Pruhealth gym loophole Article Discussion

healthcare_guru

Quentin wrote: »

No. You aren't just here to give us a balanced view!

You have given us the real reason already:

Yes, they do well done Quentin. But then so do ALL insurers - hence being Independent and advising from the whole of market.

Quentin

healthcare_guru wrote: »

Look, contrary to what most of you say I'm not just here to stick up for Pru.....

How can we take you seriously? All your posts are pro pru. You admit you get paid by them for selling their policies.

This thread is discussing the disappearing gym loophole. Why do you feel it needs your biased and commission incentivised pro pru health insurance advice?

healthcare_guru

Quentin wrote: »

How can we take you seriously? All your posts are pro pru. You admit you get paid by them for selling their policies.

This thread is discussing the disappearing gym loophole. Why do you feel it needs your biased and commission incentivised pro pru health insurance advice?

It's not biased or commission incentivised. I just want to check your understanding of the word "Independent"?? I get commission from Pru just as I would for selling Aviva, BUPA, Axa-PPP, SimplyHealth, Standard Life, Exeter Friendly, the list goes on. And Pru's commission is by no means the highest of this list.

You clearly don't have an understanding for what I as an IFA do, and to be honest I'm a little tired of engaging with you if you are willing to peddle your unfounded arguement round and round in circles.

Oh and by the way, we have covered the "loophole" terminology earlier. It's not a loophole if it is advertised as such.

Quentin

healthcare_guru wrote: »

I just want to check your understanding of the word "Independent"??
You clearly don't have an understanding for what I as an IFA do, and to be honest I'm a little tired of engaging with you if you are willing to peddle your unfounded arguement round and round in circles.

You definitely don't understand!

We are tired of you claiming to just come here to big up pruhealth supposedly for purely philanthropic and altruistic reasons - when after many "probes" suggesting you had an interest you revealed:

healthcare_guru wrote: »

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

This loophole thread is not concerned with the pru health as a provider of health insurance at all, but the loophole of us getting cut price gym membership!

You know that, yet still seize on every opportunity to come here and promote pru on the spurious grounds of "balance", when you clearly have admitted an interest!

Wutang_2

healthcare_guru wrote: »

and to be honest I'm a little tired of engaging with you if you are willing to peddle your unfounded arguement round and round in circles.

Here's a plan then nutjob - go away.

Charliezoo

I guess we should try to go easy on poor Healthcare Guru, he/she must be in a state of panic...after all he/she's about to lose a huge amount of business, bless. Personally I'd be looking for another job.

The_silver_surfer

For those people who would like to see more details (Individual and Company) of the pruhealth changes.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/23434413


Important note for those people with pre-existing conditions:

At the moment if someone joins Pruhealth on New Moratorium underwritting their medical history is effectively wiped clean after two years. So they will cover new conditions straight away and pre existing medical conditions after two years no matter what happens within those two years.

At the moment this is open to anyone under 70 years of age.

From Jan 2010 its under 60 and they will probably exclude cancer, Psychiatric or Heart conditions in this for people joining after 01/01/2010.

So to give an example i could have lung cancer today join Pru tomorrow and in two years time the cancer is covered no matter what happens within those two years. After Jan 2010 this will no longer be possible.

Pruhealth are the only insurer to offer this form of underwritting. With all other insurers you have to go two years advice (i.e. a consultation), treatment (i.e. pills, therapy) and symptom free.

So if your taking medication for example, your medical condition will probably never be covered as long as you keep taking the medication for the illness AND all related conditions with other insurers.

Note it is possible to join Pruhealth on their new moratorium underwritting stay with them for a year and then move to another insurer on a like for like basis i.e. take the Pru moratorium with you. Most insurers will not take on the Pru moratorium but some will.

brownbabygirl

My renewal is due 14 Jan 2010 and still had no letter informing of the changes.

Musicman

Having read the Pruhealth document, I must be missing something, as they say that "However the maximum number of points a member can earn per for week for exercise will increase to 40 points for any combination of exercise events".

How come I can earn 60 points in a week currently at my gym them, which is useful, as I travel, and the following week I may only manage 3 visits, but I still manage to obtain my 150 points maximum per month.

Oh I know lets make it harder to earn points by limiting the weekly limit rather than the monthly one. Not Impressed, looks like this combined with the rip off on gym fees, that works on the retail price, rather than the price people can obtain means I will just stop my policy at the renewal next September.

sly_dog_jonah

This topic got some coverage in the guardian today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/14/prudential-policyholders-gym-discounts

it included some interesting stats from PruHealth. Supposedly only 12% of pru's policyholders take advantage of gym membership. I bet the proportion of vitality policyholders who take advantage is much higher than that though. I'm guessing pruhealth would rather risk losing 12% of members than put up policy premiums across the board. Their marketing gimmik has run out of steam/budget and now they'll be hoping customer inertia will take hold. I for one won't be sticking around.