John Hancock expands access to cancer screening technology
In September 2022, John Hancock said that it will offer access to GRAIL’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection test to a pilot group of existing customers through the John Hancock Vitality Program while covering either 50% or 100% of the cost.
Now, the life insurer is expanding access to the test to eligible life insurance customers participating in the John Hancock Vitality PLUS program. John Hancock will explore other potential expansions for the future.
Galleri is the “first-of-a-kind” test available for detection of a shared cancer signal across more than 50 cancer types that can be localized to specific tissues or organs to help clinicians focus their diagnostic evaluation. For the majority of these cancer types, there are no alternative screening options available. According to the Galleri website, the test is new to the market and not all health insurers are covering it. The list price for the test is $949 but it may vary depending on the practice setting and healthcare provider ordering the test.
“The initial pilot exceeded our expectations in terms of the number of tests requested, validating our hypothesis that our customers want access to this level of insight into their health. It was always our intention to expand beyond the pilot phase and we are thrilled to see this vision come to life. However, our work with GRAIL runs much deeper than just making Galleri accessible to our customers. We believe there is a critical need to expand awareness of and access to this type of groundbreaking technology. As a life insurer, we are deeply committed to helping our customers live longer, healthier, better lives and we know that preventative care and early detection are key components of that mission.” – Brooks Tingle, president and CEO of John Hancock Insurance.
“Every day counts for cancer patients and their families. Early detection, through tests like Galleri, is a way to write a different story to a cancer diagnosis. We’re proud to bring this technology to our customers.” – Lindsay Hanson, VP, head of Behavioral Insurance, Global Strategy and Delivery, John Hancock.
“The expansion of this first-of-its-kind program shows the benefits of bringing together two industries that share a common goal of improving health outcomes. We are thrilled to see the success of the pilot program and look forward to continuing to work with the leadership at John Hancock as it expands its multi-cancer early detection offering, with the goal of ultimately reducing the burden of cancer and keeping cancer from claiming even more lives.” – Bob Ragusa, CEO at GRAIL.
