John Hancock has teamed up with Amazon in a program that provides the insurance company’s customers with tools to monitor and improve their health.
The product is called Amazon Halo, a health and wellness bracelet and app that use artificial intelligence to measure and record participants’ activity levels, sleep and body tone, among other vital statistics. The product, which is normally available to Amazon customers for a fee, will now be provided to clients of John Hancock’s “Vitality” program free of charge. The Vitality program rewards users for taking positive steps to improve their health through better nutrition, exercise, etc. The program launched in 2015 and was designed to help customers understand how their daily choices affect their overall well-being.
Amazon Halo helps in that endeavor by measuring a person’s activity, including their motion and heart rate. It also gauges the time users spend in various phases of slumber, including deep, light and REM sleep.
Customers will be able to sync the Amazon Halo wristband with their Vitality account to earn points and rewards from John Hancock. Those who participate will be able to earn Amazon gift cards and Amazon Prime membership. The companies will explore additional ways to expand the program.
John Hancock said it is the first life insurer to integrate with Amazon Halo, adding that the new program “will help life insurance customers make connections between their fitness, sleep and other lifestyle habits to better understand their overall health.”
Melissa Cha, vice president of Amazon Halo, said in a statement, “John Hancock shares our belief that small changes can make a big impact on health, and we look forward to seeing how their customers use the insights Amazon Halo provides to achieve their health goals."
Brooks Tingle, president and CEO of John Hancock Insurance, added in the press release, “We believe a life insurance company is in a unique position to help customers live longer, healthier lives, and by integrating Amazon's new health and wellness technology into our program, we can create a more meaningful, engaging and holistic experience for our customers."
"Integrating this kind of innovation to the customer experience continues to fundamentally transform the value customers can get from their life insurance," Tingle said.