VitalityHealth has introduced a new mental health package to provide support and treatment to members.
The new optional Mental Health Cover module, which went live in January, is expected to make a significant difference for members, not just those at the most severe level of risk. It will provide access to early intervention and support such as unlimited Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and counselling.
People will also have access to an additional £1,500 to be spent on out-patient treatment (e.g. with a psychologist) and, for the most severe cases, 28 days of more comprehensive in-patient or day-patient treatment.
Last year Vitality found, as part of Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (2017), that approximately 60% of UK employees that completed the survey, are suffering from either work-related stress or depression, highlighting the scale of the problem.
VitalityHealth became the only insurer to offer mental health cover as part of its Core Cover product back in 2016, and since then has made a number of enhancements and additions to what is offered to its members, including the addition of Vitality Healthy Mind in August last year. As part of Core Cover, members can access online support through Big White Wall, as well as cover for up to eight sessions of talking therapy (e.g. counselling or CBT), accessible through self-referral.
Members can additionally access a range of mental health apps for free or at a discounted rate through Vitality Healthy Mind, which incentivises members to engage in healthy mindfulness activities. So far nearly 20,000 Vitality members have logged over 200,000 mindfulness sessions through a range of leading meditation and mindfulness apps offered within the package – including Headspace, Buddhify, The Mindfulness App or Calm.
Spending just 10 ‘mindful minutes’ a day using one of these apps sees members earn two Vitality points. These points help members achieve lower premium increases at renewal on their health and life insurance and they’ll have access to discounts across Vitality partners such as Ocado, British Airways and Champneys.
Neville Koopowitz, CEO at VitalityHealth, said: “Our experience and research has shown us that physical and mental health and wellbeing are interlinked. We also know that good mental health is about more than the treatment of ill-health, it also requires a focus on general wellbeing and encouraging healthy behaviours.
“We have invested in a range of pathways and treatments for our members, to cater for the broad range of risk – from the ability for people to proactively engage in healthy mental wellbeing activities through Vitality Healthy Mind, and early intervention and treatment through CBT and Counselling, through to more comprehensive in-patient support for the most severe conditions. In so doing, we believe that VitalityHealth are offering the most holistic mental health and wellbeing solution in the market.”
