Vitality Health Limited is a United Kingdom-based company offering private
health insurance
Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...
and
life insurance
Life insurance (or life assurance, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations) is a contract
A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typical ...
to the UK market. It is the UK's third-largest health insurer, behind
Bupa and
Axa
Axa S.A. is a French multinational insurance corporation headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It also provides investment management and other financial services via its subsidiaries. As of 2024, it is the fourth largest financi ...
, with 1.9 million members as of February 2025.
The company is a subsidiary of
Discovery Limited
Discovery Limited is a major South Africa, South African financial services and private healthcare group. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Sandton, and listed on the JSE Limited, JSE.
Overview
Discovery Limited engages in l ...
, a
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
-based
financial services
Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...
group listed on the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange
JSE Limited (previously the JSE Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) is the largest stock exchange in Africa. It is located in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, after it moved from downtown Johannesburg in 2000. In 2003 ...
(JSE). As well as Vitality in the UK, Discovery Group has other subsidiaries in South Africa, the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Shared Value Insurance business model
Vitality uses a business model known as Shared Value Insurance. Shared Value is a concept created by Professor
Michael E. Porter and
Mark Kramer
Mark may refer to:
In the Bible
* Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark
* Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels
Currencies
* Mark (currency), a currenc ...
of
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
. They describe it as “policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress."
History
The company was created in 2004 when Discovery and
Prudential launched the PruHealth brand in the UK, combining Prudential's UK distribution capability with Discovery's Vitality product that had already been launched to the market in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
.
In April 2010, Discovery acquired
Standard Life Healthcare
Discovery Limited is a major South African financial services and private healthcare group. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Sandton, and listed on the JSE.
Overview
Discovery Limited engages in long and short-term insura ...
, formed in 1994 following the acquisition of Prime Health Limited, and merged it with its PruHealth.
In November 2014, Discovery bought the remaining 25% stake in PruHealth from Prudential,
making Discovery the sole owner of the company. Discovery immediately re-branded PruHealth as VitalityHealth, and its sister company PruProtect as VitalityLife, both under the Vitality umbrella brand.
See also
*
Private healthcare in the United Kingdom
Private healthcare in the UK, where universal state-funded healthcare is provided by the National Health Service, is a niche market.
Private healthcare services are normally provided as a top-up for NHS services (free of charge) or funded by emp ...
References
External links
*
Financial services companies established in 1994
Health insurance companies of the United Kingdom
Multinational joint-venture companies
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