Basic Group Term Life Insurance for Excluded Employees

The Basic Group Term Life Insurance program is an employer-paid benefit provided to managers, supervisors, confidential, and other specified excluded employees. This benefit is provided to excluded employees in the event of an accidental death or dismemberment.

The current carrier is Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife).

Eligibility

Employees must work half-time or more with one of the following designations:

Permanent, CEA, Limited Term of 6 months and over, or Temporary Authorization (TAU) appointment in lieu of permanent appointment if CBID is:

Managerial, Supervisory, Confidential
E48, E50, E58, E59, E68, E78, E79, E88, E89, E92, E97, E98, E99
E90 in class codes 2545, 4189, 4232, 5309, 5316, 5319 or 5695
E90 in class codes 5987, 5988, or 5991
Employees moved to E01 through E21, E61, or E77 due to middle management reduction or
Permanent Intermittent employees who meet the above requirements.

Judicial Council is responsible for employee’s eligibility.

Enrollment

If the employee meets the above eligibility, enrollment into basic life insurance is automatic, once the employee’s departmental personnel office keys the appointment transaction.

Benefit Amount

Employees who are designated Managerial and specified Exempt have $50,000 coverage

Employees who are designated Supervisory, confidential and specified Exempt have $25,000 coverage.

Accelerated Benefit Option

An Accelerated Benefit Option is an important feature included in the basic and supplemental plans. If you are diagnosed as terminally ill with only a six-month life expectancy, you may elect to receive up to seventy percent of the face value of the policy with a service charge of four percent of the amount paid.

Assignment

The employee may assign their basic life and supplemental life insurance rights and benefits under the group policy as a gift or viatical assignment.

The employee must contact MetLife Insurance.

Beneficiary Designation

Employees can complete the MetLife beneficiary form, which is provided by MetLife and does not recognize CalPERS and/or departmental beneficiary forms.

If the employee does not complete a beneficiary form, the life insurance benefits will be paid according to the standard order of beneficiary as follows:

to the surviving spouse/domestic partner, if none, then
to the surviving natural and/or adopted children, if none, then
to the surviving parents, if none, then
to the estate

Benefits will be paid equally among surviving children or surviving parents. Family status changes, such as divorce and remarriage are automatically adjusted provided the employee has not designated a beneficiary other than above.

If the employees wish to designate a beneficiary other than the standard order stated above, the employee, can complete, mail, or fax a beneficiary form or designate a beneficiary over the phone. If you are designating an estate or trust, must complete a form. MetLife will send a written confirmation, upon receipt. The beneficiary form will not change with marriage, divorce, or any other family status changes. Therefore, the employee must complete a new designation form if their family status change.

Conversion Privilege

The employee must convert within 15 days before or after the date the life insurance ends, the, application begins on the date that such life insurance ends and expires 31 days after such date.

Option to convert

No longer in an eligible class
Employee ends

Retirement

The Employee should contact MetLife, 30 days of retiring, should the employee with to continue their basic and/or supplemental life insurance into retirement.

Please refer to the CalHR Retirement page for more information.

Cancellation

Basic Group Life Insurance is an automatic employer-paid benefit, and should the employee wish to cancel this coverage, the employee must complete the Life Insurance Enrollment Authorization Form, Std. 698.

Reporting a Death

Departmental Personal offices should review the CalHR Benefits Manual page for more information.

Employees are responsible for reporting the death of a covered spouse, registered domestic partner, or dependent directly to MetLife.

The person reporting the death must provide the following information:

Employee Name
Date of Birth
Date of Death
Cause of Death
Social Security Number
Cause of Death
Marital or registered Domestic Partner
Department (Agency, Name, Phone number)
Person Reporting (Name, phone)
Next of Kin

MetLife Policy number 74503

Supplemental Life Insurance

Having Basic Group Term Life Insurance allows you the opportunity to take advantage of the state’s group purchasing power by securing significant amounts of voluntary Supplemental Life Insurance at a competitive rate.

The employee may elect coverage amounts in $10,000 increments up to ten (10) times your basic annual earnings, not to exceed $1,000,000.

Eligibility

The employee must be an active designated manager, supervisor, confidential, or specified excluded employee and have state paid Basic Group Life. Insurance.

How to Know if you are Enrolled in the State Paid Basic Group Term Life Insurance Plan

Under the “employee contribution” section of your pay warrant/direct deposit advice you will see LIFE INS and $0.00. If you do not see LIFE INS, then you are not enrolled in the Basic Group Term Life Insurance plan.

If, employee feels they should be enrolled, then the employee should contact their departmental personnel office.

Enrollment

Employee can enroll in supplemental life insurance at any time.

Age	Monthly Premium
Under 25	$0.060
25 to 29	$0.064
30 to 34	$0.078
35 to 39	$0.085
40 to 44	$0.105
45 to 49	$0.150
50 to 54	$0.222
55 to 59	$0.402
60 to 64	$0.609
65 to 69	$1.158
70 to 74	$1.869
75 and Older	$2.075

If the employee chooses to enroll, their monthly premium will automatically be deducted from their pay warrant.

Administration Fee

In addition to the monthly premium, there is a $0.50 administrative fee, per month

Leave of Absence (LOA)

The employee must contact Metropolitan Life Insurance (MetLife) within 30 days of the effective date of the LOA to make a direct payment or coverage will be cancelled.

Return from Leave of Absence

If employee made direct payments while out on a LOA, then the premiums will be deducted from regular their pay warrant upon return from the LOA. If coverage was canceled during the LOA, the employee must contact MetLife to re-apply for coverage.

Loss of Eligibility

If the employee is no longer an eligible employee and transfers or returns to a rank-and-file position, then their supplemental life insurance coverage will continue, unless the employee contacts MetLife to terminate coverage.

Employee should always verify pay warrant to make sure premiums have continued, as once premiums stop the employee will lose the benefit. Should employee return to an eligible position then the employee can re-enroll into the plan.

Separation from State Employment

If the employee wishes to convert their coverage into an individual plan.

Please contact MetLife Insurance.

Retirement

If the employee wishes to continue their supplemental life insurance into retirement, the employee should, contact MetLife within 30 days of retirement.

For more information about retirement, please visit the CalHR State Retiree page.

Beneficiary

CalPERS and departmental beneficiary designations do not apply to life insurance benefits payable under the MetLife plan.

Life insurance benefits will be paid according to the standard order of beneficiaries, unless you complete and submit the MetLife Beneficiary Designation form to MetLife.

Remember to retain a copy for your records.

Cancellation

Employee can cancel their supplemental life insurance at any time by contacting MetLife.

Additional Life Insurance – Dependent Coverage

If the employee purchased $20,000 or more in supplemental life insurance, then the employee can purchase additional life insurance for their spouse or domestic partner and/or dependent children up to age 26.

Cost for Dependent Life Insurance:

Flat Monthly Cost of Coverage

Spouse or Domestic Partner	Child(ren)	Employee under 65	Employee over 65
$7,500	$7,500	$1.85	$7.25
$15,000	$7,500	$3.71	$14.51
$25,000	$7,500	$6.18	$24.18
$50,000	$7,500	$12.35	$48.35

Insurance Carrier

Metropolitan Life Insurance (MetLife)
Policy number 74503

For information, contact:
MetLife Customer Service
(800) 252-8524
https://www.metlife.com/info/soc/

Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PT
(excluding holidays)

CalHR Customer Service
lifeinsurance@calhr.ca.gov

Forms

MetLife Enrollment Change Form – LMI-EF-RES111M-CA

MetLife Beneficiary Designation – GR-TR-BENE-MET1-SOC74503

Mail forms to:
MetLife Recordkeeping Center
P.O. Box 14402
Lexington, KY 40512-4402