Highlights power of strategic industry
partnerships to promote preventive health and empower
well-being
BOSTON, Sept. 20,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, John Hancock, the US division of Toronto-based Manulife (NYSE: MFC), announced
it is offering access to GRAIL's Galleri® multi-cancer
early detection test to a pilot group of existing customers
through the John Hancock Vitality Program, in collaboration with
reinsurer Munich Re Life US. As the first life insurance carrier to
make this breakthrough screening technology available, John Hancock is enabling eligible customers to
take proactive steps to better understand and make more informed
choices about their health.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 600,000
people die from cancer each year in the
United States and many cancers show no symptoms until later
stages, when treatment options may be limited.1 Early
detection of cancer can improve cancer outcomes, yet today, many
cancers are detected in late stages because only five types have
recommended screenings — breast, cervical, colon, lung, and
prostate cancers.
John Hancock Vitality is available with the company's life
insurance policies — offering education, support, incentives, and
rewards to encourage customers to take everyday steps toward a
longer, healthier, better life. The Galleri test, the newest
feature to be added to the program for eligible customers, is a
first-of-its-kind multi-cancer early detection blood test. In a
clinical study, the Galleri test demonstrated the ability to detect
a signal from more than 50 types of cancers, over 45 of which lack
recommended screening tests. The test can also help determine where
in the body cancer may be located, which can then guide diagnostic
follow up.
"At John Hancock, we are deeply invested in helping our
customers live longer, healthier, better lives. Almost everyone has
experienced the devastating effects of cancer in some way and by
making this early screening technology available, we can help
change the cancer narrative for some of our customers," said
Brooks Tingle, President and CEO of
John Hancock Insurance. "As a life insurer, we can use our unique
position to make a powerful impact. As such, we are bringing
together carriers, distributors, reinsurers, and innovative
technology companies to transform our customers' experience while
empowering them with knowledge about their health, ultimately
improving lives."
Individual test results will not be shared with John Hancock and will have no impact on a
customer's current life insurance coverage or pricing, or status in
the Vitality program. John Hancock
has partnered with GRAIL's exclusive reinsurance partner, Munich Re
Life US, to bring this offering to life insurance customers for the
first time, with support from Swiss Re and SCOR. John Hancock has also collaborated with M
Financial Group, an early partner of GRAIL.
"This collaboration amongst forward-thinking organizations,
within the insurance industry, highlights the power of strategic
industry partners rallying around an aligned mission to help fight
cancer," said Bob Ragusa, Chief
Executive Officer at GRAIL. "With this initiative by John Hancock to make Galleri available to
eligible customers, as a complement to other cancer screenings, we
can help change the status quo and continue in our
goal to dramatically increase cancer detection from screening
in the population to improve public health."
Marc Giguere, President and CEO
of Munich Re Life US commented, "Munich Re Life US has a
responsibility to society to help advance early cancer detection
and treatments that produce better outcomes for cancer patients.
With this partnership, we are helping to bridge the gap between
medical research and advancements and their impact on life
insurance by bringing innovative solutions to our carrier partners.
Munich Re Life US is incredibly proud to embark on this journey
with GRAIL and John Hancock."
Through this pilot, John Hancock
will assess customer adoption of Galleri, as well as the overall
user experience, before deciding how best to offer the test in the
future. The Galleri test does not replace recommended routine
cancer screenings.
- Cancer Facts and Figures 2021
https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf
Disclaimer
Galleri is a registered trademark of GRAIL, LLC ("Grail").
The test is manufactured and distributed by GRAIL. John Hancock is not an affiliate of GRAIL.
John Hancock does not provide
medical advice and is not responsible for the accuracy or
performance of the Galleri test. There is no coordination between
any health benefits you may receive from an insurance policy,
health plan, or any other wellness programs you may be enrolled
in.
Galleri is not a test to confirm or rule out genetic or other
conditions that may indicate a predisposition to cancer. It is
important to underscore that Galleri is not a means of diagnosis,
but rather a tool to help individuals screen for cancer earlier.
The Galleri test does not replace recommended routine cancer
screenings. The Galleri test has not been cleared or
approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but has received a
breakthrough device designation by the FDA. GRAIL's clinical
laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and accredited by the College of American
Pathologists (CAP). As GRAIL pursues FDA approval, they have
launched Galleri as a Laboratory Developed Test in compliance with
applicable regulatory requirements, backed by
evidence.
The Galleri test is only available to registered John Hancock
Vitality PLUS members who are 50 years of age or older, have
completed the Vitality Health Review (VHR) for the current program
year, and whose policies were issued between
9/1/2019 and 3/31/2022. For eligible policies with coverage
amounts of $500,000 or greater, 100%
of the cost of the test will be subsidized. For policies with less
than $500,000 in coverage, 50% of the
cost of the test will be subsidized.
The Galleri test through The John Hancock Vitality Program is
not currently available in ID, ND, NM, NY or VT.
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
Important Safety
Information
The Galleri test is recommended for use in adults with an
elevated risk for cancer, such as those aged 50 or older. The
Galleri test does not detect all cancers and should be used in
addition to routine cancer screening tests recommended by a
healthcare provider. Galleri is intended to detect cancer and
predict where in the body the cancer signal is located. Use of
Galleri is not recommended in individuals who are pregnant, 21
years old or younger, or undergoing active cancer
treatment.
Results should be interpreted by a healthcare provider in the
context of medical history, clinical signs and symptoms. A test
result of "Cancer Signal Not Detected" does not rule out cancer. A
test result of "Cancer Signal Detected" requires confirmatory
diagnostic evaluation by medically established procedures (e.g.,
imaging) to confirm cancer.
If cancer is not confirmed with further testing, it could
mean that cancer is not present or testing was insufficient to
detect cancer, including due to the cancer being located in a
different part of the body. False-positive (a cancer signal
detected when cancer is not present) and false-negative (a cancer
signal not detected when cancer is present) test results do occur.
Rx only.
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, incentives, and
behavioral science, we inspire healthy changes in individuals and
their organizations. As one of the largest wellness companies in
the world, Vitality brings a dynamic and diverse perspective
through successful partnerships with the most forward-thinking
insurers and employers. More than 20 million people in 31 markets
engage in the Vitality program. For more information, visit
vitalitygroup.com or follow us on Twitter 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.
Insurance policies and/or associated riders and features may not
be available in all states.
About Munich Re Life US
As one of the leading life reinsurers in the United
States, Munich Re Life US partners with insurers to
leverage smart and connected data, embrace new ideas and
technologies, make confident decisions at speed and scale, and gain
an exponential understanding of underlying risks. Munich Re Life US
is well known in the industry as an innovation leader with
extensive technical depth. Its optimized solutions and capital
management expertise expand beyond market leading offerings in
individual life, group, individual disability and living benefits
reinsurance, to a global center for predictive analytics, automated
underwriting, digital partnerships and standard-setting
underwriting and medical capabilities. Munich Re Life US believes
the digital economy offers an unprecedented opportunity for the
life insurance industry to rapidly advance risk assessment and
close the widening global underinsured gap.
Munich Re Life US, incorporated as Munich American Reassurance
Company, is a subsidiary of Münchener Rückversicherungs-
Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München ("Munich Re"). It has
high ratings for financial strength from A.M. Best Company and
Standards & Poors. Munich Re Life US serves clients throughout
the United States from its two
locations in New York and
Atlanta.
About GRAIL
GRAIL is a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer
early, when it can be cured. GRAIL is focused on alleviating the
global burden of cancer by developing pioneering technology to
detect and identify multiple deadly cancer types early. The company
is using the power of next-generation sequencing, population-scale
clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data
science to enhance the scientific understanding of cancer biology,
and to develop its multi-cancer early detection blood test. GRAIL
is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA
with locations in Washington,
D.C., North Carolina, and
the United Kingdom. GRAIL, LLC, is
a subsidiary of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) currently held
separate from Illumina Inc. under the terms of the Interim Measures
Order of the European Commission dated 29
October 2021.
For more information, visit grail.com.
About Galleri®
The earlier that cancer is detected, the higher the chance of
successful outcomes. The Galleri multi-cancer early detection test
can detect signals across more than 50 types of cancer, as defined
by the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, through a
routine blood draw. When a cancer signal is detected, the Galleri
test predicts the cancer signal origin, or helps to determine where
the cancer is located in the body, with high accuracy to help guide
the next steps to diagnosis. The Galleri test requires a
prescription from a licensed healthcare provider and should be used
in addition to recommended cancer screenings such as mammography,
colonoscopy, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, or cervical
cancer screening. It is intended for use in people with an elevated
risk of cancer, such as those aged 50 or older.
For more information about Galleri, visit galleri.com.
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