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

Gambit

alitarbegshe wrote: »

Taking into account the eurostar promotion that will kick in, the I will actually be better off!

What is the Eurostar promotion?

mark1024

I just looked through my paperwork, and last year I received 300 points for a fitness assessment, as well as 500 for improving fitness, BMI and blood pressure. So 800 from one assessment, and definitely added to my gym points. Seems to have worked like this from the start (I'm coming up to my fifth year of membership). So it it possible to make quite a tally from a twenty minute assessment if you do actually work out regularly.
Good luck to everyone going for Platinum.

benmail

I've just been looking at the Pruhealth website (and spoke to one of their sales team to confirm this) and, from November 1 (new pricing is now on the Pru website), it will actually cost me MORE to use the gym using the Pru scheme than if I got membership directly from the gym. OK, I'm using an expensive club (one of the Virgin Classic clubs in London) but under the terms of the old deal, I saved a lot of money with Prudential. From November the only way to get a cheaper membership is if I hit the Platinum level of vitality points and if I do that I would save - wait for it - £1.69 a month on the normal membership fee. As I don't need the health cover, I'll be parting company with Prudential at the end of October.

benmail

In a quick update to my previous post, I've spoken to Virgin Active and found that paying them directly for membership at the gym I use will give me access to their full network of clubs, which I'd have to pay more for under the Pruhealth scheme. So from November I can pay less and use more gyms by paying Virgin directly and giving up the Prudential health cover.

Btw, I do realise that if I got to Platinum level my premium should go to £0 per month/year. However that doesn't happen until the second year of the policy and as I'm not long into my first year, I don't think it is worth it, especially as there is no guarantee that the terms won't change again.

jtcowie

All I can say is a big thank you to moneysavingexpert.com for alerting me to the PruHealth deal a year ago - I would never have worked it all out myself.

It took me 8 months to get to Platinum status and I got a total of 3200 points over the whole year, so my premiums are down to just over £5 a month. Even during the first year, my premium was only two-thirds of what the gym alone would have cost. And I got £155 cashback when I joined PruHealth. I only went to the gym twice a week, but also got points from all the easy online stuff which other people have mentioned.

To answer the queries regarding maximum points in the Exercise category, I have just looked at last year's Vitality statement and I got a total of 1500 points in that category - made up of 200 for maintaining fitness rating; 690 for gym visits; 600 for two fitness assessments and 10 for the guide to routinetics (online I think). So, I think that the 1500 max for Exercise is right as I should have got 1040 points for gym visits (2 per week x 52 weeks x 10 points), but didn't get any more credited points past 690 points as I had reached the 1500 Exercise maximum by other means.

Once I got to Platinum status, I chose to spend £25 on a two-hour health screening at the Nuffield hospital in Cambridge. I think it was well worth the time and money - quite extensive and the opportunity to discuss any concerns with a doctor without feeling that there is a time pressure was great. The screening would normally have cost £400, so I thought it a bargain and very useful.

I also took the opportunity to visit Champneys at Henlow Grange with a friend at a big saving for both of us (I paid £35 she paid £95). You get a 25 minute massage included and, as we didn't take any additional treatments, it was a cheap 24 hour break. We found it very enjoyable - lots of classes to do if you wish, lovely pool and jacuzzi, excellent food and very relaxing environment. In fact, I now have friends queuing up to go as my guests!

So if you can get to Platinum status by November, I'd say go for it!

mark1024

Looked over my statement again for last year, and under exercise: 820 gym visits, 300 fitness assessment, 300 improving fitness, and 10 routinetics.

Despite being measured at the fitness assessment, I received 100 for improving BMI under nutrition, and 100 for improving blood pressure, under screening. Guess I didn't quite hit the 1500 max for exercise. There is no way I would pay the normal monthly rates for the local virgin club myself without Pru. Around £75 compared to around £20. Be sure to do the calculations over at least a couple of years membership.

Redknapp

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

I've just had a lengthy conversation with customer services too, and been told that:

Fitbug and gym visits contribute to a COMBINED cap of 1,500 points.

From what I was told when I was thinking of signing Gym and Fitbug are both separate. Max points for each are 150points per month.

Lady on the phone even told me in detail how to get to Platinum in 4months and that was with getting 150pts each for Gym and Fitbug per month.

JonnyC_2

Does anyone have a defintive answer on whether your billing is adjusted instantly/next billing month if you hit platinum after Nov 1st? If so, then in the whole scheme of things what's the big fuss about paying a bit extra until you do?

QQuaver

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Gambit - I'm almost certain the fitness assessments are in addition! There must be loads of MSErs who've already rolled over into their second policy year and for whom those fitness assessments would have made the difference between silver and platinum I'm sure we'd have heard plenty about it on these forums if they hadn't got all the points they expected...

1500 max for exercise includes fitness assessments. For my first assessment I got 300 points, but for my second, only got 150 (otherwise it will go over 1500). But I got 200 points for improving blood pressure 2 levels for another category called screening. Maintaining fitness rating was also included in exercise category (200 points). Maintaining BMI was on Nutrition category (50 points).

QQuaver

Redfearn wrote: »

What exactly are the rules on canceling both the gym membership and the health insurance?

By my calculations I will not be platinum by November (I joined in May) and need to consider my options.

Thanks in advance!

It used to be, you can cancel the policy anytime, but you can't cancel just the gym part (12 month minimum contract?). Now, you can cancel just the gym part if you want, or cancel the whole lot as usual.