John Hancock Marks 10 Years of Helping Customers Live Longer, Healthier, Better Lives Since Launch of Industry-Leading Vitality Program
May 12, 2025 by John Hancock
BOSTON, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Today, John Hancock, a unit of Toronto-based Manulife, is marking the ten-year anniversary of John Hancock Vitality, honoring the insurer’s commitment to helping customers live longer, healthier, better lives. Launched in the spring of 2015, the John Hancock Vitality program, which provides customers with education, support, incentives, and rewards for the everyday things they do to live healthier, has made a profound impact on customers’ lives, improving health indicators, realizing financial savings, and driving significant engagement.
“This incredibly meaningful milestone is more than a launch anniversary – it represents the bold choice we made ten years ago to turn the traditional life insurance model on its head,” said Brooks Tingle, president and CEO, John Hancock. “This has forever changed the trajectory of our business. In these ten years, we’ve championed game-changing innovations; cultivated a network of trusted, forward-thinking collaborators; and most profoundly, we’ve prioritized our customers’ health and well-being, in some cases helping them uncover potentially life-saving early diagnoses. This model is not just good for our customers and their families; it’s good for our business too – and we see even more potential to make an impact in the years ahead.”
Driving Better Health and Financial Savings for Our Customers
John Hancock began offering Vitality in response to a troubling shift in Americans’ health: so-called lifestyle diseases including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control, lifestyle factors — such as physical inactivity, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol and smoking — significantly contribute to these diseases.
Pairing technology, incentives and behavioral science, John Hancock Vitality informs and rewards customers for making healthier choices every day. Over the last decade, John Hancock Vitality members, most of whom engage with the program at least 20x per month,1 have reported better health indicators across the program’s key pillars of physical activity, nutrition, mental health, prevention and early detection:
- Almost 80 percent of members reported similar or better health over the last ten years.2
- Members reported significant improvements in key indicators of health through the duration of their engagement in the program, including:3
- 52 percent with high blood pressure brought their reading in range. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. with high blood pressure have it under control.
- 45 percent reported Body Mass Index (BMI) reductions and 15 percent of members who were overweight reported bringing their weight to a healthy range. The CDC reports that 42 percent of adults in the U.S. are considered to be obese based on their BMI.
- 63 percent with high cholesterol reported bringing their measure in range. According to the American Heart Association, more than 38 percent of adults in the U.S. have above-range cholesterol levels.
- Members average more than two times the daily steps taken by the average American, and our most engaged members average 10,000 steps per day4, equivalent to more than 230 billion steps taken in 10 years,5 which is like walking 115 million miles, about 4.6 times around the Earth’s circumference.
- Members utilized Headspace for nearly five million minutes in 2024, the equivalent of 3,472 days and almost four times more than they did in 2020. John Hancock offers members complimentary access to the Headspace app, including its guided meditations and sleepcasts.6
- Many customers who took advantage of discounted access provided by John Hancock to GRAIL’s multi-cancer early detection test, Galleri,7 and Prenuvo’s8 whole-body MRI scan have informed John Hancock that they experienced life-changing and potentially life-saving findings. One such customer shared he uncovered two different cancer diagnoses through both the Galleri and Prenuvo offerings.
“I truly believe my John Hancock life insurance policy saved my life – twice,” said 10-year John Hancock Vitality customer, John Irvin. “It’s quite oxymoronic, because my insurance policy isn’t supposed to save my life, it’s supposed to benefit my family when I die. I never expected to have two completely separate cancer diagnoses within a year – I had no family history and no symptoms. I’m so grateful to John Hancock for choosing to provide access to both early detection innovations that enabled me to be diagnosed at such early stages that my prognoses are excellent.”
Beyond health and wellness, the John Hancock Vitality Program is positively impacting customer’s financial lives, empowering them to achieve significant savings:
- Premium Savings: Nearly 90 percent of eligible members earned premium savings over the lifetime of their policy in the last decade. Depending on the Vitality Status level reached, eligible Vitality members can save up to 25 percent on their life insurance premium.9
- HealthyFood Savings: Members have collectively saved $1.4 million at the grocery store since the HealthyFood benefit was launched in 2016. Through the HealthyFood program, members can enjoy discounts on fresh fruits and vegetables at over 55,000 participating grocery stores nationwide.10
Looking to the Future
Initially focused primarily on physical activity and education, the John Hancock Vitality program has evolved significantly over the last decade to include resources, support, incentives and rewards for activities related to nutrition, mental health, preventative health, and early detection that help customers take proactive steps to better understand and make more informed choices about their health. Recent initiatives include:
- Function Health: John Hancock is the first life insurer to provide eligible John Hancock Vitality members access to special pricing to Function Health, including 160+ lab tests, and a comprehensive results tracking dashboard to monitor trends over time alongside actionable, evidence-backed insights designed to help people pinpoint areas they need to focus on for their health.11
- Nutrisense: In another industry first, eligible John Hancock Vitality members now have discounted access to a Nutrisense membership. Nutrisense pairs continuous glucose monitoring technology with nutritionist support, translating 24/7 data into clear daily actions that help stabilize glucose, optimize nutrition, and build lasting habits—empowering members to confidently take control of their health.12
“What’s next? While I can’t predict what the next cutting-edge health innovation or personal tech breakthrough will be, I can promise we’ll be at the forefront exploring anything that can support our customers in their journeys toward a longer, healthier, better life. We firmly believe in this mission, and we will only be accelerating our efforts going forward,” continued Tingle.
To learn more visit johnhancock.com/life-insurance/vitality.
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1 74% of registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members who earned points in the last 3 months had at least 20 interactions with Vitality in the last 30 days. |
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2Self-reported data, based on percentage of registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members with same or better response to the Vitality Health Review question regarding overall health comparing their first ever response to their most recent response. |
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3 Registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members in their 10th Policy year. Data is self-reported via annual Vitality Health Review questionnaire. Compares first ever response to most recent response. |
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4 Registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members with Gold and Platinum Rewards Status, excluding Apple Watch data. |
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5 231,697,453,743 total steps taken by registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members with Gold and Platinum Rewards Status, excluding Apple Watch data. |
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6 The Headspace benefit is only available to registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members that have completed the Vitality Health Review and is not available in New York. |
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7 The Galleri test is only available to registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members who are 40 years of age or older and have completed the initial Vitality Health Review. For eligible polices with Face Amounts of $500,000 in life insurance coverage or greater, 100% of the cost of the test will be subsidized. For policies with Face Amounts less than $500,000 in coverage, 50% of the cost of the test will be subsidized. Test eligibility is also subject to Grail’s clinically informed criteria, as well as additional cancer risk factors for those ages 40-49. The offer of discounted access to the Galleri test is subject to change. Access to the Galleri test through the John Hancock Vitality Program is not currently available in all states. The Galleri test is manufactured and distributed by GRAIL, LLC. John Hancock does not provide medical advice, is not involved in the design or manufacture of the Galleri test and is not responsible for the accuracy or performance of the Galleri test. |
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8 The Prenuvo scan is only available to registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS and GO members who have completed the Vitality Health Review for the current program year. The offer of discounted access to the Prenuvo scan is subject to change. Access to the Prenuvo scan through the John Hancock Vitality Program is not currently available in all states. The Prenuvo scan is developed and administered by Prenuvo and its affiliated professional entities. John Hancock does not provide medical advice or guidance on further diagnostic testing or treatment following the Prenuvo scan, is not involved in the design or administration of the Prenuvo scan and is not responsible for the accuracy or performance of the Prenuvo scan. |
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9 The percentage of members earning premium savings is based on the number of registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members who have earned a Vitality Status of Silver or greater at least once over the lifetime of their policy. The percentage does not include direct-to-consumer policies or polices that have terminated. Premium savings are in comparison to the same John Hancock life insurance policy without Vitality PLUS. The level of premium savings is cumulative over the life of the policy and will vary based upon underwriting status, issue age, policy type, the terms of the policy and the Vitality Status achieved. Premium savings are only available with Vitality PLUS and may not be applicable to all products. |
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10 Total Savings achieved by eligible members through HealthyFood transactions. |
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11 Access to special pricing for the Function Health membership is only available to registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members who have completed the Vitality Health Review for the current program year. Access to special pricing is only applicable to the first-year membership fee. The access to special pricing towards the Function Health membership is subject to change. Access to special pricing through the John Hancock Vitality Program is not currently available in all states. John Hancock is not an affiliate of Function Health. The lab testing services available via Function Health are administered by third party lab services providers. John Hancock does not provide medical advice or guidance on further diagnostic testing or treatment following the receipt of lab results via Function Health, is not involved in the services provided by Function Health and is not responsible for the accuracy or performance of such services. |
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12Discounted access to the Nutrisense membership is only available to registered John Hancock Vitality PLUS members who have completed the Vitality Health Review for the current program year. The offer of discounted access to the Nutrisense membership is subject to change and is not currently available in all states. John Hancock is not an affiliate of Nutrisense. Services under the Nutrisense membership are provided by Nutrisense directly to the John Hancock Vitality member. John Hancock does not provide medical advice, is not involved in the services provided by Nutrisense and is not responsible for the accuracy or performance of such services. |
About John Hancock and Manulife
John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better by providing financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.
One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports more than ten million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance and annuities. John Hancock also supports US investors by bringing leading investment capabilities and retirement planning and administration expertise to individuals and institutions. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.
About Vitality
Guided by a core purpose of making people healthier, Vitality is the leader in improving health to unlock outcomes that matter. By blending industry-leading smart tech, data, AI, incentives, and behavioral science, we inspire healthy changes in individuals and organizations. As one of the largest health and wellbeing companies in the world, Vitality brings a dynamic and diverse perspective through successful partnerships with the most forward-thinking insurers and employers. More than 35 million people in 40 markets globally engage in the Vitality program. For more information, visit vitalitygroup.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Vitality is the provider of the John Hancock Vitality Program in connection with policies issued by John Hancock. John Hancock Vitality Program rewards and discounts are available only to the person insured under the eligible life insurance policy, may vary based on the type of insurance policy purchased and the state where the policy was issued, are subject to change and are not guaranteed to remain the same for the life of the policy. To be eligible to earn rewards and discounts by participating in the Vitality program, the insured must register for Vitality and in most instances also complete the Vitality Health Review (VHR).
Insurance policies and/or associated riders and features may not be available in all states.
John Hancock insurance products are issued by: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Boston, MA 02116 (not licensed in New York) and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY 10595.
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