Vitality has overhauled its private medical insurance (PMI) offering including the creation of a panel of consultants which policyholders will be rewarded for using.
The insurer said the panel consists of thousands of consultants across a full range of specialities and regions, who have been invited to join based on an evaluation of more than 200 data points including treatment outcomes, clinical practice and efficiency measures from both private and NHS practice.
It added that patients treated by consultants on its list are shown, on average, to spend less time in hospital and suffer fewer complications that require them to be re-admitted.
As part of the process Vitality has added a consultant finder tool to help members navigate their choice of clinician, including those from the list.
And members who choose to see one of the listed consultants able to claim cashback as part of the firm’s shared-value-insurance benefit.
The insurer’s online healthcare platform Care Hub is being updated to also enable members to initiate and receive immediate authorisation for treatment online, research an appropriate consultant and book an appointment directly through the portal.
This is alongside a series of product enhancements including a new optical, dental and hearing cover option on insurance plans and it has updated worldwide travel and emergency overseas medical expenses cover.
Dr Keith Klintworth, group COO and managing director at VitalityHealth, said: “The healthcare landscape is evolving faster than ever before. The pandemic has been a catalyst for the adoption of digital healthcare services and with it, individuals’ expectations in how they want to receive care have also now evolved.
“We are making a series of enhancements over the coming months to meet these changing needs and giving members the tools to navigate their care online from GP referral to consultant appointment.
“Our premier consultant panel will provide members with the option to choose consultants that have been rigorously evaluated on more than 200 data points and are shown to deliver key outcomes which are indicative of quality and efficiency. This is good for our members and good for us as an insurer.
“And as an organisation that is rooted in the idea of shared-value, we’re committing to returning some of the value generated through more efficient care to members in the form of cashback.”
