SYMETRA NEWSROOM
Symetra Adds New Consumer-Facing Cancer Care CompassSM Site During National Cancer Prevention Month
BELLEVUE, Wash. — (Feb. 11, 2025) — With National Cancer Prevention Month underway, Symetra Life Insurance Company unveiled a new consumer-facing web-based resource highlighting the unique combination of cancer care benefits and services of its groundbreaking Cancer Care Compass. Introduced in 2024, the industry-first optional rider package provides a suite of features and benefits that can help support customers during their lifetime. It is available at application for an additional cost on Symetra’s indexed universal life (IUL) policies.
Created by the American Association for Cancer Research1, National Cancer Prevention Month is observed every February and promotes modifiable health behaviors to reduce the risk of cancer. Research indicates that nearly 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime,2 and it’s reported that 42 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented through lifestyle changes.3
“When we understood the role that lifestyle changes can play in helping lower cancer risk, we wanted to be part of a solution,” said Mindi Work, executive vice president, Individual Life and Emerging Solutions. “Inspired by our own employees’ personal cancer experiences, we knew we wanted to help empower customers to be proactive about their health and their future. That is what Cancer Care Compass is all about, and our new web-based content helps consumers understand the features it offers in the fight against cancer.”
The Cancer Care Compass webpage includes access to a case study and a guide that details the rider’s benefits and services.
Also featured is a video series featuring four Symetra employees, who share their personal stories about the impact of cancer in their lives and the lives of their loved ones:
- Ron shares his personal story about being diagnosed with throat and neck cancer, and the challenges he faced on his cancer journey.
- Heidi recalls the impact her manager’s ovarian cancer diagnosis had on her, and how the nutrition intervention, guidance and support that Cancer Care Compass offers can provide the tools for people to take control of their health and future now. system.
- Greg’s wife learned she had breast cancer the day after Christmas. Cancer Care Compass’s health advocacy services could have helped them get answers to their questions on their time, not just when meeting with doctors.
- Zeenath shares her personal story about her grandmother’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Access to early detection testing like that available in Cancer Care Compass might have changed the outcome.
Cancer Care Compass has four components:
- Nutrition intervention, guidance and support — Proper nutrition can have a positive effect on overall health and longevity. Savor Health® provides policyowners and eligible family members with on-demand access to personalized, evidence-based nutrition interventions that can help prevent and manage chronic conditions like cancer. Services include customized recipes, menu plans and 24/7 online nutrition support.
- Multi-cancer early detection test — When cancer is detected in its earliest stages, treatment can be more effective and survival rates improve significantly. Cancer Care Compass offers access to the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test by GRAIL that detects a cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer.
- Health advocacy services — Navigating the physical, emotional and cost challenges of a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Health AdvocateSM provides policyowners and their eligible family members with expert-led, compassionate support to help navigate the healthcare system, including resolving insurance-related issues, wellness coaching, negotiating bill payments, and a 24/7 registered hotline.
- Cash benefit — Policyholders select a Cancer Care Compass cash benefit amount at application. With a qualifying cancer diagnosis, a lump sum is paid with no restrictions on how the money can be used. Replace lost income, pay insurance deductibles and copayments, or even take a well-deserved vacation. No receipts or invoices are required.
To learn more about Cancer Care Compass, visit www.symetra.com/cancercare.
About Symetra
Symetra Financial Corporation is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent financial professionals and insurance producers.
Contact(s):
Media Relations:
Diana McSweeney
(425) 256-6167
diana.mcsweeney@symetra.com
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Life insurance is issued by Symetra Life Insurance Company, 777 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004-5135. Policies and riders may not be available in all U.S. or any U.S. territory and terms and conditions may vary by the state in which they are available.
Symetra Accumulator Ascent IUL and Protector IUL are flexible-premium adjustable life insurance policies with index-linked interest options. Policy form number for Accumulator Ascent IUL is ICC17_LC1 in most states. Policy form number for Protector IUL is ICC18_LC2 in most states.
Symetra’s Cancer Care CompassSM is a rider package comprised of the Cancer Insurance and the Value Added Services riders and is available with Symetra’s indexed universal life insurance policies.
A rider is a provision of the policy that may have additional costs, limitations, potential benefits and features that should never be confused with the base policy itself. Before evaluating the benefits of a rider, carefully examine the policy to which it is attached.
Certain benefits or riders may have tax implications. You should consult with your legal or tax professional prior to purchasing.
Life insurance policies contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms for keeping them in-force. Please contact your insurance professional for complete details.
The Cancer Insurance Rider is offered at application for an additional cost and is usually issued under rider form number L-10351. The rider is only available for insureds issue ages 20-80, and if elected, additional underwriting will be required. It’s possible that the insured is approved for the base policy but declined for the rider based on the rider underwriting results. The rider is not available on policies with ratings worse than Table 4, with annual flat extras exceeding $5 per $1,000, or with both flat extras and table rates. The maximum cash benefit amount is selected at application and cannot be increased once the rider is issued. If the Cancer Insurance Rider is declined, the Value Added Services Rider is not available.
If the insured is certified as having been diagnosed with a Category One or Two cancer after the benefit waiting period, the policyowner will be eligible to receive a lump-sum cash benefit. The claim must be submitted to Symetra with a board-certified physician’s statement and proof of the insured’s qualifying cancer diagnosis as soon as reasonably possible. The initial benefit amount may be lower than the maximum benefit amount elected (Category One) if the diagnosis is first certified as a Category Two cancer. If the insured is subsequently diagnosed and certified with a Category One cancer, any remaining benefit will be paid out in a lump sum. When the total maximum benefit amount is paid, the rider will terminate and the monthly rider charges will stop. In no case will the total benefit amount be higher than the maximum benefit amount. The payout of the rider’s benefit amount will have no effect on the policy’s death benefit, accelerated death benefit rider benefits, policy value or loan value. For policies with a lapse protection benefit, the lapse protection value will be reduced by rider charges.
Monthly rider charges, when deducted from the policy value, are treated as withdrawals and are subject to the same income tax rules that apply to any other withdrawals. The purchase of this rider and/or receipt of a Cancer Benefit Amount payment may have other income tax consequences. Consult with your personal tax or legal professional before applying for this benefit.
Cancer Care Compass includes the Value Added Services Rider for an additional cost and is usually issued under form number L-10358. The value-added services are provided by third-party providers that are independent of Symetra Life Insurance Company. Registering to use or using these services is optional.
The Galleri® multi-cancer early detection screening test is administered by GRAIL, LLC, and is available one time to insured’s ages 50-89 under the rider after the benefit waiting period. The test is available through an independent telemedicine healthcare provider. The test results are provided to the insured. Access to the rider’s nutrition or health advocacy services are available after the benefit waiting period and will remain available to the policyowner and their eligible family through the insured’s age 90 or at no additional cost for two years following the payment of the rider maximum benefit amount.
Products and services offered under the Value Added Services Rider are not insurance and are subject to change. For more information, please contact Symetra at www.symetra.com or by telephone at 1-800-796-3872. There are additional requirements associated with participation in the value-added services. Terms and conditions may vary and may not be available in all U.S. states or any U.S. territory. If any service is discontinued or if we elect to cease to offer a service, we may substitute a reasonably comparable service. If no reasonably comparable service is available, we may discontinue the specific service and cease charging for that service.
As of 8/30/2024, Cancer Care Compass is not available in the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, IN, MA, MD, MO, ND, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, or VA.
1 February Is National Cancer Prevention Month (American Association for Cancer Research), 2024.
2 American Cancer Society, June 5, 2023.
3 Cancer Facts and Statistics: What You Need to Know (verywellhealth.com), July 4, 2022.
Symetra® is a registered service mark of Symetra Life Insurance Company. Cancer Care CompassSM is a service mark of Symetra Life Insurance Company.
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