What does Vitality offer in terms of mental health cover?
Vitality is one of the UK’s most innovative insurers, emphasising fitness and wellbeing to offer multiple benefits to customers. Their focus also extends to mental health; partnering with award-winning wellness app Headspace, while providing support that’s accessible to all.
Vitality’s Mental Health Cover add-on also covers you for multiple episodes of mental health care per policy year.
They’ll even fully restore your inpatient and day patient limits if you experience 56 days without treatment.
What conditions are covered by Vitality’s mental health cover?
Vitality covers a range of mental health issues and disorders, including but not limited to:
Anxiety is a frequent feeling of worry or anticipation about everyday situations. Sometimes, it can manifest as physical symptoms, making daily life a struggle.
Bipolar disorder causes extreme mood swings, manic highs and periods of deep depression. When episodes occur, they can be debilitating and impact daily functioning.
Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness, which may also cause loss of interest in activities, while impacting sleep, appetite, motivation and personal care.
Eating Disorders involve an unhealthy relationship with food, often combined with concerns about body image. Common eating disorders include anorexia and bulimia.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
OCD involves cycles of intrusive thought and repetitive behaviour. It can interfere with everyday life if the cycle of behaviours and thoughts can’t be broken.
Panic disorders present as unexpected, yet repeated episodes of intense stress. Due to their nature, they can happen anywhere, leading to avoidance and anxiety.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a condition that occurs after a traumatic experience. It can induce flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety and intrusive thoughts about the experience.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that impacts how we think, feel and behave. It is often characterised by hallucinations, delusions and incoherent speech.
What Isn’t Covered?
Conditions that your insurer won’t cover are called exclusions. Most insurers list similar exclusions on their policies, which include chronic illnesses and pre-existing conditions.
For mental health conditions, Vitality only excludes treatment for developmental problems, behavioural problems and learning difficulties. This includes – but isn’t limited to – autism, dyslexia and ADHD, all of which require long-term care and, therefore, fall into the chronic illness category.
Vitality is also unlikely to accept claims for degenerative illnesses such as dementia. They do, however, offer Serious Illness Insurance, which covers later-life conditions like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke and frailty.
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
Pre-existing conditions are health issues you have before you purchase a policy. Most leading insurers, including Vitality, don’t cover these conditions. Instead, their policies are designed to cover health issues that arise after your cover starts.
It’s worth noting that your insurer may not ask you about pre-existing conditions if you are on moratorium underwriting. Moratoriums often set time-based ‘exclusion periods’, allowing customers to claim for pre-existing conditions again after a set period has elapsed.
That said, never assume you’re covered for a condition, even if your insurer hasn’t enquired about it.
Exceptions to the rule on exclusions and pre-existing conditions
If you’re unsure whether your policy covers your condition, speak to your insurer. Although they might state that a certain condition isn’t covered, there may be exceptions, including covering you for issues associated with your excluded condition.
How Can I Access Mental Health Treatment and Support?
To access mental health care or support via your Vitality plan, you’ll first need to speak to your GP and ask for a referral. They’ll choose a specific consultant or treatment area, after which Vitality will assist you in finding the care you need. There may also be instances where you won’t need a referral, which we will cover later in the article.
Named and open referrals
When your GP makes a named referral, they select a specific consultant or specialist based on your needs. Bear in mind that this may result in additional charges if said specialist is outside your insurer’s network or your policy’s limits.
With open referrals, the GP chooses the type of specialist, and not a specific person. After receiving your referral, Vitality will help you access treatment via their network of consultants and specialists.
Self-referral
You can also self-refer for certain conditions with Vitality GP. This digital app allows you to book video appointments with a GP while offering 24/7 healthcare advice and guidance. You’ll also find a wealth of mental health support, including self-care resources and access to therapy services without needing a GP referral.
Consultant Select
Consultant Select is a guided care pathway that reduces your premium by giving you a smaller selection of consultants. All you need is an open referral from your GP (or a Vitality GP), and you can begin your claim.
From there, everything else happens online at Vitality’s Care Hub. Here, you can view the consultants Vitality has selected, make and manage your claims, and request follow-up consultations if needed.
Naturally, you might be concerned that reducing your access to consultants could result in inferior care. Don’t worry though, as Vitality only works with what they call Premier Consultants; a selection of highly rated consultants known for their excellence.
The only negative – which may be considerable depending on your mental health requirements – is that you may have to wait longer for treatment. This is due to the availability of consultants that match your condition and location.
Which Facilities Can I Access?
Most providers have a network of facilities and consultants that their customers can access to receive treatment. Vitality offers two hospital lists, allowing customers with specific needs or budgets to access the care they need.
Hospital lists
Vitality’s two main hospital lists are Countrywide and London Care.
Countrywide gives customers access to private care from hospitals like Circle, Nuffield and Spire, while including a selection of London and Central London hospitals. You’ll also be eligible for two face-to-face GP consultations in the London area.
Their London Care option, while increasing your cost, gives you access to all private hospitals in the UK, along with all NHS Private Patient units. This listing offers you unlimited face-to-face GP consultations in the London area.
Does Vitality’s Cover Include Policy Additions?
Vitality’s health insurance plans include a host of additions, many of which relate to its innovative pricing approach.
Vitality Rewards
For incentive-driven people, Vitality Rewards is an enticing policy addition. Simply record your fitness activities via their app and earn points. Points can then be exchanged for rewards, such as top-brand products, and policy discounts.
Overall, Vitality Rewards is an enticing incentive to improve your wellbeing, as exercise and mindfulness have been shown to ease mental illness symptoms.
Headspace
Vitality policies also include a free 12-month subscription to the Headspace mindfulness app. By offering this for free, policyholders are encouraged to record their mindfulness sessions in exchange for points.
24/7 Wellbeing Support
Vitality offers round-the-clock support via innovative wellbeing community, Togetherall. This includes 24/7 support from licensed mental health experts, alongside useful tools and resources to help maintain your mental health.
Though Vitality doesn’t break down the specific cost of its mental health cover, it’s still worth looking at its unique way of pricing policies. Vitality’s main pricing is the ‘ABC pricing model’.
A = Age: The price is based on age, with premiums increasing yearly with your age. This is because the older you are, the more likely you are to claim.B = Base inflation: It’s also based on the cost of treatment, drugs and hospitals, which may rise with inflation.C= Claims: Like many insurers, Vitality prices their policies based on your claims history. The idea is that customers who stay healthy are less likely to claim. Vitality then rewards this commitment by discounting your premium.
As of 2024, new policies start at a fixed minimum price of around £44 – reflective of a 20-year-old with comprehensive cover. However, it’s important to remember that these fixed prices only apply to new policies. They aren’t indicative of your renewal premiums. which will likely increase yearly due to factors like your age, location, and claims history.
Related guide: How much does private health insurance cost in the UK?
Does it cost more to add mental health cover?
The cost of Vitality’s mental health cover depends on what you need. For comprehensive care, Vitality’s enhanced mental health cover is worth investigating.
Though your premium is likely to increase, you’ll have access to day-patient, inpatient, and outpatient options, which cover hospital stays, consultations, and diagnostics.
If you’re happy with a limited number of CBT or counselling sessions, you can access this at no extra cost as part of your core policy.
Will claiming for mental health conditions affect my premium?
If you’ve had insurance in the past, you may be familiar with the No Claims Discount (NCD) scale. Most health insurers use this scale to determine your renewal price, basing it on claims you’ve made in the previous policy year.
You may have noticed we haven’t mentioned NCD so far, and it’s for good reason; Vitality doesn’t use it. Instead, they combine their ABC pricing model and points-based reward system to calculate your renewal premium.
Vitality Status
Most claims you make will impact your premium one way or another. However, Vitality’s unique take on rewards and discounts gives you the opportunity to maintain or reduce your premium via your health and wellbeing efforts.
The Vitality Rewards system not only encourages healthy living but also contributes to your Vitality Status. This system comprises bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels, with each status level offering a higher discount on your premium.
New policyholders start at the bronze level and advance as they collect reward points. As mentioned, each new status unlocks a discount. The best bit? The discounts you achieve here are applied regardless of whether you make a claim.
A word of warning, though. While this approach may benefit those who enjoy fitness and wellbeing activities, it could also negatively impact your premiums if you abandon your policy’s healthy living element.
Related guide: How much does private health insurance cost in the UK?
What Do Vitality’s Customers Think?
Currently, Vitality is ranked as ‘Excellent’, with a score of 4.3/5 on Trustpilot. Out of 45,011 customer reviews, 69% gave Vitality a 5-star rating, with an even spread across the other available ratings.
Looking at the reviews in detail, many customers praised Vitality for their attentive customer service and the simplicity of their customer journey.
When Can I Start Using My Policy?
You’ll have access to mental health cover as soon as your policy begins. This includes Vitality’s self-referral therapy services and online resources, which may come in handy if you require support sooner rather than later.
If you’re unsure of your policy start date, it’s in the welcome documentation you received after your application was approved.
Is Vitality’s Mental Health Cover Any Good?
As an insurer, Vitality’s innovative approach to pricing makes it hard to compare them to anyone else. Their one-of-a-kind ABC pricing model, combined with a health-based rewards system, makes them a great option to maintain your mental and physical health.
Even more impressive is how Vitality’s mental health cover holds up alongside this concept. Their built-in cover focuses on preventative support through counselling and CBT, while their comprehensive option offers extensive treatment options at a slightly higher premium.
Overall, Vitality’s mental health cover – like its healthcare – is what you make of it. However, if you enjoy keeping fit already – why not use it to boost your mental health and reduce the cost of your health insurance?
Want to know how other insurers’ mental health cover stacks up against Vitality? Then look out for our next article, where we’ll look at the mental health cover offered by Aviva.
Related guide: What does Bupa offer in terms of mental health cover?
If you’d like to learn more about private health insurance, how it works and which options might work for you, contact myTribe today.
Disclaimer: This information is general and what is best for you will depend on your personal circumstances. Please speak with a financial adviser or do your own research before making a decision.
