Today, Manulife announced that it will launch an insurance program in Canada that connects with customers in a radical new way, providing incentives to customers who demonstrate they are focused on their health (via CBC News).
The program is run in a partnership with the Vitality Group and follows a similar program launched in the US under the Manulife subsidiary John Hancock Financial Services. What makes this program innovative is that Manulife gives reward points and discounts to customers who take steps to improve their health such as using fitness trackers or the Apple Watch, getting a flu shot, and going to the doctor.
“With Vitality, Manulife is changing the whole notion of life insurance in Canada,” said Marianne Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Canada. “Manulife will play an active role in helping Canadians live a long, healthy, happy and fulfilled life. We will be there every step of the way, engaging with them, encouraging them to stay fit and active, and keeping up-to-date on their needs and aspirations, and those of their families.”
The US program integrated with Apple’s HealthKit, so we can expect the same in Canada as well. To enrol in this program, new members will go through an online Vitality Health Review, which determines their Vitality Age, an indicator of overall health (it may be lower or higher than their actual age).
As soon as they are enrolled, members can receive points for working out; maintaining good levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure; or quitting smoking, but other health efforts are rewarded as well.
The customer is ranked bronze, silver, gold, or platinum and can receive up to a 15% discount on his or her premium the following year.
Each new applicant gets a free FitBit activity-tracking bracelet for signing up, but applicants can also use other wearables such as the Apple Watch. To earn points for their steps and activity data, customers can opt in via the John Hancock Vitality app, enabling their data to be used in calculating their progress toward their fitness goals and Vitality Status. You can download the John Hancock Vitality app from the App Store for free.
