John Hancock to Provide Apple Watches to Eligible Customers

Stock.adobe.com

John Hancock, a unit of Toronto-based Manulife, announced that it will begin offering Apple Watches to eligible life insurance customers.¹ The devices will be part of the company’s John Hancock Vitality Program, which is focused on promoting everyday activities that promote longer, healthier lives.

The Apple Watch provides a variety of health focused features, including heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and calory burning, along with being able to track steps and sleep patterns.

In a press release, chief marketing officer and global head of behavioral insurance strategy and delivery at John Hancock Lindsay Hanson said, “We're always excited to add the latest in technology, like Apple Watch Series 10, to the array of cutting-edge health tools we offer our Vitality members to help them take control of their health and wellness. Apple Watch Series 10 delivers actionable health and fitness insights that are an important component of the John Hancock Vitality Program which combines education, resources, screening tests, and more so that our customers can create personalized approaches that help increase not just their lifespan, but also their health span."

This is the latest offering from John Hancock. In November, the company announced that it would be providing access to a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test through its Home Base offerings.²

In a press release issued at the time, John Hancock president and CEO Brooks Tingle said, “Our work with GRAIL goes beyond making MCED testing accessible to our customers. We believe there is a critical need to expand awareness of and access to this type of groundbreaking technology, especially to communities and populations at higher risk of getting cancer. As a life insurer, we are deeply committed to helping our customers live longer, healthier, better lives, and we know that preventative care and early detection are key components of that mission. We're proud to work with Home Base to bring this technology to our special operations veterans who have done so much for our communities through their service."

In the same press release, retired general and executive director of Home Base Jack Hammond said, “Home Base is expanding our focus of healing the invisible wounds of our Nation's Heroes to a wider aperture of addressing not only the trauma they face but other exposures, such as toxic burn pits, that present risk to the lives of those who have returned home. Our new Home Base HealthSpan approach will enable our veterans to live healthy productive lives for as long as possible and free of disease, brain injury and mental health challenges. John Hancock's donation will impact this high-risk population, by allowing us to integrate cancer screenings to better assess risk and detect issues early. We are truly grateful for the collaboration, funding and technology provided by John Hancock, which allow us to continue offering the best care possible to our Nation's Heroes."

Josh Ofman, MD, MSHS, president at GRAIL, added, “John Hancock is consistently a leader in encouraging people to be proactive with their health. GRAIL applauds them and Home Base for the work they are doing to provide tests to veterans, and we are excited to see how our collaboration will continue to grow. At GRAIL, we also recognize the elevated risk of cancer among veterans and are conducting studies such as REFLECTION that will provide important insights into the impact of MCED testing in veterans."

Sources

1. John Hancock Adds New Apple Watch Series 10 to its Vitality Program. John Hancock. December 2, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/john-hancock-adds-new-apple-watch-series-10-to-its-vitality-program-302319687.html
2. John Hancock Provides Multi-Cancer Early Detection Tests to Special Operations Veterans in Collaboration with Home Base. John Hancock. November 13, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/john-hancock-provides-multi-cancer-early-detection-tests-to-special-operations-veterans-in-collaboration-with-home-base-302303088.html