AIA Vitality – Rewarding you for healthier lifestyle choices

*Since this blog was published AIA Vitality have replaced their partner airline Qantas with Virgin Australia and replaced Jb-Hi-Fi with Ticketek*

AIA Australia is a life insurer who have adopted the Vitality program to their ‘Priority Protection’ range of insurances, including life, total & permanent disablement, trauma and income protection insurance.

In February 2018 I completed a three day ‘Executive Wellness Program’ which included a number of different sessions on time management, focus & clarity, what affects energy and other strategic ways ‘to win’.

Part of the overall program was a deep dive into AIA Australia’s ‘Vitality’ initiative, a personalised, scientifically-backed program that supports you every day to make healthier lifestyle choices.

It shows you how healthy you are now, provides the tools to start improving your health right away, and offers amazing rewards to keep you motivated along your journey.

Here’s How it Works:

The program is integrated with mobile applications and wearable fitness devices, making it easy for AIA Australia Vitality members to track their goals and earn points. You earn points by learning and improving on your current state of health in areas such as nutrition, exercise and mental wellbeing. You build on your points through diet and exercise activities which earn you weekly rewards as well as contribute to your overall status (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum).

These rewards include up to 50% off Qantas flights, up to $650 in gift vouchers to Myer/Rebel Sport/JB Hi-Fi/Woolworths per annum, 50% of Endota Day Spa treatments and 30-50% off selected Gym memberships.

My Journey:

As part of the ‘Executive Wellness Program’ I decided to switch my life & income protection insurance to AIA Australia and become a Vitality member.

I downloaded the AIA Australia Vitality app on my iPhone and linked my Garmin fitness app to the Vitality app (which was already linked to my wearable fitness watch). You can also link to other apps such as Apple Health, Fitbit, Strava etc).

I then read the Vitality ‘Quick Guide to 5,000 points’ which included a few short online ‘Health Reviews’ – 5-10 minute surveys asking me about my nutrition, exercise habits and mental health & wellbeing.

I then completed an online ‘Non-Smokers Declaration’ & ‘Skin Self Examination’ and my HIIT training session that night picked me up 100 points as my heart rate was tracked via my Garmin watch (30 minutes of continuous activity with an average heart rate of more than 60% of my age related max heart rate). I was then given a further 10 points that night as my Garmin watch tracked my sleep for 7 hours (or more).

Lastly, I completed a declaration that I had consulted my optometrist (as per my annual check-up after laser eye surgery a few years ago) the weekend prior (which was within the last 7 day period) which gave me another 1,000 points.

End of Day 1:

By the end of the first day I had accumulated 5,360 points which triggered my first gift voucher (of $20) to either Myer, Rebel Sport, JB Hi-Fi or Woolworths.

Points 5 Months In:

Fast forward 6 months and after:

• Regularly tracking my exercise – 100 points per day
• Completing a health assessment at a local chemist where my readings came back in normal ranges (BMI, Blood Pressure, Glucose etc) – 6,000 points
• Tracking my nutrition using the Fitbit app (for a 7 day period) – 1,200 points per calendar quarter
• Meeting a goal of exercising 65 times in a 90 day period – 1,000 points
• Getting a flu shot and seeing my dentist for a check-up – 1,000 points each

I have been able to accumulate 35,500 points. My Vitality status is Platinum and I have just received the top gift card of $200 which I’ll use again at Myer to purchase some work clothes (total gift vouchers have equated to $650).

As I’ve reached the ‘Platinum’ status I can now get 50% off Qantas Flights (when I was at Silver I claimed back $355 from a return flight from Perth to Tasmania).

Each week I continue to exercise at least 5 times per week, which can either be tracked via heart rate, steps per day (7,500+), tagging in to a partner gym, or going for a run. This enables me to get a further $5 gift card in ‘active’ benefits each week which I can spend at Woolworths, Hoyts, Boost Juice or donate to charity!

The Vitality program has really led me to engage in and make my personal health and wellbeing a focus.

On the monetary value side of things, my Vitality ‘rewards’ within 6 months of my membership has equated to $930. Throughout the rest of my vitality membership year I should get a further $130 in active weekly benefits (gift cards to Woolworths) and potentially use my second Qantas return flight cash back reward, (let’s say on the Perth to London direct flight where I’d receive $750 back from a total cost of $1,500). At the end of the year my total monetary value would be somewhere in the vicinity of $2,000.

– Ben Wauchope, Financial Planner

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Would you like to be rewarded for healthier lifestyle choices?

If you’d like to know more about the Vitality program and how your personal insurance needs can be met, please contact the team at Lawrence for more details.

Contact us today for an obligation-free chat about how this may suit your personal situation.

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