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Leonardo A

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Review of the Vitality, Health insurance:

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Unexpected medical costs despite prior authorisation

Disappointing experience with Vitality – unexpected medical costs despite prior authorisation I have been extremely disappointed with my experience with VitalityHealth. I sought authorisation for cardiology investigations relating to palpitations and received a letter confirming approval for consultations and diagnostic tests, including an ECG and echocardiogram. Although the letter referred to a £1,000 outpatient benefit limit, I was subsequently faced with unexpected out-of-pocket costs when the provider's charges exceeded the available benefit. My main concern is not simply that my policy has a financial limit. It is that I relied on Vitality's treatment authorisation without feeling that the potential financial implications had been made sufficiently clear. I only discovered the extent of the shortfall after the treatment had taken place. The situation became even more frustrating when I needed a follow-up consultation to review my results, only to be informed that my outpatient benefit had been exhausted and further outpatient treatment would not be covered until the next renewal date. I raised a formal complaint and provided further explanations of my concerns. Unfortunately, Vitality rejected my complaint, maintaining that the limit had been disclosed and that I should have discussed the anticipated costs directly with the provider beforehand. I understand that insurance policies have limits and exclusions. However, I believe customers should be able to understand the practical financial implications of an authorisation before proceeding with medical investigations, rather than discovering significant additional costs afterwards. I have now referred the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service for an independent review. Overall, this experience has left me disappointed with the clarity of communication and the way my concerns were handled. I hope Vitality takes this feedback seriously and improves how it explains potential out-of-pocket costs to members before authorised treatment takes place. Reviewed on: 27th October 2026

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