MassMutual launches innovative wellness offerings that help Policyowners better understand and protect their health

SPRINGFIELD and BOSTON, Mass. – Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced that it is enabling eligible policyowners to gain knowledge about their health through a variety of tools, offerings and research so they can make informed, proactive health decisions that may help them lead longer, healthier lives.   

The company’s efforts are centralized under the MassMutual Health and Wellness Program, which focuses on initiatives that provide policyowners with insights into their potential health risks, empowering them to seek out appropriate interventions and motivate healthy behaviors and lifestyles.  

"For generations, MassMutual has delivered long-term value to our policyowners by providing holistic financial solutions that address their needs at each stage of life,” said Sears Merritt, Head of Enterprise Technology and Experience, MassMutual. “Now, we are proud to expand on our offerings by unveiling innovative solutions that provide them with knowledge to make choices that support their well-being, helping them to lead fulfilled lives and be there for the most meaningful moments with their loved ones.”  

Examples of MassMutual Health and Wellness Program offerings that were launched over the past year include:    

• A research collaboration with Genomics plc – Eligible policyowners were offered a genetic risk assessment service that provided information about their likelihood of developing three common diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Among more than 1,400 policyowners who participated:
• 1 in 5 learned they may be at higher risk for preventable diseases.   
• 71 percent planned to take preventative action, such as physician-recommended diagnostic tests and health and lifestyle modifications.  
• Reported health care visits within four months of the test doubled if a high-risk result was received.  

Due to the interest demonstrated during the initial research collaboration, MassMutual will expand availability to additional policyowners this fall, continuing as the first life insurance carrier to provide the offering. The expanded service will also assess individuals’ risk levels for additional diseases including atrial fibrillation, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and osteopenia/osteoporosis.  

• A pilot with GRAIL, LLC – Eligible policyowners were provided with access to multi-cancer early detection testing. GRAIL’s Galleri® test can detect a shared cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer, including several for which no other form of screening is available. It can also predict the cancer signal origin, or the tissue or organ where the cancer signal originated, to help guide diagnostic evaluation. Of more than 2,200 policyowners who participated in the pilot:
• Nearly two dozen positive cancer signals were detected; confirmed cases are being determined as individuals work with their medical providers. 
• 94 percent of participating policyowners indicated a positive overall experience with their testing.  

Based on the positive experience reported by policyowners who chose to participate in the pilot, MassMutual is considering a possible expansion.

MassMutual is also debuting exploratory initiatives that incentivize and reward healthy behaviors utilizing data from wearable devices: 

• The MassMutual Wellness-Enhanced Lifestyle & Longevity (WELL) Rider pilot – This optional offering from MassMutual gives new term life insurance policyowners the opportunity to earn rewards for healthy behaviors. By voluntarily tracking and reporting their physical activity and sleep data utilizing a wearable device through the LivingWELL by MassMutual app and meeting associated goals, participants can receive cash incentives of up to 5% of their annual policy premiums. The WELL Rider, launched in September, is initially available in 22 states. 
• The Lived Experiences Measured Using Rings Study (LEMURS) – MassMutual partnered with researchers at the University of Vermont (UVM) to explore lifestyle practices that impacted the health and wellness of more than 600 student volunteers, leveraging data from a ring that tracks movement and sleep data. Findings advanced MassMutual’s understanding of the correlation between well-being markers such as exercise, respiratory rate during sleep, group therapy and time spent in nature that were shown to have significant impact on reducing levels of stress and anxiety in college students. Among key findings, respiratory rate was shown to be significantly associated with stress during the first semester of college for participating students. 

“We know that individuals increasingly want to take charge of their health and well-being so they can live their best lives,” said Merritt. “As a mutual company that operates for the benefit of our policyowners, we are focused on not only helping people secure their future and protect the ones they love, but also supporting their overall quality and length of life.”  

The MassMutual Health and Wellness Program employs a test and learn approach, with potential for future offerings to be launched and others to be concluded depending on policyowner interest and learnings. 

Participation in MassMutual Health and Wellness Program initiatives is voluntary. Results do not impact policyowners’ current policies or premiums. MassMutual only receives high-level, anonymized data from the Genomics and GRAIL offerings and leverages policyowner information strictly to facilitate providing benefits associated with using the LivingWELL by MassMutual app. UVM does not provide MassMutual with any LEMURS participant information. Anonymized, aggregate data allows the company to better understand policyowners’ health and behaviors as well as their interest in these types of offerings. Eligibility is based on factors including age, geography, and type of individual MassMutual policy.