Medibank is rewarding customers for getting their blood pressure checked as part of a continued focus on preventative health measures.
Medibank Chief Medical Officer Dr Linda Swan said high blood pressure is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ but early detection can save lives.
“We estimate as many as 850,000 of our customers may be living with high blood pressure and in some cases, they don’t even know it because there aren’t always warning signs.” Dr Swan said.
“High blood pressure can be caused by a range of lifestyle factors including an unhealthy diet, smoking, being overweight, physical inactivity or having a family history of hypertension.”
Chief Customer Officer David Koczkar said for the first time Medibank is rewarding its customers for taking a proactive step towards managing their health by booking in to see their GP or local pharmacy.
“Improving the health and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority. That’s why we are rewarding them for visiting their GP or local pharmacy to get a blood pressure check and then logging it in the Live Better Rewards app.”
“We are writing to our customers this week to encourage them to set aside some time in April to get their blood pressure checked.”
“By signing up to the blood pressure check challenge, eligible Medibank customers can earn up to 750 Live Better Rewards points.”
The preventative health campaign will encourage customers under the age of 45 to get their blood pressure checked at least every two years, if they are healthy and have no risk factors, unless directed by their GP.
Australians over the age of 45, will be encouraged to get a check if they haven’t had one recently, as the prevalence of high blood pressure increases with age.
Further information:
Live Better members who hold Medibank hospital or extras cover can earn up to $360 in value each year for taking healthy actions, with thousands of eligible members having already earned more than $100 in value simply for looking after their health.
An optimal blood pressure reading is 120/80. Anything above 140/90 is considered high, while anything less than 90/60 is considered low. But blood pressure can vary between people, depending on your health status.
