BOSTON, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Life Insurance Company (John Hancock) was selected by LifePlans, Inc. in conjunction with the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to pilot a Living Independently and Falls-free Together (LIFT) program to study education and awareness methods designed to help prevent falls among older Americans.

Nearly one-third of people over age 65 fall each year. Falls are a leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of non-fatal injuries among the elderly.(1)

Most falls occur at seniors' homes and are a major contributor to nursing home admissions and long-term care claim costs. Over the next few decades, the cost for providing long-term care will be a major expense for American households, insurers, states and the federal government. It is estimated that the cost of all fall injuries for people age 65 or older will be roughly $36 billion in 2008, and will climb to $44 billion by 2020.(1)

"Falls among seniors are frequent, related to health deterioration and are costly -- but can be prevented," said Marianne Harrison, President of John Hancock Long-Term Care Insurance. "We're pleased to work with LifePlans and DHHS on the LIFT program to find the most effective way of reducing these falls."

Through the LIFT Program, approximately five thousand John Hancock policyholders will voluntarily participate receiving various combinations of assessments and program interventions including:

-- Telephone evaluation by a nurse to evaluate health and fall risk factors

-- An in-home visit by a nurse to evaluate health, lifestyle, fall history, home environment, and medical conditions

-- Personalized action plan with specific recommendations designed to increase independence and reduce the risk of falling

-- Fall prevention tool kit including a pedometer, exercise video and other items designed to help individuals stay healthy and safe at home

Through the study, periodic follow-ups and coordination with the individual's primary care physician will be used to measure the impact of the program components. "We think the study will show that an effective fall prevention program can help conserve the limited state and federal dollars available to cover the costs of falls, while helping individuals to remain independent and healthy much longer into their lives," said Harrison.

About John Hancock Long-Term Care Insurance

John Hancock is one of the largest providers of LTC insurance overall with more than 1,000,000 LTC insurance clients and $1.4 billion of in-force LTC insurance premium.(2) The company holds $8.1 billion in LTC reserves and has paid $1.8 billion in LTC insurance claims.(3)

Having entered the retail LTC insurance market in 1987, John Hancock is one of the largest carriers of individual coverage in the country.(4) John Hancock began selling group LTC insurance in 1988 and today is the largest provider of employer-sponsored group LTC insurance in the U.S.(5)

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$400 billion (US$389 billion) as at March 31, 2008.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com/.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at http://www.johnhancock.com/.

Long Term Care Insurance is underwritten by John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02117

(1) Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview."

  (2) As of December 31, 2007, according to internal financial records
  (3) As of December 31, 2007, according to internal financial records

(4) LIMRA International, U.S. Individual Long-Term Care Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2007

(5) LIMRA International, U. S. Group Long-Term Care Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2007

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Source: John Hancock Long-Term Care Insurance

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