John Hancock expands its longevity arsenal

By Doug Bailey

In its continuing effort to encourage proactive healthcare and promote longevity, John Hancock said it is the first insurer in the U.S. to offer discounted access to advanced whole-body MRI scans as part of its healthy lifestyle program called Vitality.

Hancock Vitality members will receive a $500 discount on comprehensive whole-body scans by Prenuvo, the San Francisco-based innovative health technology firm. The company said the initiative complements Hancock's previous investment in preventative healthcare technologies, such as offering access to GRAIL’s multi-cancer early detection test, Galleri.

"Early detection of cancer, lifestyle diseases, neurological conditions, and numerous other health issues can make a tremendous difference for individuals, their families, and society at large," said Brooks Tingle, president and CEO of John Hancock.

Proactive care and longevity

Statistics reveal that six out of 10 Americans live with a chronic illness, such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, which are often considered preventable. Chronic diseases are not only a leading cause of disability but also significantly drive the nation's annual healthcare spending. Proactive care has been shown to substantially increase life expectancy or longevity, especially among individuals aged 30 to 49. Prenuvo’s state-of-the-art whole-body scan, which normally costs up to $2,500, can detect more than 500 conditions, including most solid tumors at early stages, as well as aneurysms and cysts.

Andrew Lacy, CEO and founder of Prenuvo, emphasized the need for a shift towards preventative care in the healthcare system. "Out of the $4.5 trillion spent on healthcare in the U.S., less than 4% is allocated to preventative care,” said Andrew Lacy, CEO and founder of Prenuvo. “That needs to change,"

Qualified John Hancock Vitality members will have the opportunity to review their scan results with a nurse practitioner arranged by Prenuvo, which has offices and clinics throughout the country. Individual reports will remain confidential and will not impact the customer’s current life insurance coverage, pricing, or status in the John Hancock Vitality Program.

“We're absolutely leading the market [in behavioral healthcare] to help our customers in this way,” said Lindsay Hanson, Hancock’s chief marketing officer and global head of behavioral insurance strategy and delivery. “We believe life insurers can and should help customers understand their health, and we're not shy that we stand to benefit from it by keeping customers longer. But more importantly, they stand to benefit from it, from understanding things earlier in their health journey and their lives, and then it's overall good for society.”

A 'virtuous cycle'

Hanson called it a “virtuous cycle” of customer benefits.

“It’s fundamentally who we are and what we believe,” she said. “We have buy-in from the top down and bottom up that it is a part of our mission and purpose to help our customers live longer healthier and better lives.”

Vitality, offered with the company's life insurance policies, provides education, support, incentives, and rewards to encourage customers to adopt healthier lifestyles. In 2015, John Hancock partnered with Vitality, a tech-enabled wellness program providing education, support, incentives and rewards to customers for the everyday things they do to be healthy – from exercising to buying healthy groceries to getting a physical.  In 2018, the company said that all John Hancock life insurance policies will come with Vitality.

Doug Bailey is a journalist and freelance writer who lives outside of Boston. He can be reached at [email protected].