structured in a different way?

Fido

healthcare_guru wrote: »

And I suggest you research exactly what you're commenting on. I spoke to a Pru rep yesterday who confirmed you will get 60 points for having each of 5 key areas measured at a Fitness assessment (like your BMI, fitness levels etc, as mentioned in my earlier posts). You then get a further 60 points in each area for being healthy. So you WILL get points.

Can you post a link to the PruHealth document you're referring to, as it appears points are still available (now more points), albeit structured in a different way?

Are you still peddling this rubbish? Regardless of the ins and outs of earning points if you get to Platinum (and Gold) your gym memberships will go up exponentially in the next year. Plus Pruhealth can make up how much next year's premium hike will be as well, so in spite of NCD this can go up as well. The one and only thing you need to know about the whole scheme is that in total (premium+gym membership) your outlay will increase to a point where it is no longer a cheap option, by any stretch.

HG - I can understand how this scheme was used to entice people in and it was a great deal but in the coming months it won't be. Be a good and loyal servant and inform your colleagues and managers about how many customers they'll lose in the next few months, will you?

sacherlover

healthcare_guru wrote: »

And I suggest you research exactly what you're commenting on. I spoke to a Pru rep yesterday who confirmed you will get 60 points for having each of 5 key areas measured at a Fitness assessment (like your BMI, fitness levels etc, as mentioned in my earlier posts). You then get a further 60 points in each area for being healthy. So you WILL get points. ?

Firstly, how can you rely on a comment by a Pru rep? Many of us have posted about how poor the customer service is and how often Pru and their staff give wrong information.

healthcare_guru wrote: »

Can you post a link to the PruHealth document you're referring to, as it appears points are still available (now more points), albeit structured in a different way?

Surprised you haven't seen it, haven't you also posted on the other PruHeath thread? Go to the Pruhealth gym loophole Article Discussion thread, page 76, post #1504.

Musicman

Pruhealth website now has a section for Health Insurance taken out from 1st January 2010.

Also not sure what NCD discount I will have after 2 years of being a member.

New website is at:-http://www.pruhealth.co.uk/insurance

Could not see any mention of gym discount at all.

healthcare_guru

Musicman wrote: »

Pruhealth website now has a section for Health Insurance taken out from 1st January 2010.

Also not sure what NCD discount I will have after 2 years of being a member.

New website is at:-http://www.pruhealth.co.uk/insurance

Could not see any mention of gym discount at all.

You clearly weren't looking very hard, here's a link to all the 2010 Vitality partners: http://www.pruhealth.co.uk/insurance/vitality/vitality_partners/partners

and here's the LA Fitness link for example:
http://www.pruhealth.co.uk/insurance/vitality/vitality_partners/la_fitness

Quentin

healthcare_guru wrote: »

You clearly weren't looking very hard....,

You seem to search out threads to post pro pru propaganda.

Elsewhere (on the insurance forum) where you do the same you have been rumbled as a s/e salesman getting paid for selling pru policies, and (eventually) admitted it:

healthcare_guru wrote: »

I'm not saying they don't pay me to sell their policies - they do!

To be fair, you ought to declare your interest when posting pru spam!

fartington

sacherlover wrote: »

Sorry to disappoint you. I have gone through the document about the changes in details.

Firstly, Platinum status will be 2,400 - not 2,000 at present

You will only be able to carry over 10% points maximum

Many of the things that currently attract points are being withdrawn - a big loss is that you will no longer get 300 points for going for a Fitness Assessment - you will only get points for maintaining or improving blood pressure, fitness levels etc.

If, despite all these changes, you still manage to get 2,400 points you will get 25% off last year's premium as No Claims Discount and 35% as Cashback. Therefore Platinum status members will see a significant increase in their premiums as well as paying a lot more for both Gym membership and Health Screens.

It will have a big impact on many Pru members.

well whoever said that pru reps are givng out wrong advice are correct then! I called and clarified it was 2000 for platinum, plus 20% carried over, AND you could have free fitness assessment at gym, even if not a member,- they must be being deliberatately misleading or incompetent. So, no points for free assessment then? So how does one track improvements, though fitbug?

My example is member for 2 yr, platinum for 1 yr, pay £0 for gym and £8.50 pm for health insurance. I would like to use fitbug and other ways to gain my points (ok if its 2400 cest la vie) Is this possible? Can I keep my premiums the same as before?

From what you are saying, if I gain 2400 using fitbug and any other options available that are free to get points, I will get 10% points carried over to next year, plus 35% off last years premiums, so therefore I would pay approx £66 pounds next year for health.

PS. Does anyone know the actual price of fitbug for pruhealth customers, I noted it was £30, is that initially and then nothing after that, or is that yearly?

So £30 plus £66 for me for fitness and health premiums, something to think about - Id miss being able to go to the gym for a swim though - but Im not paying for it!

ImranQ

I have Pruhealth Insurance through my work and am currently paying £50 per month for Virgin Active Classic membership.

I have had the gym membership thro Pru since the beginning when they brought out the scheme and also pondered about this business model and wondered how they could sustain this in the long run. But I believe that Pru are partially subsidising the membership and think that part of the subsidy is being 'paid' by the gyms (i.e. they are letting Pru members use the gyms at a discount - some fee is better than no fee) and they have possibly had enough of the enormous amount of Pru people using their gyms for - pardon the expression - 'knock off' prices. I have also found thro experience that there are also considerable descrepancies in Pru Classic and VA Classic membership. For instance VA Classic members enjoy free towels at other non-Classic gyms wheras Pru Classic members have to pay extra. Because of these kind of descrepancies, I have a strong suspicion that the collaborating gyms may also have a part to play in the hike of the prices.

Anyway I got a letter through the post about a couple of weeks ago saying that my monthly gym fee would be going up to £101.25 per month inclusive of a 25% discount they were giving me. Today I went to my 'home' classic club and enquired the fees and they said I could join the club for £98 per month fee but I would have to sign up for 1 year but there would be no joining fee if I signed up this month. By the way if you get a rolling month to month classic membership with VA directly they charge 130 so maybe '25% discount' may make sense. I'm now considering joining VA directly and have 2-3 weeks to make up my mind.....

In any case I have cancelled my gym membership through Pru after December (my corporate health policy runs from 1 Jan to 31 Dec). I mentioned the descrepancies in fees to the Pruhealth consultant when I called today after my visit to VA but he just ignored what I said! I think a lot of people are going to cancel their gym memberships...