BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwire - January 28, 2009) - John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company has attained qualification in the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA), the leading independent standards-setting and compliance solutions organization for the life insurance, annuity and long-term care insurance marketplace.

In addition, IMSA congratulates the following John Hancock companies for completing the rigorous, independent review of their marketing, sales and compliance practices required every three years to qualify for renewed IMSA membership:

--  John Hancock Life Insurance Company
--  John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A)
--  John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York
--  John Hancock Variable Life Insurance Company
    

"John Hancock is proud to attain national ethics recognition from IMSA," said Jim Gallagher, global compliance chief for John Hancock. "Our vision is to be the most professional life insurance company in the world, providing the very best financial protection and investment management services tailored to customers in every market where we do business. We commend IMSA for their hard work in promoting industry standards."

"IMSA qualification is a tangible demonstration of a company's ongoing commitment to high standards of ethical business practices and fair and honest service to customers," Atchinson said. "We applaud these companies for their dedication to exemplary business practices."

IMSA is the premier standards-setting and compliance solutions organization for the life insurance, annuity and long-term care insurance marketplace for individually sold products. Qualified companies commit to maintaining high ethical standards and to being fair, honest, and open in the way they advertise, sell and service their products. For more information and a list of IMSA-qualified companies, visit www.IMSAethics.org.

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$385 billion (US$364 billion) as at September 30, 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 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, fixed products, 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 www.johnhancock.com.