BOSTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Long-Term Care has expanded its successful long-term care insurance (LTCI) training efforts by partnering with LTC Connection, Inc., to provide access to an affordable turn-key program that enables financial services firms to conduct their own LTCI mandatory training classes. The program is compliant with the DRA and NAIC Producer Training Requirements, as well as each state's training regulations.

Called "Partnership Training in a Box," the program provides agencies with all the tools and resources they need to offer their own four and eight-hour classes -- where, when, and to whom they want. LTC Connection, Inc. will oversee approval of trainers as CE instructors in the states in which they will teach; provide state-approved presentations and required classroom materials, and issue certificates of completion and applicable continuing education credits.

"Having trained thousands of agents through our regular in-classroom and online courses, we often encountered a desire for agencies to be able to train their own representatives, in an easy cost-effective way," said Catherine Dove, Partnership Training Director, John Hancock Long-Term Care Insurance. "LTC Connection's program fits the bill and will help agencies' marketing and recruiting efforts while they help agents meet Partnership training requirements."

Partnership in a Box is available to any agency, and there is a discount for John Hancock affiliated firms. More information on the program is available at: www.partnershiptraininginabox.com.

To date, John Hancock has trained close to 20,000 students and held more than 500 classroom events helping producers and distributors meet the new mandatory LTCI training requirements.

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 $1.5 billion of in-force LTC insurance premium.(1) The company holds $9.4 billion in LTC insurance reserves for future claims(2) and has paid $2.2 billion in LTC 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) More information about long-term care issues and insurance products can be found at www.johnhancockLTC.com .

About John Hancock and Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through 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$421 billion (US$362 billion) as of June 30, 2009. 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.

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.

Long-term care insurance is underwritten by John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02117 and in New York by John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02117.

(1) As of December 31, 2008, according to internal financial records.

(2) As of December 31, 2008, according to internal financial records inclusive of active and claims reserves for individual and group long-term care insurance.

(3) Based on John Hancock internal data as of 12/31/08. Total includes individual and group long-term care insurance and 50% of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

(4) LIMRA International, U.S. Individual Long-Term Care Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2008.

(5) LIMRA International, U. S. Group Long-Term Care Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2008.

SOURCE John Hancock Long-Term Care