Why I created Protection Pioneers
By Peter Lurie, Proactive Medical & Life
Insurance is rarely anyone’s idea of a good story. The paperwork can be dense, the language unfamiliar and the questions easy to put off until another day. I spend my working life helping people look at health insurance and financial protection, and I kept thinking: could we make those conversations feel more approachable?
That question began as a bit of fun. I came up with Proactive Pete, a comic-book character who lives in Proactive Ville and helps people ask better questions about the cover they already have. At first, I thought it would be an entertaining idea that might never go much further. But the more I worked on the characters and stories, the clearer its purpose became. If a colourful, short episode helps someone pause and find out what their policy actually says, it has done something useful.
So the idea became **Protection Pioneers**: a free series of illustrated stories about everyday decisions involving health insurance, life cover and income protection. There is a superhero, of course. There is also Budget Bandit, who would rather people make a snap decision based on price alone. And there is me, Peter, bringing the stories back to the questions people face in real life.
Why tell these stories now?
The gap between owning a policy and understanding it matters. In the Financial Conduct Authority’s *Financial Lives 2024* survey, **28% of UK adults said they held life insurance and 4% said they held income protection insurance**. Those are survey measures of product holding among **all UK adults**; they do not tell us whether any individual needs either product, has other support through work or holds enough cover. The same FCA research found that **one in ten adults had no cash savings** and another **21% had less than £1,000** to draw on in an emergency. Those figures are a reason to ask good questions, not a reason to frighten anyone into buying something.
People’s starting points differ. One person may have benefits through work but not know how long they would continue if they left. Another may hold an older policy they have not revisited. Someone else may have no need for a particular type of cover. A statistic cannot settle any of those questions for them.
What happens in Proactive Ville?
Our first episode, **The Awakening**, starts with a simple question: what protection do you already have? Pete listens as people think about workplace benefits, a small business and existing policies. The story begins with understanding what is already there.
In **The Powers of Prevention**, we follow Sarah as she looks at existing cover and the choices in front of her. Episode three is on its way. Each story uses colour and humour to make a topic easier to discuss, while leaving room for the details that matter in real life.
Those details include premiums, benefits, excesses, exclusions, waiting periods and eligibility. Changing a policy or insurer can affect existing benefits or lead to new underwriting. An animated story cannot assess somebody’s circumstances or tell them what to buy. It can give them a better place to start.
A different kind of conversation
I want people to feel comfortable asking: What am I covered for? What would happen if I could not work? What support might I already have through my employer? What would I be giving up if I changed a policy? These questions are useful whether the answer is “keep what you have”, “look more closely” or “speak to someone about your options”.
This project has taken far more work than that first playful idea suggested. I have enjoyed building a world around the subject and giving it a bit of energy. My hope is that people enjoy the episodes, share them and come away with at least one question they had not thought to ask.
**Protection Pioneers is free to watch.** Start with *The Awakening* and *The Powers of Prevention* on the Protection Pioneers page of our website. If you would like to discuss your own circumstances, you can contact Proactive Medical & Life on **0208 207 7394** or at **info@proactiveinsurance.co.uk**.
*The episodes are general educational and fun stories, not personal advice or an indication that any policy is suitable. Insurance benefits and costs depend on the insurer, your circumstances and the policy terms. Review existing cover before making changes.*
And remember - Your Health Is Your Wealth!
*Proactive Medical & Life Ltd is an appointed representative of Health Net Services Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA register no. 312313).*
Sources: FCA, *Financial Lives 2024*, General insurance & protection, p. 44; FCA summary of cash savings and financial resilience.](https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/financial-lives/fls-2024-general-insurance-protection.pdf) [FCA savings release](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/more-people-have-bank-accounts-one-ten-have-no-cash-savings)
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