Dr Katie Tryon, Chief Commercial Director, Vitality Health, said: “While weight management medications are not a universal solution, they can be a useful tool helping to improve health for those who are eligible, especially when coupled with wider lifestyle changes and the establishment of long-term healthy habits; which in turn has the potential to help prevent associated conditions and hospitalisations.”
What are weight loss medications?
Weight loss medications are drugs prescribed for people who are overweight or obese and who have struggled to reduce their weight through diet and lifestyle changes alone. The medications act as a support to lose weight in order to prevent or improve weight-related health conditions. In the UK, you can access two weight loss drugs - Wegovy, which is otherwise known as Ozempic, and Mounjaro. While the medications are available through the NHS, you are likely to have to wait for a referral to a weight loss clinic, but you can access the medications privately if you are willing to pay between £150 and £250 per month.
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Vitality’s weight loss programme explained
Vitality customers can access member rewards when they buy a qualifying VitalityLife or VitalityHealth insurance policy. Members can then unlock different tiers of rewards based on the type of insurance they have and how much they pay each month. Vitality’s member rewards programme includes an array of health and wellbeing products and services, sometimes free of charge and often at discounted prices.
The weight-loss medications Wegovy and Mounjaro will become available to Vitality’s customers as part of its current weight-loss programme, which offers medicated and non-medicated pathways for members to choose from. If the medicated pathway is chosen, then medications will be provided at a discounted price - up to 25% off the retail price - combined with free one-to-one lifestyle and diet coaching provided by Vitality’s partners, Boost Online Doctor and Second Nature.
Who can access Vitality’s discounted weight loss medication?
You must be on a qualifying VitalityLife or VitalityHealth plan for at least 3 months, either through an insurance policy that you pay for personally or one that your employer provides as part of an employee insurance scheme (the 3-month waiting period is waived for corporate healthcare plans with over 20 employees). If you pay for your insurance personally then a minimum premium may be required in order to access the weight loss programme.
Once you qualify for the programme, you will need to meet the criteria set out to determine whether weight-loss medications are the right pathway for you. The medicated weight-loss route is available to those with a BMI greater than 30 (or 27 if you have a weight-related health condition) when applying via Boots Online Doctor. Those applying via Second Nature must have a BMI of 35 or higher; those with a BMI of 30 or higher and specific health risks will also be considered.
Is Vitality insurance worth it for the weight loss programme?
The weight loss programme offers Vitality’s customers pathways to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, but it is unlikely to be the only feature of the insurer’s proposition that draws customers. Vitality is an insurance company first and offers both health insurance and life insurance solutions based on a person’s need to create financial security as well as access necessary medical treatment when or if needed.
In addition, Vitality customers can access an array of health-promoting incentives, from discounted Apple Watches to free subscriptions to mindfulness apps like Headspace, as well as discounted gym memberships. The insurance is popular among people who want the peace of mind that comes with life and health insurance and who are motivated to engage with Vitality’s reward scheme. You can read more about these in our detailed article, “Vitality review - is it the best health and life insurance?”.
How to arrange Vitality insurance
As with any insurance, it is important to ensure that the core benefits of the policy that you choose to buy are suited to your needs. Life insurance and health insurance provide financial security as well as access to private medical treatment, ensuring peace of mind against life's unexpected events such as illness or death. However, your personal circumstances and concerns will dictate which types of insurance you should buy.
It is best to discuss your needs with an insurance broker* who can talk you through the different insurance options, benefits and costs and compare these with other providers before you make your decision - there’s no cost for doing this. The insurance brokers are well versed in the core insurance benefits as well as the rewards programmes for Vitality. As a Money to the Masses reader, you can get up to £100 cashback if you buy your insurance this way, even if you choose insurance provided by a company other than Vitality.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses and do not wish to qualify for the cashback referred to in the article - LifeSearch