2010 News Releases

Taipei – Manulife (International) Limited today announced the launch of a whole life participating plan with accelerated benefits for 26 dread diseases.

According to the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI), by April 2010, over 23 million people were covered by Taiwan’s national health insurance, of which 830,000 carried a “severe illness/disability card.”   BNHI noted that medical expenses paid out to those with severe illnesses amount to NT$130 billion per year, about a quarter of the total expenditure. BNHI has recently announced plans to redefine what constitutes a severe illness, in hope of reducing costs.

This participating dread disease protection plan is a policy that combines illnesses and death protections. Once the policyholder is diagnosed with an illness for which coverage is insured, Manulife will immediately pay 50 percent of the face amount. At the same time, Manulife will stop charging premiums and the policy will continue without future premium payments. The participating dread disease whole life policy also pays annual dividends throughout policyholders’ lives.

“Manulife has over 120 years of experience, providing customers with strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking financial solutions,” said Mark O’Dell, president and CEO of Manulife Taiwan. “This newly launched participating dread disease whole life policy allows customers to choose to pay premiums for 10 or 20 years term, and is well suited for young customers under 30 years of age. The policy not only offers protections, but also carries policy value.”

Product Highlights:

• Dread disease benefits:
  • If diagnosed with a specific illness as specified in the policy, the policyholder will get 50 percent of the face amount, paid once in his or her lifetime.
  • If diagnosed with a specific type of cancer as listed in the policy, the policyholder will get 5 percent of the face amount, paid once in his or her lifetime.
• Premium waiver:
  • When diagnosed with a specific illness for the first time, or when suffering from degree two to degree six disability, the policyholder can have his or her premiums waived.
• Death benefit / total and permanent dismemberment benefit
• Distribution of annual dividends
• Discounts of up to five percent on premiums 

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 22 countries and territories worldwide. For more than 120 years, clients worldwide have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions.   Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients around the world. We provide asset management services to institutional customers worldwide as well as reinsurance solutions, specializing in life and property and casualty retrocession. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$446 billion (US$440 billion) as at March 31, 2010. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

For more information, please contact:

In Taiwan:

Jennifer Fu
02-2757-4887 0955-847-648
jennifer_nl_fu@manulife.com 

Stephanie Wang 
02-2757-2874   0963-280-256
stephanie_ty_wang@manulife.com