Life insurance

The SEBB Program will provide basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance at no cost to SEBB benefits-eligible school employees.

Supplemental life and AD&D insurance is also available for purchase. These benefits are provided through MetLife.

Who is eligible?

The SEBB Program will provide life insurance to all SEBB benefits-eligible school employees. Eligible school employees will automatically be enrolled in basic life insurance coverage, even if you waive medical coverage.

To enroll your eligible dependents in supplemental life insurance, you must elect employee supplemental life insurance for yourself.

Employees anticipated to work fewer than 630 hours may be eligible for some SEBB Program benefits, including basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. These employees will not be eligible for supplemental life and AD&D, or basic or supplemental long-term disability. See How to determine eligibility for more information. If you’re a union-represented employee, please check with your union or union contract regarding your eligibility. Otherwise, contact your employer’s payroll or benefits office.

How do I enroll?

Detailed enrollment instructions will be provided closer to the open enrollment period, October 1 through November 15, 2019.

What are basic (employer-paid) life insurance and AD&D insurance?

The SEBB Program's benefits package includes basic life insurance for all eligible subscribers at no cost to you. It provides:

$35,000 for death from any cause.
Up to $5,000 in case of accidental death or dismemberment (AD&D).

As an employee, your basic life insurance covers you and pays your designated beneficiaries in the event of your death. AD&D insurance provides extra benefits for certain injuries or death resulting from a covered accident.

The SEB Board may revisit this coverage in 2019.

What are supplemental (employee-paid) life and AD&D insurance?

If you purchase supplemental life and AD&D insurance for yourself, you may also purchase supplemental life and AD&D insurance for your eligible dependents.

Types of optional coverage	Employee (subscriber)	Spouse or state-registered domestic partner	Children (Age 14 days up to 26 years)
Supplemental life insurance	Up to $500,000 guaranteed issue* in $10,000 increments, up to a maximum of $1,000,000 with evidence of insurability.	Up to $100,000 guaranteed issue* in $5,000 increments to a maximum of $500,000. Evidence of insurability is required above $100,000. Coverage cannot exceed 50% of employee's optional life insurance.	Increments of $5,000 up to $20,000.
Supplemental AD&D insurance	Increments of $10,000 up to $250,000. Supplemental AD&D insurance does not cover death and dismemberment from nonaccidental causes. Supplemental AD&D insurance never requires evidence of insurability, and you can apply at any time.	Increments of $10,000 up to $250,000. Subscriber must be enrolled in supplemental AD&D to purchase it for any dependent.	Increments of $5,000 up to $25,000. Subscriber must be enrolled in supplemental AD&D to purchase it for any dependent.

*Guaranteed issue is the amount of coverage an employee may select when initially eligible for coverage, within the required enrollment deadlines below, without submitting evidence of insurability to MetLife.

How long do I have to enroll in supplemental life insurance?

You may enroll in supplemental life insurance during the SEBB Program’s initial open enrollment period (October 1 to November 15, 2019) for up to the guaranteed issue amounts without submitting evidence of insurability to MetLife.

After the SEBB Program’s initial open enrollment period, you may apply for up to the guaranteed issue amounts of supplemental life insurance without submitting evidence of insurability to MetLife. The deadlines to apply are as follows:

No later than 31 days after the date you become eligible for SEBB benefits.
No later than 60 days after the date of marriage or state-registered domestic partnership certification.
No later than 60 days after the birth or adoption of a child, once the child is 14 days old.
- Once you have enrolled one child in Child Dependent Life Insurance, each succeeding child will automatically be covered for the same amount on the date that child becomes eligible as defined in the certificate of coverage.

If you apply for or change your employee or spouse/state-registered domestic partner supplemental life insurance coverage amounts outside of the deadlines mentioned above, you must provide evidence of insurability to MetLife for approval, regardless of the coverage amount requested.

Requests for coverage over the guaranteed issue amount submitted within the above deadlines will require evidence of insurability only for the amount over the guaranteed issue. If the additional amount is denied, the enrollee will be covered for the guaranteed issue amount.

Can I waive life and AD&D insurance?

If you are eligible for SEBB benefits, you cannot waive life and AD&D insurance. However, you have two options if you object to this coverage:

You can name a charity as your beneficiary.
On your enrollment form, you can leave the beneficiary information blank. Tell your family and anyone who might be handling your estate not to file a claim on your death. If you choose not to identify a beneficiary, the benefit amount will be turned over to the state as abandoned property.

Can I continue my life insurance coverage after employment ends?

If you are eligible for portability or conversion due to termination or other reasons, MetLife will send you information and an application.

Portability Provision

Under the Portability Provision, you can apply to continue your terminated basic and supplemental life insurance until age 100 if certain conditions are met. You may elect to decrease your coverage continued under the Portability Provision, but you cannot increase it.

The minimum amount of life insurance you can apply to continue under the Portability Provision is $10,000. The maximum amount will not exceed $1,000,000. The maximum without evidence of insurability is $500,000. You must be actively enrolled in coverage to port it.

You may also apply to continue your terminated supplemental life insurance for your dependents at the same time you apply to continue your own life insurance. You may continue life insurance for your dependents even if you choose not to continue your life insurance.

To continue life insurance under the Portability Provision, you must apply to MetLife no later than 60 days after the date your SEBB Program life insurance ends.

Instructions will be available during open enrollment, October 1 through November 15, 2019.

If you and your dependents are not eligible for coverage under the Portability Provision, you may still be eligible for the Conversion of Life Insurance Provision.

Conversion of Life Insurance Provision

Retiring school employees and their dependents may be entitled to convert their life insurance to an individual policy without evidence of insurability.

The amount of the individual policy will be equal to (or less than, if you choose) the amount of life insurance you or your insured dependents had on the termination date of the policy you are converting. The minimum value of your converted life insurance policy is $10,000.

You must apply to continue your coverage under the Conversion of Life Insurance Provision no later than 60 days after the date your SEBB Program life insurance ends due to retirement. You will have a total of 60 days to apply for conversion coverage after your SEBB Program life insurance ends.

Instructions will be available during open enrollment, October 1 through November 15, 2019.

Is there an accelerated benefit in SEBB Program life insurance coverage?

Yes, our basic and supplemental life insurance plans have an accelerated benefits option. If a subscriber becomes terminally ill and is expected to die within 24 months, they can request to receive a portion of their life insurance benefit before their death.

Subscribers may receive up to 80 percent of their basic life benefit amount, not to exceed $28,000.
Subscribers may receive up to 80 percent of their combined basic life and supplemental life benefit amount, not to exceed $500,000.
This option is also available for spouse or state-registered domestic partner dependent life insurance.

What are MetLife Advantages?

Employees enrolled in basic life can take advantage of a suite of additional services at no charge to the employee. They include travel assistance, funeral planning, grief counseling, special needs planning, survivor assistance, Retirewise seminars, and online will preparation.

Additionally, employees enrolled in supplemental life insurance through MetLife can take advantage of MetLife’s will preparation and estate planning services at no additional cost. More information about these services will be available closer to the initial enrollment period.