John Hancock announced today it is expanding its Apple Watch program to all new and existing John Hancock Vitality life insurance policyholders. The program gives customers the opportunity to earn the Apple Watch Series 3 for an initial fee of $25 through regular exercise. Now, in addition to permanent life insurance buyers, the 4 million Americans who buy lower-cost term life insurance every year will have the opportunity to protect their financial future for less than $15/month*, while earning an Apple Watch Series 3.
“John Hancock is the first and only U.S. life insurance company to offer life insurance buyers the opportunity to earn an Apple Watch through regular exercise. We are proud to be the driving force of innovation in life insurance by integrating a technology-based wellness program (powered by Vitality) with life insurance, to motivate consumers to protect their financial future and live a healthy life,” said Brooks Tingle, senior vice president, marketing and strategy, John Hancock Insurance, in a statement. “The addition of the Apple Watch program to our John Hancock Vitality solution over the past year has already resulted in an increase in participating customers’ activities and engagement as compared to others in our program. We’re excited to expand the offer of the Apple Watch Series 3 to all of our John Hancock Vitality customers.”
Through the first-of-its-kind John Hancock Vitality program, launched in 2015, customers can earn rewards and premium savings of up to 15 percent for the things they do to stay healthy, like exercising, walking and eating right. Rewards include $600 in annual savings** on healthy food purchases as well as gift cards and discounts on entertainment, travel and wellness-related purchases. In 2016, the company introduced customers to the opportunity to select an Apple Watch (for an initial $25 fee)*** to record their activities and earn points that reduce or eliminate their monthly payments for their watch over a two-year period.
Since then, John Hancock Vitality members have embraced the Apple Watch****:
• using it 6 out of 7 days a week
• increasing their step count by an average of 2,000 steps per day after enrolling in the program
• showing a 20 percent increase in weekly physical activities after getting their Apple Watch
• about half of them are paying $0 each month (i.e. fully funding their watch) by achieving their monthly activity goals
“Customers of all kinds are signing up for the Apple Watch program, from those less healthy to those who are extremely fit,” added Tingle. “Apple Watch appears to inspire increases in physical activity across all our customers, with the highest increases among those least healthy when they begin.”
“Whether they prefer walking, biking, swimming or any other kind of exercise, John Hancock Vitality participants are reaping rewards that benefit both their health and their wallets,” said Tal Gilbert, CEO Vitality Group USA, in a statement. “We’re encouraged to see how John Hancock Vitality customers are making health and fitness a priority, living life to its fullest and taking advantage of the program to improve the quality of their lives. We know that active people are likely to live longer— it’s great to be able to help them do just that.”
The Apple Watch program will be available on all John Hancock Vitality life insurance products beginning next month. Prospective participants can get more information about the program directly at JHRewardsLife.com or by connecting with a financial advisor.
Today, the Canadian Division of Manulife, John Hancock’s parent company, also announced its launch of the new Manulife Vitality Active Rewards with Apple Watch program. The program motivates members to get more active by offering them the opportunity to earn a new Apple Watch when they meet physical activity targets through their insurance contract. Manulife introduced the Vitality program to Canadians in 2016 and this is their latest enhancement.
About Vitality
Vitality changes the economics of healthcare by integrating expertise in wellness, insurance, and technology to change behaviors to improve health. By driving engagement in healthier lifestyles, Vitality provides benefits from day one to members, employers, and society. Vitality brings a global perspective through successful partnerships with employers of all sizes and best-in-class insurers around the world, in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, South Africa, China, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Japan. Drawing on behavioral economics, Vitality supports, guides and incentivizes individuals to improve their health, and then prices their risk dynamically over time based on their engagement in the Vitality program. This shared value insurance model results in material benefits shared between the employer (lower health claims), insurer (more profits), members (greater health and financial rewards) and society (a healthier, more productive workforce).
Vitality Group is a member of Discovery Ltd., a global financial service organization and pioneer of the Shared-value Insurance model. The Vitality program currently serves more than 7 million members in 14 countries around the world with plans to launch in an additional 10 markets over the next two years. For more information about Vitality Group, please visit www.thevitalitygroup.com and follow on Twitter: @VitalityUSA.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers’ needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over $1 trillion (US$780 billion) as of June 30, 2017. 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 approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, college savings plans, and certain forms of business insurance. We also offer advice through Signator, a network of independent financial advisors. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.
*Varies based on age, amount of coverage, underwriting status and term period selected.
**HealthyFood savings are based on qualifying purchases and may vary based on the terms of the John Hancock Vitality program.
***Apple Watch Series 3 can be ordered for an initial payment of $25 plus tax and over the next two years, monthly payments are based on the number of workouts completed. The Retail Installment Agreement with the Vitality Group will need to be signed electronically at checkout. Upgrade fees apply if you choose Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular), certain bands and case materials. Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) requires an iPhone 5s or later with iOS 11 or later. Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) requires an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 11 or later.
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) and iPhone service provider must be the same. Cellular is not available with all service providers. Roaming is not available outside your carrier network coverage area. Wireless service plan required for cellular service. Contact your service provider for more details. Check www.apple.com/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers and eligibility.
Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion. Apple Watch is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
Please note: Apple Watch program is not available in New York. Apple Watch Series 3 is only available to John Hancock Vitality members who have not previously ordered an Apple Watch through the program.
****Based on John Hancock Vitality member experience since November 2016.
Insurance policies and/or associated riders and features may not be available in all states.
Premium savings are in comparison to the same John Hancock policy without the Vitality program. Annual premium savings will vary based upon policy type, the terms of the policy, and the level of the insured’s participation in the John Hancock Vitality program.
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 only available to the person insured under the eligible life insurance policy.
Rewards and discounts are subject to change and are not guaranteed to remain the same for the life of the policy.
Insurance products are issued by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Boston, MA 02210 (not licensed in New York) and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY 10595. MLINY101317072
Source: John Hancock Insurance
MacDailyNews Take:
As we wrote in September 2015:
Those who want to sit around, munching chips, while encasing themselves in growing rolls of fat should pay more for the costs brought on by their heart attacks, gout, diabetes, strokes, asthma, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer treatments.
Next we need a way for Apple Watch to detect smokers and charge them more, too. People who make the effort to be healthy, regardless of whether they actually are lucky enough to be healthy or not*, should pay less for their health insurance as they tax the system far less than those who are sedentary, obese and/or smoke. Just as life insurance costs more for those who live unhealthy lifestyles, their health insurance should cost more, too. (Life insurers should utilize Apple Watches in much the same way.)
*If a person is obese for reasons beyond a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, who is actively trying to be healthy as shown by their Apple Watch, but other conditions prevent fat loss (Hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, hormonal imbalances, Syndrome X, medications, etc.) they should get a lower rate than those who are simply leading sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles. Most cases of obesity are due to sedentary lifestyles and consuming more calories than required, not medical conditions.
Furthermore, people should have every right to sit around eating chips and smoking until they drop dead (unfortunately, it’s rarely that clean; they often first tax the health system to a great degree by developing diabetes, cancers, banging off a couple of heart attacks, having a stroke here and there, etc. before they finally make their glorious exit) and insurance companies should have every right to charge them more since, overall, they cost far more to take care of due to their poor choice(s) which raises costs for those who are trying to take care of themselves and therefore cost the system far less.
If you’re fat because you sit around too much and take in more calories than you can possible burn off by sitting on your ass all day, you can either keep on as you’re doing and pay more to cover your increased costs or put down the chips, stand up and get moving! (You can thank us later by continuing to visit during the 10-20 extra years you’ll get by following our advice.)
SEE ALSO:
Apple and Aetna hold secret meetings to bring Apple Watch to the insurer’s 23 million members – August 14, 2017
In major win for Apple, Aetna becomes first insurance company to subsidize Apple Watch – September 27, 2016
New ‘SweatCoin’ iPhone app pays people to get fit – May 5, 2016
Why you’ll wear an Apple Watch to keep your job – March 14, 2016
Share your fitness data for an Apple Watch – or cash – March 2, 2016
Tim Cook hints Apple might build a health device – November 10, 2015
Apple should double down on Apple Watch’s health sensors, battery life, and waterproofing – October 2, 2015
Health insurer will charge more for lazy people, less for active people, based on Apple Watch sensors – September 18, 2015
Dalrymple reviews Apple Watch: ‘My most personal review ever’ – June 16, 2015
so, let’s say OK, I’m hugely fat, and I wanna workout for this apple watch and my health, so I start working out and get it, then I have a injury due to working out too much or too hard, because I want to have the cheapest payment I can, so now, I can’t workout because of this injury that will take 2-3 months to heal….then what????
Then you have to pay for your watch. The way most people do already. Not exactly a disaster.
One small step for man, one giant leap for hubris.
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Why would Big Brother care about your needs or your privacy?
That’s just the initial fee, as the article correctly states. We don’t know if there is any discount to the list price over the life of the payment plan.
“Those who want to sit around, munching chips, while encasing themselves in growing rolls of fat should pay more for the costs brought on by their heart attacks, gout, diabetes, strokes, asthma, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer treatments.”
Oh, come on MDN. You know that’s not the American way. You just said out loud what ever sane person in the world is thinking but no politician of official can afford to say.
I can here it now, “Fat and lazy, I still matter”. You are being so unfair and racist. Why should fat, lazy, be discriminated against and not give the same discounts.
Maybe at some point logic will prevail.
That’s kind of oversimplifying. Do you run for a half hour every day? Do you do you swim laps every day? Do you go to the gym to work out (rather than to look at fit females) three or four times a week? Do you really never eat cake, cookies, bread, ice cream, and other fun foods?
If you can’t say that you do all of those things, and don’t ever eat unhealthy foods, then YOU belong in that lazy group too.
True, I might have oversimplified it a bit to make a point but I have to agree with MDN’s take on who should pay more. Being over weight is easily measurable.
Then again, I also have an issue when I purchase a plane ticket and I only get 1/2 of a seat because someone next to me is taking more than they paid for.
Oh well, I guess I have to pay for that also.
My girl friend’s company, Devita Health has had this for a few months now. She got the large apple watch 3 w? data for $70
Can anyone give the TLDR on what the activity goals are that need to be hit? Do they increase over time (e.g., avg 1k more steps per month than last month)?
Seems like a good sales strategy for life insurance, because many people probably won’t cross-shop enough to know if they’re getting a good deal or whether the company has just edged premiums up enough to offset the cost of the watches.
Their site says “Complimentary Fitbit® device instead of Apple Watch Series 3”.
Hopefully they’re not indicating that if you are a Term life insurance customer then you only get a Fitbit…
Buried in the fine print: “Apple Watch program is not available in New York.”
Presumably this has to do with insurance laws in NY.
Meh.