• Brand name: Vitality
• Industry: Health & Wellness, Insurance Technology (InsurTech)
• Parent company: Discovery Limited
• Founded: 1997 (the Vitality programme originated in South Africa)
• Headquarters (Global): Johannesburg, South Africa (Discovery Limited)
• Global operations: Active across more than 40 markets worldwide
• Members impacted: Over 42 million people globally
• Core purpose: “Making people healthier”2

Vitality was developed by Discovery Limited, a South African financial services company, to address a specific challenge: while many chronic diseases can be prevented through healthier daily habits, individuals often require motivation to maintain those habits.

The company introduced a model called Shared-Value Insurance, which aligns the interests of customers, insurers, employers, and healthcare providers. Rather than paying only for illness, this model rewards people for staying healthy.

Over time, the Vitality model expanded internationally through partnerships with insurance companies and employers, becoming one of the world’s largest behaviour-change platforms.3

Vitality combines several elements to drive engagement:

• Behavioural science
• Data analytics
• Wearable technology
• Mobile applications
• Financial incentives
• Insurance products

Members earn Vitality Points by completing healthy activities, including:

• Walking or running
• Visiting gyms
• Health screenings
• Vaccinations
• Healthy food purchases
• Mental wellbeing activities

Accumulated points determine a member’s Vitality Status, which unlocks increasing levels of rewards and benefits.4

Vitality’s offerings vary by country but generally include the following categories:

Health Insurance

Private health insurance plans designed to encourage preventive healthcare and healthy lifestyles.

Life Insurance

Life insurance products that may reward healthier behaviours with lower premiums or additional benefits.

Employee Wellness

Corporate wellness programmes that help employers improve employee health, productivity, and engagement.

Digital Health Platform

A mobile platform that tracks activity from wearable devices and health apps while providing personalised goals, coaching, and rewards.5

The Vitality Programme serves as the brand’s flagship product. Members can earn points through activities such as:

• Daily physical activity
• Medical checkups
• Preventive screenings
• Healthy eating
• Sleep tracking
• Mental wellbeing exercises

Rewards may include discounts or incentives for:

• Fitness memberships
• Sports apparel
• Travel
• Retail shopping
• Entertainment
• Insurance-related benefits

The exact rewards differ by country and local partners.6

Vitality pioneered what it calls Shared-Value Insurance, a model in which:

• Customers benefit from improved health and rewards.
• Insurers may reduce claims by encouraging healthier lifestyles.
• Employers may see healthier, more productive workforces.
• Healthcare systems may benefit from reduced long-term costs.

This approach distinguishes Vitality from traditional insurers by focusing on prevention rather than solely covering treatment.

Vitality integrates with various technologies, including:

• Fitness trackers
• Smartwatches
• Smartphones
• Health applications
• Connected gym systems

The platform uses collected activity data to personalise goals, monitor progress, and award points for verified healthy behaviours.7

Vitality operates directly and through partnerships across:

• United Kingdom
• United States
• South Africa
• Australia
• Asia
• Europe
• Latin America
• Other international markets

The brand reports operations across more than 40 countries and territories through insurance and employer partnerships.8

Vitality supports research into preventive healthcare and behavioural science through the Vitality Research Institute. This institute studies the relationships between lifestyle behaviours, health outcomes, workplace wellbeing, and healthcare costs.9

Vitality’s mission is to help people live longer, healthier lives by making healthy choices easier and more rewarding. Its programmes are designed to create lasting behaviour change using evidence-based incentives and technology.10

Vitality is widely recognised as one of the leading wellness engagement platforms in the insurance industry. Its incentive-based approach has influenced insurers and employers worldwide and has become a prominent example of how behavioural economics can be applied to healthcare and insurance.11

1. Our Story – Vitality
2. About Vitality | Vitality Newsroom
3. World’s Largest Behavioral Health Platform | Vitality
4. About Vitality Health and Life Insurance | Vitality
5. Vitality: Leading engagement where wellbeing meets care
6. Insurance Company Profile: Vitality
7. About Vitality Health and Life Insurance | Vitality
8. Legal and Security | Vitality
9. About us | Advisers | Vitality
10. Who We Are :: Vitality Health Insurance
11. About