Heart health is crucial to your ability to live life on your terms; that’s why John Hancock is eager to offer eligible long-term care insurance policyholders voluntary access to a no-cost echocardiogram (“heart echo”) screening from Caption Care, which can be done in the comfort of your home.
A doctor can use this heart echo screening to assess your heart’s structure and function, including:
- The size, shape, and thickness of your heart
- If your heart valves are working
properly - Your heart’s pumping strength
- And more
Heart echo screenings are safe, painless and non-invasive.
- Submit your pre-appointment forms to Caption Care: Confirm that you qualify for the screening and fill out the online forms.
- Schedule your screening: Caption Care will call you to arrange an in-home heart echo screening at a time that works best for you.
- Complete convenient in-home screening: A trained healthcare examiner will visit your home to conduct the heart echo screening.
- Receive your results: You will receive your results by mail, along with a copy you can easily share with your doctor.
- During the screening, you’ll be asked to undress from the waist up and wear a provided paper gown.
- You’ll lie comfortably on your bed or sofa while ultrasound gel is applied to three areas of your chest.
- Your healthcare examiner will use a non-invasive ultrasound device to capture images of your heart.
- The screening takes about 20 minutes to perform.
Caption Care's Frequently Asked Questions
Caption Care is a specialty diagnostic service that provides focused echocardiogram (“heart echo”) screenings to detect structural heart disease. These screenings are performed using advanced, FDA-cleared imaging technology from GE HealthCare and are reviewed by licensed, board-certified cardiologists to provide insights into your heart health.
There are several different kinds of heart echos. All heart echos use ultrasound to look at the heart for different clinical reasons. Caption Care performs a type of heart echo that is called a focused echocardiogram to screen for structural heart disease. This targeted heart echo screening is designed to answer specific questions about your heart health.
As we get older, it is common for our hearts to undergo changes that affect their structure and function. A focused heart echo screening can help detect some of these changes earlier, when they are easier to treat.
A focused heart echo screening is a good first step in understanding your heart health. Depending on the results of your focused heart echo screening, your doctor may recommend that you get another type of echocardiogram or another test that provides additional information about your health. To learn more about other heart health screenings, consider this resource from the American Heart Association.
Individuals with the following conditions may still benefit from a heart echo screening from Caption Care, but are likely to have already had more comprehensive diagnostic testing that provides more information than a focused heart echo screening:
- Heart rhythm issues (e.g., atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs))
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Pacemaker or defibrillator
- Prior cardiac surgeries or procedures
Lastly, some conditions can affect ultrasound image quality, such as having a known severe chest wall deformity or breast augmentation/implants; individuals with these conditions may still benefit from a heart echo screening from Caption Care, but image quality limitations may affect results.
During the heart echo screening the trained healthcare examiner will ask you to undress from the waist up and provide you with a paper gown to wear. You’ll lie comfortably on your bed or sofa while a small amount of ultrasound gel is applied to three areas of your chest. You may be asked to breathe in or out at times to help the examiner capture the best possible images. The screening takes about 20 minutes to perform.
This focused heart echo screening assesses the structure and function of the four chambers of your heart, as well as other structures like the valves and blood vessels that bring blood to and from the heart.
Caption Care is unfortunately not able to perform heart echo screening for individuals in the following categories:
- Body mass index (BMI) of <19 or >45 (calculated based on your height and weight)
- History of congenital heart disease, heart transplant or implanted heart pump
- Physically unable to lie flat for the duration of the screening (up to 25 minutes), and/or does not have a location to lie flat for the screening (e.g., bed, couch, etc.)
An electrocardiogram (EKG) records the electrical activity of the heart that helps it beat. An echocardiogram (echo) takes pictures of your heart using sound waves and gives a doctor information about your heart’s structure and function. While similar, they can provide different insights about your heart, your wellness, and potential risks.
Yes, this focused heart echo screening is safe. It is an ultrasound of the heart.
No, this focused heart echo screening does not use radiation; instead, it uses sound waves.
A heart echo screening is non-invasive. You might feel some light pressure on your chest during the screening to help get a clear image of your heart. You may be asked to breathe in or out at times to help the examiner capture the best possible images.
Your assigned healthcare examiner will be a certified medical professional with experience in patient care, trained to capture images of the heart using GE HealthCare ultrasound technology. If you have a specific gender preference for your examiner, we will make our best effort to accommodate your preference during the scheduling process.
Your assigned examiner will call you 24-48 hours before your scheduled appointment to introduce themselves and review any special instructions you may want to provide (driving or parking instructions, pets awareness, etc.). Your assigned examiner will be wearing medical scrubs with a name tag, and they will also have an ID on hand. They will provide proof of identity upon arrival if requested and will reverify your information prior to performing the screening.
Yes, you may have a family member or friend present at your appointment.
Yes, we can often accommodate a different residential address for the screening. During the scheduling call please provide the residential address where you would prefer the screening to be performed.
No, you do not need to fast. You should eat normal meals.
Yes, you should take your regular medication at normal times.
No, this heart echo screening is a complimentary offer from John Hancock.
This heart echo screening is at no cost to you. It is paid for by John Hancock.
DISCLOSURES
Caption Care provides AI-guided ultrasound imaging services for screening purposes only. We do not diagnose, treat, or otherwise provide medical services. Responsibility for your overall medical care remains with your healthcare provider. Always consult your healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns or questions and to determine next steps in your plan of care.
Caption Care does not provide emergency services. If you are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fainting, or other concerning symptoms, call 911 or seek immediate medical attention.
The Caption Care platform and technology enables trained medical staff to perform an echocardiogram (heart echo) screening through Caption Care’s AI-guided echocardiogram technology wherever the patient is located. After the completion of the Caption Care echocardiogram screening, the diagnostic images are then sent to a licensed, board-certified cardiologist for review. The results are then mailed to you for your review and use with your healthcare providers. The Caption Care echocardiogram screening is for screening purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, consultation, treatment or diagnosis. A licensed board-certified cardiologist with Caption Care will review your diagnostic images and provide you with the results. You will be free to share and use the results of your Caption Care echo with your healthcare providers.
Your participation is totally voluntary and if you choose to participate, your participation with Caption Care P.C., P.A. and Caption Care P.C. of California and affiliated medical practices (together, “Caption Care”) services will not impact your John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) (“John Hancock”) long-term care insurance policy, benefits or premium. The availability of Caption Care’s services does not imply any endorsement by John Hancock of the quality of the services that may be provided. You are responsible for your own review of the quality and suitability of Caption Care and their services should you be eligible to receive the services. Caption Care is a service provider that provides and administers echocardiogram (heart echo) screenings and is being made available to eligible long term care insurance policyholders of John Hancock. The Caption Care echocardiogram screening is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, consultation, treatment or diagnosis. Consult your physician or other qualified health provider for any questions about your medical condition and the timing of necessary screenings and tests for your particular needs. John Hancock and Caption Care are independent companies and Caption Care is not owned or operated by John Hancock or its affiliates. John Hancock does not provide medical services or advice and is not involved in the design or provision of the services provided by or through Caption Care. The services provided by Caption Care are neither an insurance benefit, nor a service paid for under your policy. The services and their availability may be discontinued at any time. If you elect to receive these services all resources and services available will be arranged and provided by Caption Care. These services may not be suitable for everyone, and participation is voluntary. Availability may vary by state. Please note that if you authorize Caption Care to share your data with John Hancock, John Hancock will have access to your detailed information collected by Caption Care. John Hancock Long-term care insurance products are issued by: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Boston, MA 02116 (not licensed in New York); and in New York by John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02116.
MLINY050625739-5
© 2025 Caption Care. All Rights Reserved. GE is a trademark of General Electric Company. Used under trademark license.