So how nice do you have to be to a company that takes you to South Africa without compromising your ...
So how nice do you have to be to a company that takes you to South Africa without compromising your journalistic integrity? That was one of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I boarded the plane to Johannesburg to attend Prudential's pre-launch of its new product, PruProtect.
The invention, which is a joint venture between Prudential and South African insurance giant, Discovery, basically consists of Prudential's existing Flexible Protection Plan with the Vitality points system, rewarding policyholders for looking after their health, added to it.
In all honesty, this is a very good idea as it will give customers more control over their premiums and give Pru the competitive edge on pricing it has previously lacked. And with society's current focus on leading a healthy lifestyle, the launch couldn't have been more timely.
The big question, however, is whether Prudential will deliver on its promise or not. The firm seems adamant to stick to its seven-day underwriting pledge for 80% of applications, despite IFAs voicing concern over its ability to follow through. Concerns have also been raised over the fact that all administration and underwriting for PruProtect will take place in South Africa. But if Prudential can dodge all these potential landmines, there is no reason why PruProtect can't be a winner.
New beginnings
Believe it or not, but this month marks 10 years since the first issue of COVER was published. In celebration of this occasion, we have produced a special 10th anniversary supplement, which you should have received alongside this issue. We also hope you enjoy COVER's slicker and more contemporary new look as much as we do. To all you COVER purists out there, while the design may have changed completely, we have kept old favourites like 'Disease of the Month' and the stats page so that you will still find COVER as informative as ever. And we hope you will join us in raising your glasses (or pens) to another successful decade of news and analysis of the health insurance and protection markets!
