Prudential and Vitality launch unprecedented well-being program in Brazil

23 June 2021

Starting in June 2021, Prudential do Brasil – the largest independent insurer in Brazil in the individual insurance market – will make available the largest behavior change program in the world, Vitality, for its customers. Based on behavioral science and clinical studies, Prudential Vitality is focused on stimulation of health habits and adoption of regular medical care and physical activity, which are rewarded based on weekly goals reached over time.

"Launching this program places Prudential, once again, as a pioneer in the Brazilian insurance market. We are committed to the overall well-being of our policyholders. In addition to providing financial protection to people, we want to help them reach the quality of life needed for longevity. Especially during these pandemic times, keeping mind, body and finances healthy is essential”, highlights Prudential do Brasil’s president and CEO, David Legher.

Studies by Vitality show that 60% of non-accidental causes of death are related to four chronic factors – conditions acquired by the individual (respiratory diseases, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular conditions), which are directly influenced by four controllable well-being behaviors (excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, unhealthy diet and sedentarism). By supporting the improvement of these four factors, it is possible to prevent the appearance of chronic conditions and effectively act in favor of a longer and healthier life. In addition, observing minimum regular medical care, such as vaccination and screening schedules, has an essential role in preventing diseases. This whole context was used to base development of the Vitality program development and reinforces the importance of Prudential’s strategic engagement with people’s well-being.

The program is being implemented in Brazil together with Wellness Services – Prudential International Insurance’s arm focused on developing well-being programs – in addition to Prudential do Brasil and Vitality.

Patricia Freitas, Prudential do Brasil’s VP of Strategic Multichannel Partnerships, believes that the partnership reinforces the company’s objective to create new customer experiences, in an ecosystem focused on overall well-being, using new technologies and solutions to improve policyholders’ quality of life. “The idea is to use this platform to change behavior, through incentives and goals, making people healthier and more protected"- she said.

At this moment, Prudential Vitality will be available exclusively to Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance policyholders. In the second half of 2021, program availability will also be extended to Group life customers and offered in the annual renewal period of their contracts and on new policies.

Global purpose

Concerned about the spread of sedentarism across the world, Vitality has made a commitment with the WHO (World Health Organization) to make 100 million people 20% more active by 2025.

"We are really excited to welcome Prudential do Brasil to the Vitality family", says Vitality Group’s CEO, Barry Swartzberg. "This partnership represents the expansion of Vitality’s program to our 30th market. Vitality and its partnership network of Shared Value Insurance are recognized globally for their impact on helping people become healthier. In a study made by Harvard Medical School and Cape Town University, research shows that more engaged Vitality members showed a 10% decrease in hospital admissions, 10-30% reduction in health expenses and 25% less hospitalization time, when compared to less engaged members. With this partnership with Prudential do Brasil, we are one step closer to reaching our commitment with the WHO to make 100 million people 20% more active by 2025."

Program operation

Prudential Vitality, through the app, monitors physical activity performed, measures steps and heart rate shared by gear such as smartwatches and smartphone apps. Participants are awarded for reaching personalized goals, as a way to encourage a positive and permanent behavior change. Program users tend to look for new activities to improve health and well-being, such as a healthier diet and preventive screenings.

In order to enter the program, users need to download the Vitality Brasil app to their smartphones, complete registration and link their devices (smartphone or smartwatch) to monitor their level of physical activity during their daily routines.

In general, the program is based on three pillars:

  • Know your health: Prudential Vitality program members complete a survey on their health (fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol, for instance), assessments related to mental well-being (resilience, sleep and social relations) and eating habits, and are encouraged to maintain regular screenings up-to-date and take vaccines. The app awards points for completing assessments and provide members with feedback on how to improve their habits, including recommendation of additional apps, in addition to informing members their Vitality Age, which shows members’ real age according to their health and well-being habits, including tips on how to improve them.
  • Improve your health: Prudential Vitality program members activate weekly goals on the platform to keep track of their physical activities through steps or heart rate monitored by the app. Every day, based on the physical exercises performed by the individual, the app grants points which, at the end of each week, can be converted into rewards.
  • Be rewarded: rewards for behavior are an important part of the program. Upon reaching weekly goals, members get access to coupons which they can redeem at several available services such as iFood, 99, Spotify and RitualGym. In addition to weekly rewards, carryover points from Prudential Vitality members may also provide medium- and long-term rewards and benefits, such as cashback on the purchase of a smartwatch and even, for some policies, on annual Prudential insurance premiums.

Partnership with Garmin

For its arrival in Brazil, Prudential Vitality established an exclusive partnership with Garmin, one of the leading companies in sports watches, for policyholders to acquire smartwatches with 15% off, to monitor their vital signs and physical activity integrated with the Vitality app. When purchasing a Garmin smartwatch, Prudential Vitality members may recover up to 100% of the amount they paid, through cashbacks based on the monthly physical activity goals of the following 24 months.

General health context in Brazil and abroad

The National Health Study, published in December 2020 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), showed that 40.3% of people 18 or older are sedentary in Brazil. Of this total, 47.5% are women and 32.1% are men. Only 13% of people in Brazil eat fruits and vegetables regularly, 15.4% of which are women and 10.2% are men.

Prudential do Brasil

Prudential do Brasil has been operating in the country for over two decades, offering personalized individual and group life insurance solutions. Currently, it is the largest independent insurer in the individual segment, protecting 2.6 million lives and has returned over BRL 1.8 billion in benefits paid back to society.

Prudential do Brasil was born from Prudential Financial, one of the world’s largest and oldest financial services institutions, which operates in 40 countries, has a 146-year history, with approximately USD 4 trillion dollars of insured capital in the world in life insurance and over USD 1.6 trillion assets in managed assets. To learn more about Prudential do Brasil, go to www.prudentialdobrasil.com.br.

Wellness Services

Wellness Services is a subsidiary company of Prudential International Insurance and was created in 2019 to develop added value to the insurance segment. In the Vitality project, Wellness operates as an enhancer for implementation along with Prudential do Brasil. In addition to Brazil, Wellness operates as Prudential Vitality program manager in Argentina and develops programs based on the Vitality platform and other solutions with different industries in Brazil and other markets, focused on developing a broad ecosystem of well-being promotion involving companies, customers, technology platforms and digital intelligence.

Vitality

Guided by a core objective to make people healthier, Vitality is the leader in health improvement, focused on promoting quality of life. By combining intelligent technology, data, incentives and behavioral science, it inspires healthy changes for individuals and organizations. Vitality brings a global perspective through successful partnerships with the smartest insurers and employers with a forward-looking vision around the world. Over 20 million people in 29 countries participate in the Vitality program. For more information, go to https://vitality.international/.