Frequently Asked Questions

Virgin HealthMiles provides employee health programs that pay people to get active. Our Pay-for-Prevention™ approach, based on physical activity and healthy lifestyle change, attracts an average of 40% of employees who participate in the program regularly, which helps organizations reduce medical costs and improve employee productivity and satisfaction. Virgin HealthMiles excels in getting members engaged and active in the process of getting healthy so they can make measureable changes to their health. The program is offered by employers, government entities, insurers and other network partners, such as health clubs.  Over 120 industry leaders, representing more than 500,000 employees in the U.S., have selected Virgin HealthMiles' award-winning program for their employees. The company is a member of Sir Richard Branson's world-renowned Virgin Group.

Virgin HealthMiles' Pay-for-Prevention™ approach helps you create benefits programs that emphasize personal responsibility and healthy behavior.  This approach creates a culture of prevention that not only rewards the right behaviors, but also aligns your interests and those of your employees in order to drive down lifestyle related health care costs.  Virgin HealthMiles is unique in our ability to provide you with a program rooted in validated data, long-term engagement, and rewards, which together engage your workforce in becoming healthier.  The results can directly and immediately impact your bottom line, and pay huge dividends in the future.

The program's daily activity goals are consistent with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommended activity minimums. To enjoy substantial health benefits, these organizations recommend adults undertake at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) per week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes) per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.  For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) per week of moderate-intensity, or 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Virgin HealthMiles stresses the importance of regular, consistent activity among your employees.  This promotes consistent engagement with their health. We motivate and reward members to reach 7,000+ steps per day, (the more activity they do, the more HealthMiles they earn).  We also encourage them to do what they enjoy most – walking, jogging, taking dance lessons, playing soccer with the kids – it all counts.  Milestones built into the program assure members that as long as these milestones are met or exceeded, they are getting the right amount of activity to be healthy. They also assure employers that activity shifts in your workforce are actual and can lead to long-term health improvements and cost savings for your organization..

The Virgin HealthMiles program is available nationally across the United States.

You can contact Virgin HealthMiles directly to set up the right program for your organization. Or, if your insurance provider is a Virgin HealthMiles partner, you can work with them to implement the program.

Yes. Your employees' data is secure. Virgin HealthMiles complies with HIPAA non-discrimination and wellness program rules. Personal health information will never be revealed to anyone other than the member without the member's specific consent. Please see our Privacy Policy for more detailed information on data security.

Once enrolled, your employees may cancel their membership at any time by giving us 30 days notice. They can do this by contacting customer support at 866.852.6898.

HealthMiles are similar to reward points. They're the currency used to reward participation in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Members earn HealthMiles for tracking daily activity, regularly taking health measurements, participating in the program, and demonstrating improvement to their overall health. The more daily activity in their routine, the more frequently they take health measurements, and the more they participate in the program, the more HealthMiles your employees can earn.

Reward Levels are milestones members strive to reach throughout the program. All new members start at Level 1, where they receive a GoZone® pedometer and get started. As they continue earning HealthMiles, they reach new Reward Levels, and receive rewards at each level. Rewards are determined by the employer and Virgin HealthMiles prior to implementing the program in your organization. The program's Reward Levels reinforce the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) recommended activity levels; at Level 3 and beyond, employees are considered to be ‘active' individuals.

There are 5 Reward Levels. New members start at Level 1, and when they've earned 6,000 HealthMiles, they reach Level 2. At 12,000 HealthMiles they reach Level 3; at 24,000 HealthMiles they reach Level 4; and at 36,000 HealthMiles they reach Level 5. When a member logs into their LifeZone Web site, they will easily be able to track their current level and HealthMiles they need to reach the next Reward Level.

Many employers offer their employees ‘HealthCash' (or cash rewards) for participating in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Members earn ‘HealthMiles' (points) for becoming active, which then convert to ‘HealthCash' as membres reach new Reward Levels. HealthCash can be redeemed for gift cards to national retailers, cash, or it can be donated to a charity of their choice.

Yes. Members have two years from the date that their HealthCash is earned to redeem the cash.

Yes. After cancelling your corporate contract with Virgin HealthMiles, your employees will have 30 days to earn any final HealthMiles and spend any remaining HealthCash in their account. Once the 30 day notification period is over, they can no longer spend their HealthCash.

Your employees should receive their GoZone pedometers within5-10 business days (via United States Postal Service).

We recommend uploading the GoZone data once or twice per week and no less than once every 14 days. Otherwise, they could miss out on earning HealthMiles for all their steps.

No. The GoZone pedometer is registered to only that employee. Only through username and password access can their personal information be viewed.

Each employees' GoZone pedometer is protected under a one-year warranty. If it is defective, please contact Virgin HealthMiles' customer support at 866.852.6898 and we will arrange for a replacement.

We recommend your employees visit the HealthZone and take their measurements once per month, but they may do so as often as they'd like. They'll earn HealthMiles for only one HealthZone visit per month when they take three measurements – weight, blood pressure, and body fat.

No. They'll just need to relax and loosen any tight clothing. They'll only need to sit down, log in, and follow the series of onscreen instructions. We recommend employees take their measurements before any workout, at a consistent time of day, and on days when they are well rested and not highly stressed. We also advise them to keep in mind that caffeine, salt , and stress can quickly raise blood pressure.

The HealthZone measurement station is purposely designed to protect their privacy. In particular, its privacy screen and positioning of the monitor ensures that measurements are not easily visible by other people.

Your employee will need to contact customer support at 866.852.6898 and we will provide him with a form to share with his physician. His physician can sign the form letting us know that the employee's disability or condition prohibits him from being as physically active as others. Once the physician-signed form is received, we'll make a note in his account that, due to medical reasons, he is not able to be as physically active as others, and instead of earning HealthMiles with the GoZone pedometer, he can earn equivalent HealthMiles each day by entering his activity in the Activity Journal.

Your employee will need to contact customer support at 866.852.6898 and we will provide him with a form to share with his physician. His physician can sign the form letting us know that the employee's disability or condition prohibits him from achieving the ideal range for his bio-measurements. Once the physician-signed form is received, we'll make a note in his account that, due to medical reasons, he is not able to achieve the ideal range for his bio-measurements. For each monthly visit to the HealthZone, he'll earn equivalent HealthMiles for taking all three measurements and equivalent achievement HealthMiles, no matter his scores.

Encourage your pregnant employees to stay physically active (safely) during their pregnancy and earn HealthMiles with their GoZone pedometer. We also recommend that they continue to take bio-measurements monthly, to also earn HealthMiles. They will most likely not score in the ideal range for BMI or body fat during the pregnancy, so they will not earn the achievement HealthMiles for those scores.