Pruhealth gym loophole Article Discussion

slewis1972

ok - info now on the pru site:

https://www.pruprotect.co.uk/article10.htm

Now, I am trying to get my head round it.

Am I now correct there is the normal vitality programme and the lite one.

I am on the normal/original one - thank the lord. I just have to keep up health status for my premiums not to increase.

Lite ones mean I have to pay for gym but my premuims are low.

Question - is the old Vitality scheme no longer available then?

Scott

QQuaver

So it's nothing to do with PruHealth?

slewis1972

Not sure.

PMIspecialist is going to find out on Monday.

From reading it again I think they are basically changing the scheme. The question is, whether the 2 vitality schemes are being run side by side or just the new one. The new one does not seem half as attractive.

To me, the option to get free gym if I got off my back side and actually get healthier and fitter has been the incentive which me and the missus are going to take up.

Scott

PMISpecialist_2

slewis1972 wrote: »

Not sure.

PMIspecialist is going to find out on Monday.

From reading it again I think they are basically changing the scheme. The question is, whether the 2 vitality schemes are being run side by side or just the new one. The new one does not seem half as attractive.

To me, the option to get free gym if I got off my back side and actually get healthier and fitter has been the incentive which me and the missus are going to take up.

Scott

Regarding Pruprotect (note NOT Pruhealth) they are changing things around slightly.

Note Pruprotect do Life insurance, Critical Illness cover, unemployment cover, income Protection. Pruhealth do PMI (private medical insurance) and if you take out a policy over £25 you get the same vitality benefits i.e. free gym, discounts ect.

First of all anyone currently with Pruprotect can stay on their current deal with no changes so will not be any worse off. I am with Pruprotect and pruhealth and have decided i am better off on Pruprotects original deal i'd advise Scott to stay the same too.

If anyone joins from now onwards or wants to switch to the new Pruprotect (Lite Rewards) deal they can do.

Basically 'Lite Rewards' is the new pricing structure and the program with 'Full rewards' (the old pricing structure) (i.e. this shows how your premiums go up or down each year). They are compounded so if you get to platinum every year, if you put your start premium in a calculator and keep pressing minus 2%, if you do that 10 times you can see what your premiums would be in 10 years (proving you get to platium of course).

Vitality programme with Lite Rewards
Vitality status and premium change each year
Bronze : 0.0%
Silver : -1.0%
Gold : -1.5%
Platinum : -2.0%

Vitality programme with full rewards
Vitality status and premium change each year
Bronze : + 2.25%
Silver : 0.0%
Gold : -1.0%
Platinum : -2.25%

Everything else is the same as it was, i.e. how you score points, vitality partners ect

So in a nutshell before your premiums could go up by 2.25% for example if you only got to bronze in a year, while as with the new structure they would stay even if you only got to Bronze.

luckyfool

Alex222 wrote: »

I'm looking into joining a gym as I really need to get fitter and the pruhealth deal seems to offer a good carrot to motivate me to use the gym, but I have a few questions:

I'm looking at joining a tier 2 virgin gym, so reckon my initial costs are ~£25pm on the insurance and £57pm on the gym. I'm looking to go to the gym at least 3 times a week, but realistically, how quickly could I get to gold or possibly platinum status and how much outside gym activities will it require?

FYI: I'm a 25 y/o male with no chronic illnesses.

You could join Pruhealth but not join a gym through your pruhealth initially. Join a gym independantly if its cheaper for the first 3-6/7 months and sign up to the fitbug pedometer and/or Polar Heart Rate Monitor deal with pruhealth. Use them to build up your exercise points and make sure you get a free fitness assessment at a gym in month 1 and month 6/7 (you do not need to be a member of the gym to get these) to get big points.

Once you have hit Gold or Platinum (or once it makes financial sense) switch over from your independent gym to the pruhealth subsidised one.

slewis1972

I agree with this but also, if you have a good look at the vitality scheme, I am on silver after 1 week which now makes it cost effective to gym a Pru gym which I will be doing at the beginning of Dec so my fees are all easily worked out.

I did a spreadsheet where I can add the vitality bits and it tells me how many points at month 1, 2 3 etc.

At times it can pay to do say a screening as you save in the long run by getting the extra points you can go from silver > gold quite easily and this is quite a saving.

Scott

firbird

firbird wrote: »

No it's an LA Fitness in Leeds City Centre and the building its in (Leeds Shopping Plaza) is being knocked down and reconstructed as part of the Trinity Leeds development. They've just put posters up around the gym that they've been given no option to relocate and they physically can't at such short notice (they have to be out before Dec 7th)

I got a phonecall saying I could move to Virgin Active and pay no joining fee, but I went to VA today and am thoroughly disappointed. Small gym, no pool, rubbish changing area with no shower cubicles and I have to pay £8 even though I'm on platinum. Is this a valid reason to get out of my contract (i just renewed about 1 month ago)...?

daggin68_2

I deffo think the changes are for the better, as i for one struggle to commit to going twice a week.
Whereas ive acheived gold in 3 months.

50 points for registering
50 points meal plan
150 non smoker
100 vitaillty review
300 points for fitness assesment
50 points for achieving above (goal)
90 points for reading articles
200 points for basic screen
50 points for achieving above (goal)
50 points stress excercises
200 points for fitbug
100 points for going to gym (on average not even once a week)
120 points for ebay
total 1510 points

Very little effort, as i said on the old rate id be getting screwed for not even going to the gym once a week, inface would be in highest payment bracket.
I for one am very happy with the change.
People that say its not as good as it was needs to think longer term ie 12/24 months and this way to me is miles better

PMISpecialist_2

Anyone thinking about buying a Polar heart rate monitor in order to score vitality points may want to re think this at the moment.

I have just bought one in order to try out. The monitors are very good in my opinion, however on Polars website they are not set up to transfer the data to Pru yet which means we can't score vitality points yet (i wish i knew this before i bought one). The problem is being worked on and i am sure they will be able to backdate my points once the link is created. It sounds like it may take a while as well i.e. could be as long or longer than early ish next year.

For those people with fitbugs and gym membership, i have heard that there is a glitch in the Pruhealth system which allows you to score points for both on the same day even though your not really supposed to. They are not taking the points off people either.

I recently left my ftbug in my rugby sock after a game and my mate whose turn it was to wash the kit (or his mum more like) coulden't find it. So I decided to try Polar heart rate monitors instead this time, so i can't test this out at the moment.

Bargain_Rzl

PMISpecialist wrote: »

For those people with fitbugs and gym membership, i have heard that there is a glitch in the Pruhealth system which allows you to score points for both on the same day even though your not really supposed to. They are not taking the points off people either.

I've never experienced this glitch. In the past there have been days when I could have "scored" on both counts but I think the PruHealth system always counted the gym visit first and then added Fitbug points if it couldn't see a gym visit that day. However maybe the glitch has developed more recently since they complicated the calculation by adding the Polar heart monitors.