If you’re exploring Manulife Vitality life insurance for the first time, you may have heard one or two things about it: either it comes with a free Apple Watch, or it sounds like a gym membership disguised as life insurance. Or, you may be wondering…why does my life insurance company care about my steps? Or whether I get outside? Or if I’ve gone to the dentist? All great questions! And if you don’t have Manulife Vitality life insurance yet, understanding the real story matters more even more than the rewards.
When clients first hear about Manulife Vitality, I usually get one of two reactions. Either their eyes light up at the words “free Apple Watch,” or they get a little skeptical, like I’m about to pitch a fitness program instead of a financial one.
“Get rewarded for being healthy” can sound like a gimmick on the surface.
So let me make the distinction I make with every client: Manulife Vitality isn’t a reason to buy life insurance. It’s a reason to feel even better about the insurance you already need.
Most people think Vitality is an insurance rewards program. I don’t. I think it’s a smarter way to own life insurance.
What Is Manulife Vitality life insurance, exactly?
Manulife Vitality is a wellness program built into your life insurance policy. It encourages healthier habits by recognizing things you’re hopefully doing anyway: going on walks, visiting your dentist, completing preventative health screenings, keeping vaccinations up to date, and more. As you participate, you earn points that unlock savings and rewards.
Insurance comes first — always.
Every client conversation starts the same way, Vitality or not: what coverage actually makes sense for your family, your income, and your long-term goals.
We first determine the right amount of coverage, the right type of policy, and the insurer that’s the best fit for your situation. If that recommendation happens to be Manulife, then we look at whether adding Vitality makes sense.
Vitality is layered onto that decision. It’s never the reason for it.
It's about more than rewards
Members who participate consistently can earn up to 15% off eligible premiums, with an automatic 10% discount built into the first year.
What interests me even more, though, is the behavioural science behind it.
Most of us already know what we should be doing: walk more, schedule the dentist appointment, book the annual physical, get better sleep. The challenge isn’t knowledge. Instead, it’s about actually doing it, and being consistent. Vitality creates small incentives such as daily points, and rewards for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels, that make those healthy choices easier to stick with, and those small decisions compound over time. That’s good for more than your health. It’s good for your family, your finances, and the long-term plan you’re building.
A Manulife Vitality feature that doesn't get enough attention
The preventative health benefits that come with Manulife Vitality life insurance deserve far more attention than they get.
Eligible members receive a complimentary at-home health screening each program year, and members over 50 with qualifying coverage can access discounted multi-cancer early detection testing.
Finding a health issue early can change everything — not just from an insurance perspective, but for your quality of life. To me, that’s far more valuable than any Starbucks gift card (although, you can win these too).
The flexibility most people don't know about
This next point is the reason I really recommend Manulife Vitality.
Many people buy term insurance because their need is temporary: a mortgage, young children, or income replacement. But life rarely goes according to plan. If your health changes years from now, converting some of your coverage to permanent insurance without medical underwriting can become incredibly valuable.
What makes Manulife Vitality different is that you don’t have to make an all-or-nothing decision. You can convert just the portion of coverage you want to keep permanently, while the rest continues as term insurance. For many families, that means protecting their insurability without taking on the cost of an expensive permanent policy.
It’s one of those features clients quite frankly don’t care about when they’re first buying insurance — but years later, it can become one of the most valuable parts of the policy.
What I personally use Manulife Vitality life insurance for
I use Vitality myself, and I think it’s important to be transparent about which parts I actually use.
The Apple Watch program genuinely motivated me to move more consistently (turns out desk jobs aren’t great for your step count). The Expedia savings knocked $500 off my upcoming trip to Banff.
But if I had to name the most valuable “reward,” it would be the health screening.
The bottom line…health is wealth
Health and financial planning have always felt like the same conversation to me, just told from two different angles.
The habits that protect your health — staying active, catching problems early, paying attention to your body — are often the same habits that protect your income, your family, and the financial future you’re building. Manulife Vitality simply aligns your insurance with those healthy choices.
If you’re exploring life insurance for the first time, or wondering whether a wellness-linked policy like this is right for you, let’s have a conversation. Contact me today.
And if you want to read more about Manulife Vitality, and its benefits, check out the Manulife Vitality Life Insurance web site.
