Aviva Reward Wellness

Aviva, formally Norwich Union, have launched MyHealthCounts, a health management service that encourages you to take pro-active steps to improve your lifestyle if you have a Health Solutions health insurance policy. The success of PruHealth's Vitality Scheme, which also rewards people for healthier lifestyles by giving them lower premiums, has probably influenced the development of Aviva's new scheme.

If you are looking for cheap health insurance it is worth considering as taking part in the wellness programme enables you to get up to a 15% discount on your next renewal premium. The new scheme offers the following features:

-Access to free health advice via a health coach who can advise and encourage you to look after yourself

-Your personal Q score which statistically compares your health risks to others who are the same age, gender and race as you. The Q score is based on weight, height, cholesterol level, resting heart rate, blood glucose. Lifestyle information is also taken into account, for example, whether you smoke and how often you exercise.

-Health Trackers - this looks at your data in the following area and aims at showing any improvements that you make. Some of the areas looked at are: Weight/BMI, Fitness, Smoking, Alcohol, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Q Score

The new scheme is free and completely optional and is not affected by your no claims bonus. You can still be eligible for your discount even if you have to make a claim.

One interesting about this new scheme is that the information you give is not used to 'assess any claim you are currently making, or may make in the future.' This is very curious as medical insurance policies are always very keen to sniff out non-disclosure whether it is intentional or not. Non-disclosure can invalidate a claim and sometimes your whole policy.