Vitality points in 2020: aligning points-earning activities to health outcomes

The Vitality programme is based on a unique combination of clinical evidence, behavioural economics and actuarial expertise. It is grounded in research that shows that people can make a significant impact on their health by changing their lifestyle.

In 2020 we will be aligning our points structure to better reflect members' health status and reward them accordingly. This has resulted in some exciting new changes.

What can you expect in 2020?

Points thresholds

The number of Vitality points needed to reach Bronze, Silver and Gold Vitality status will be lowered in 2020. A single member will need only 7 500 points to get to Bronze, 25 000 points to get to Silver and 40 000 points to get to Gold in 2020.

From 2020 you will no longer have to achieve Gold Vitality status for three consecutive years to reach Diamond status. You can now reach Diamond Vitality status in a single year by earning 50 000 Vitality points. This means that your health and fitness outcomes will now be directly related to your Vitality status. To reach Diamond Vitality status in 2020 you will need to achieve 50 000 Vitality points, even if you reached Gold for the 2 previous years.

When you have additional adult dependants on your membership, the additional points that need to be earned in order for the family to reach each Vitality status will be lowered to 50% of the single member threshold. This means that additional adult dependents add 3 750 Vitality points to the threshold for the family to reach Bronze Vitality status, 12 500 points for the family to reach Silver, 20 000 points for the family to reach Gold and 25 000 points for the family to reach Diamond Vitality status. These members can earn a maximum of 25 000 Vitality points per year.

Points for HIV testing

Almost 50% of Vitality members are unaware of their HIV status. In 2020, Vitality points allocations will be updated to encourage first-time screening and to reward management of the condition once diagnosed.

These updates include:

• 7 500 Vitality points the first time a Vitality member goes for an HIV test
• 1 000 Vitality points (awarded once a year) for subsequent HIV screening; this applies to all Vitality members who have previously earned points for doing an HIV test
• 2 500 points for registration on the HIV Care programme once diagnosed

As a Discovery Health Medical Scheme member, you can grant consent for Vitality to automatically award you points for enrolling in the Discovery Health HIV Care programme. Members on other medical schemes must submit proof of registration to their scheme's HIV programme.

Online assessments

The current 2 500 online assessment points will be earned across two different assessments in 2020:

• Earn 1 500 Vitality points once a year for finding out your Vitality Age.
• Earn 500 Vitality points twice a year for completing the mental wellbeing assessments. Assessments will need to be done 6 months apart.

CPR

We understand the importance of knowing how to perform CPR, and encourage you to continue to attend these courses. However from 2020 Vitality points will no longer be awarded for completing a CPR course. Courses completed prior to 2020 will still be recognised for the duration of their certification period and points awarded accordingly.

Chronic condition management

In 2020, you can earn up to 4 000 Vitality points per year for effectively managing the following chronic conditions:

• Diabetes
• Hyperlipidemia
• Hypertension
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Weight management

Points for children

In 2020 we are introducing Vitality Active Rewards for Kids and Teens, to partner with parents to make kids healthier. Instead of earning Vitality points, this new programme directly rewards children with Discovery Miles for doing relevant health checks and participating in physical activity. Children will continue to earn Vitality points towards the family Vitality status for getting vaccinated.

Remember to use your Vitality Points Tracker to view all the points you have earned and how you are tracking towards your next Vitality status.