What we know about Vitality’s weight-loss jab scheme for workers
Covering some 1.9million people in the UK, private health insurer Vitality has become the country’s first provider to offer customers discounted weight-loss treatments, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Speaking to Yahoo UK, chief commercial director Dr Katie Tyron noted how, over a ten-year period, the company has seen a stark decline in risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use, but a "really big" increase around weight management, as well as musculoskeletal and mental health.
"The data is showing us that, on the one hand, this is a significant issue for productivity – which is obviously a huge agenda for businesses and the government at the moment – and on the other, that there are huge health benefits for employees to be had."
How the scheme could work
The company predicts that a big portion of its customer base will benefit from the new scheme. Of those signed up to its existing, non-medicated weight management programme, 48% have achieved their weight-loss goals, and so the company believes the results will be even more significant when combined with a medicated approach.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Vitality members are wanting to engage in these sorts of products with us, as part of that shared value model," Dr Tyron said.
She was also keen to stress the importance of a 360 approach to treatment, stating: "We really believe that, combined with what we do in the Vitality programme around incentive-based behaviour change, is going to be key to that more sustainable, holistic health improvement than just the medication alone.
"And I think that's one of the big pieces that we want to look at. The medication plus the support programme and the incentive-based behaviour change is really going to shift the dial on what you can do in these medicated pathways – and how we can make them sustainable in the long-run."
The news comes after health secretary Wes Streeting announced last year that the NHS would roll out weight-loss jab Mounjaro for free, in a bid to combat Britain's obesity crisis and get unemployed people back to work.
Given that as many as 3.4million people in the UK could be eligible for the NHS scheme, experts at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have warned it could take as long as 12 years to complete – with an estimated 220,000 people being treated in the first three-year period.
Vitality believes its new initiative could even alleviate some of the strain on the NHS, opening up more opportunities to those undergoing weight management treatment. Dr Tyron also stated that the industry would have to be "nimble" in its approach, as weight-loss drugs are fast evolving.
What is Vitality actually offering members?
The UK’s third-largest health insurance provider, Vitality, is offering eligible customers a discount of up to 20% off each Wegovy or Mounjaro weight-loss pen – which usually cost around £200 for a month’s supply – for up to 12 months. Costs vary depending on dosage, provider and treatment plan.
In addition to the discounted medication, Vitality will continue to provide one-to-one coaching with a dietician, through its partner, Second Nature. It will also combine these methods with its incentive programme, which involves various rewards and perks when certain fitness and health goals are achieved.
The approach isn’t dissimilar to the one outlined by Streeting last year, who also stressed the importance of key lifestyle changes in addition to the drugs, to improve the effectiveness of the treatment and to ensure longer lasting results.
Who is eligible for Vitality’s weight-loss drug plan and how do you apply?
Using the Vitality Member App, customers can complete an application for the scheme. Based on their profile and eligibility, they may then be referred to the Healthy Weight Signature Experience, giving them access to the discounted Wegovy or Mounjaro treatments, as well as weight management coaching.
To be eligible for the treatment, customers must have a BMI of 35 or over – and will be given the option of a non-medicated route or the new medication-assisted pathway.
Those with a BMI of 30 or over – or over 25 and Type 2 diabetes – will be offered the company’s lifestyle pathway.
Asked whether coverage plans would impact members' access to the scheme, Vitality said that eligibility was more based on clinical criteria than plan type per se, but members would need to be on either an active health or life insurance plan.
Will other medical insurers provide weight-loss jabs?
In a statement to Yahoo UK, a spokesperson for AXA Health said: “AXA Health welcomes the positive steps treatments such as these may offer for people struggling with obesity and the associated health impacts, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep issues. There is still much to discover in how to best use weight-loss injections to ensure effective, sustainable, and healthy long term weight-loss. We recognise concerns relating to long term effects and a need for wider understanding of the place of such treatments in the complex area of obesity management.
“Currently, we do not provide cover for the treatment of obesity as Private Medical Insurance (PMI) generally covers unexpected illnesses and conditions that are likely to respond quickly to treatment (acute conditions) rather than the treatment of illnesses and conditions that could last a long time or come back again after treatment (chronic conditions). We do however regularly review our offerings and the cover available.”
Yahoo UK has contacted Bupa for comment.
Read more about weight-loss jabs
What to know about the risks of using weight-loss drugs unsupervised (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
I lost four stone on weight-loss jab Mounjaro and the side effects were worth it (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Using Ozempic to get ‘beach body ready’ risks dangerous complications, lead NHS doctor warns (The Independent, 4-min read)
