Life Insurance-Additional Services – included with your Basic and Optional Term Life Insurance
Services to help navigate what life may bring, at no additional cost to you.
Life insurance can be a critical first step in helping to ensure your family’s financial wellbeing. With your MetLife group life insurance coverage, you get access to meaningful services to help you make the right decisions to manage what life may bring.
Life Insurance-Additional Services
For Basic Life Participants
Hint TextFor Optional Term Life Insurance Participants
Hint Text- Empathy provides beneficiaries with on-demand personalized guidance.1 From settling the estate to dealing with grief, Empathy's tech-enabled assistance and real-time human support helps MetLife beneficiaries save valuable time while dealing with the challenges that loss brings. Empathy is also available to members who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and are eligible to accelerate life proceeds under MetLife's Accelerated Benefits Option (ABO). Care Managers provide personalized pre-planning guidance, access to estate planning tools, and other supportive resources designed to help someone focus on their well-being during this difficult time. To register, call 201-720-1584 or visit online at: Sign Up - Empathy
- Funeral Assistance2 – Honoring a loved one’s life. Work with compassionate counselors that assist with customizing funeral arrangements with personalized one-on-one service.
- Grief Counseling2 - Access to qualified consultants for information, support, crisis intervention, as it relates to a loss (e.g. death, job termination, pet, life threatening illness) 5 sessions, in person or telephonic.
- Total Control Account®3- Reducing the pressure of immediate financial decisions. Your beneficiaries can take their time to make the right decision with the flexible settlement option that gives full access to policy funds while earning a guaranteed minimum interest rate.
- Portability4 and Conversion - Your plan includes a Portability option (Active members only) and a Conversion (Active and Retired members) option for your Basic Term Life Insurance. This means, should you leave GIC, active members have a choice of “porting“ their Basic Term Life insurance coverage to another group term life certificate. Active or retired members also have the option of “converting” their Basic Term Life insurance coverage to an Individual Whole Life policy.
- Funeral Discounts and Planning Services5– Helping to alleviate the burden of making funeral arrangements for your loved ones. Get access to one of the largest network of funeral homes and cemeteries to pre-plan with a counselor and receive discounts on funeral services.
- Accelerated Benefits Option6 - If you become terminally ill and are diagnosed to live less than 12 months, you can receive up to 80% of your Basic Life Insurance proceeds (the minimum that can be accelerated is 25%). This can help your family meet medical and other related expenses at this difficult time.
- Will Preparation Services7 - Offers you and your spouse/domestic partner unlimited face-to-face or telephone meetings with an attorney, from MetLife Legal, Inc.’s network of over 14,000 participating attorneys, to prepare or update a will, living will, and Power of Attorney.
- Estate Resolution Services7 - Settling an estate with confidence. With unlimited consultations, either in-person with an attorney or by phone, including court representations, you can feel confident you’ve made the right decisions.
- Portability4 and Conversion - Your plan includes a Portability option (Active members only) and a Conversion (Active and Retired members) option for your Optional Term Life Insurance. This means, should you leave GIC, active members have a choice of “porting“ their Optional Term Life insurance coverage to another group term life certificate. Active or retired members also have the option of “converting” their Optional Term Life insurance coverage to an Individual Whole Life policy.
- Accelerated Benefits Option6 - If you become terminally ill and are diagnosed to live less than 12 months, you can receive up to 80% of your Optional Life Insurance proceeds (to a maximum of $ 1,200,000.00). This can help your family meet medical and other related expenses at this difficult time.
- Digital Estate Planning8 tool - Allows you to complete estate planning documents in as little as 15 minutes. Answer a few questions about yourself, your family and your assets to create these documents instantly. Create an account to access the digital estate planning experience and see the documents available to you at www.legalplans.com/estateplanning
| Active Basic Life | Active Optional Life | Contact Information |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Funeral Discounts and Planning Services via Dignity Memorial5 |
X | Website: finalwishesplanning.com Dignity Phone #: 1- 866-853-0954 |
|
| Funeral Assistance2 | X | Website: one.telushealth.com
TELUS Health phone #: 1- 888-319-7819
|
|
| Grief Counselling2 | X | Website: one.telushealth.com
TELUS Health phone #: 1- 888-319-7819 |
|
| Total Control Account3 | X | 1-800-638-7283 | |
| Accelerated Benefits Option6 | X | Please contact the GIC at 617-727-2310 |
|
| Will Preparation Services7 Note: This service also available on Retiree Optional Life |
X | 1-800-821-6400 | |
| Estate Resolution Services7 Note: This service also available on Retiree Optional Life |
X | 1-800-821-6400 | |
| Portability4 and conversion | X | 1-888-252-3607 (portability) | |
| Empathy1 | X | Website: join.empathy.com/metlife Phone: (201) 720-1584 |
1 Empathy’s bereavement services and platform are provided through an agreement with The Empathy Project, Inc., (doing business as Empathy). Empathy is not an affiliate of MetLife, and the services Empathy provides are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife. This program is available to the beneficiaries of deceased insureds covered under MetLife Group Life insurance programs and to insureds who are terminally ill and eligible to accelerate life proceeds under MetLife's Accelerated Benefit Option. Empathy’s terminal illness services are not available on NY policy forms or policy forms operating under NY jurisdiction. Empathy is only available to insureds and beneficiaries who are US residents. Information disclosed directly to Empathy is not disclosed to MetLife, and therefore is not subject to MetLife’s privacy policy.
2 Grief Counseling and Funeral Assistance services are available to insured, their dependents and beneficiaries who have received a serious medical diagnosis or suffered a loss and provided through an agreement with TELUS Health. TELUS Health is not an affiliate of MetLife, and the services TELUS Health provides are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife. Information disclosed directly to TELUS Health is not disclosed to MetLife and, therefore, is not subject to MetLife's privacy policy. Only available for groups NOT Principally Located / sitused in NY.
3 Subject to state law, and/or group policyholder direction, the Total Control Account is provided for all Life and AD&D benefits of $5,000 or more. The assets backing the Total Control Account (TCA) are maintained in the general account of MetLife or the Issuing Insurance Company. These general accounts are subject to the creditors of MetLife or the respective Issuing Insurance Company. MetLife or the Issuing Insurance Company bears the investment experience of such assets and expects to earn income sufficient to pay interest to TCA Accountholders and to make a profit on the operation of the TCAs. Regardless of the investment experience of such assets, the effective annual rate on the Account will not be less than the rate guaranteed on the welcome guide. The TCA and other available settlement options are not bank products and are not insured by the FDIC or any other governmental agency. In addition, while the funds in your account are not insured by the FDIC, they are guaranteed by each state’s insurance guarantee association. The coverage limits vary by state. Please contact the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations (www.NOLHGA.com or 703-481-5206) to learn more. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.
4All coverage amounts are subject to applicable state laws. To take advantage of this benefit, coverage of at least $5,000 must be elected.
5 Services and discounts are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife and are provided through a member of the Dignity Memorial® Network, a brand names used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that are affiliates of Service Corporation International (together with its affiliates, ‘SCI’), 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Planning services, expert assistance, and bereavement travel services are available to anyone regardless of affiliation with MetLife . The online planning site is provided by SCI Shared Resources, LLC. SCI, and is not affiliated with MetLife. Not approved for Non-Employer group policies sitused in WA and Employer and non-Employer group policies in AK, FL, KY, MT, ND and, NY. If the group policy is issued in an approved state, the discount is available for services offered in any state except KY and NY or where there is no Dignity Memorial presence (AK, MT, ND, SD, and WY). For MI and TN, the discount is available for ‘At Need’ services only. Discounts on Dignity Memorial Services are unavailable for WA residents for coverage issued under a multiple-employer trust.
6 The Accelerated Death Benefit due to Terminal Illness Rider pays between 50%-100% (depending on plan design) of an insured's Life Insurance proceeds (with the balance payable upon final claim) in most states if the insured becomes terminally ill. Conditions and restrictions may apply. Any outstanding loans will reduce the cash value and death benefit.The ABO benefits are intended to qualify for favorable federal tax treatment, in which case the benefits will not be subject to federal taxation. This information was written as a supplement to the marketing of life insurance products. Tax laws relating to accelerated benefits are complex and limitations may apply. You are advised to consult with and rely on an independent tax advisor about your own particular circumstances. Receipt of ABO benefits may affect your eligibility, or that of your spouse or your family, for public assistance programs such as medical assistance (Medicaid), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplementary Social Security Income (SSI) and drug assistance programs. You are advised to consult with social service agencies concerning the effect that receipt of ABO benefits will have on public assistance eligibility for you, your spouse or your family.
7 Included with Supplemental Life Insurance. Will Preparation and Estate Resolution Services are offered by MetLife Legal Plans, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. In certain states, legal services benefits are provided through insurance coverage underwritten by Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Warwick, Rhode Island. For New York sitused or principally located cases, the Will Preparation service is an expanded offering that includes office consultations and telephone advice for certain other legal matters beyond Will Preparation. Tax Planning and preparation of Living Trusts are not covered by the Will Preparation Service.
Certain services are not covered by Estate Resolution Services, including matters in which there is a conflict of interest between the executor and any beneficiary or heir and the estate; any disputes with the group policyholder, MetLife and/ or any of its affiliates; any disputes involving statutory benefits; will contests or litigation outside probate court; appeals; court costs, filing fees, recording fees, transcripts, witness fees, expenses to a third party, judgments or fines; and frivolous or unethical matters.
8 Digital Estate Planning with online notary is only available to individuals with supplemental term life insurance and is not available for individuals residing in any U.S. territory. Domestic partnerships are not currently supported; however, if you have supplemental life coverage and are in a domestic partnership, you may use a MetLife Legal Plans attorney for your planning needs. If you are unable to access the MetLife Legal Plans website, you can find a network attorney by calling MetLife Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400, Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm EST. You will need to provide your company name, customer number and the last 4 digits of the policyholder's social security number. Group legal plans are provided by MetLife Legal Plans, Inc., Cleveland, OH. In certain states, group legal plans are provided through insurance coverage underwritten by Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Warwick, RI. Online Notary is not included with basic or dependent life. Digital Estate Planning without online notary is available to all individuals regardless of any MetLife relationship or product, except those residing in any U.S. territory.
Nothing in these materials is intended to be advice for any particular situation or individual. Please consult with your own advisors for such advice. Like most group insurance policies, insurance policies offered by MetLife contain certain exclusions, exceptions, waiting periods, reductions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. Please contact your benefits administrator or MetLife for costs and complete details.
MetLife Group Term Life insurance is issued by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166 under Policy Form GPN99/G2130-S.