Wellness and Lifestyle Perks on UK Health Insurance
Beyond the core medical cover, most UK private health insurance policies now bundle wellness perks: gym discounts, rewards programmes, health screens, and apps for fitness, nutrition or mental wellbeing. They vary widely between insurers, and some are far more substantial than others.
This guide cuts through the marketing.
Common wellness perks
Gym discounts
Most large insurers offer discounted gym memberships. Discounts of 25-50% off mainstream chains (PureGym, Nuffield Health, Anytime Fitness, David Lloyd) are common. Some insurers go further with corporate discounts on boutique gyms and class providers.
Rewards for healthy behaviour
The biggest player here is Vitality, whose programme rewards points for everything from gym visits and step counts to vaccinations and health checks. Points unlock discounts and freebies; flights, coffees, cinema tickets, weekend stays.
Other insurers have similar but lighter-touch programmes; Aviva’s MyAviva, AXA’s discount platform, which give you a mix of rewards and lifestyle offers.
Annual health checks
Several insurers include or discount an annual health screening with their corporate partners (Nuffield Health, Bluecrest Wellness, Bupa Health Centres). A typical check-up includes blood tests, BMI, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk assessment, and a consultation.
Mental wellbeing apps
Most insurers now include apps like Calm, Headspace or proprietary mental wellbeing tools, with mindfulness, sleep aids, and CBT-based programmes.
Nutrition and fitness
Some insurers bundle nutrition tracking, personal training sessions, or coached fitness programmes. Quality varies; some are genuinely useful, some are marketing.
Discounts on health-related products
Discounted health screens, smartwatches (notably Apple Watch through Vitality’s earned-discount mechanism), home blood-pressure monitors, glasses, and similar items.
How to compare wellness perks fairly
Two questions to ask:
Will I actually use it?
A 50% gym discount is worth nothing if you don’t go to the gym. Pricing the policy itself comes first; perks are a tiebreaker.
Is it free or earned?
Some perks are bundled regardless. Others require activity (Vitality’s earned-discount model is the clearest example). If you’ll engage with the activity, the earned perks can be huge; Apple Watch funded by step counts, etc. If you won’t, they’re irrelevant.
Insurer-by-insurer wellness summary
Vitality
The strongest rewards programme in UK PMI. Gym discounts, Apple Watch funding, weekly Caffè Nero coffees, free Amazon Prime, cinema discounts, partner deals. Engineered for people who’ll use the engagement loop.
Bupa
Free Bupa Health Hub services (e.g. discounted health checks at Bupa centres), discounted gym membership at Nuffield Health and other partners, mental wellbeing app access.
AXA Health
Discount platform, mental health app access, gym partner discounts, annual health check options.
Aviva
MyAviva discount platform, mental wellbeing app, gym partner discounts.
WPA
Less focused on lifestyle perks; more focused on the core medical product. Some discount platform access.
Freedom Health
Lean on the wellness side; emphasises core cover and price.
Frequently asked questions
Are wellness perks worth choosing a policy for? Sometimes. If you’ll genuinely use them, particularly Vitality’s earned rewards, they can be worth £200-£800 a year. If you won’t, ignore them and choose on cover and price.
Can I add my family to the rewards programme? On most policies, partners and children get access to the wellness perks too.
Do wellness activities affect my premium? Mostly no. Vitality is the main exception; engagement can earn premium discounts at renewal.
Are health checks really free? Some are bundled free; some are discounted; some are paid. Always check the specific policy.
Want help weighing perks against core cover? Call 0800 131 0400 or email info@insuredhealth.co.uk.
