Vitality is making several additions to its protection offering including launching an accident and fracture plan, introducing neurological rehabilitation to income protection and extending its funeral pledge.
All the changes will be introduced from 3 March.
Accident and fracture add-on
The severity-based accident and fracture add-on cover will be offered with Vitality Personal Protection Plans for £7.50 per adult per month and is available for ages 16 to 49 with cover expiring at 60.
A minimum premium of £15 per month for single life or £30 per month for joint life must be in place for eligibility to the add-on.
It will offer pay outs of up to £10,000 for a partial or complete break to a bone with the amount based on where the fracture is and how badly it is broken.
Along with this will be an emergency hospitalisation benefit providing up to £2,000 paid on emergency hospital stays of over 48 hours that result from an accident or require emergency surgery.
One fracture claim, one hospitalisation benefit claim and one emergency surgery claim can be made per person, each plan year.
Up to six physiotherapy sessions will also be available after each valid accident and fracture claim, to support recovery.
Vitality said the product has been designed to recognise and reflect the impact of an accident for a member – both in terms of likelihood of admission into hospital and financial impact.
It considers that accidents are more than twice as likely to result in A&E admissions compared to a fracture and, on average, result in emergency hospital stays that last over nine days.
Income protection
Vitality is adding neuro-rehabilitation services to its income protection (IP) recovery benefit, with the insurer noting that neurological illnesses were the fourth most common claim on IP plans.
This will also be available from 3 March for new and existing members.
The recovery benefit, which already includes physiotherapy, mental health and cancer care support, will now cover three out of every four IP claims.
Additionally, where a member takes up the benefit within their deferred period, their premiums will also be waived for up to three months.
Advanced funeral pledge
Vitality has pledged to further support bereaved families with the immediate costs of a funeral by advancing £2,000 of its £10,000 funeral pledge funds directly to the funeral director on evidence of death, with no need to wait for further medical evidence.
The pledge will be available from 3 March for new business and existing business for accidental death, and for new business taken out from 3 March for all causes of death after being in force for two years.
VitalityLife CEO Justin Taurog (pictured) said: “Today’s protection market has changed significantly in recent years, with clients, rightfully, expecting more than ever before from their insurer, and actively looking for support to get back to work as quickly as possible where they are injured or ill.
“The enhancements announced today, reflect this, with a further evolution to the health and wellbeing support offered to members to get them back to full health as quickly as possible.”
