A One-Time Open Enrollment Opportunity to Enroll in or Increase Life Insurance Coverage

November 2, 2016

MetLife will partner with the PEBB Program as the new life insurance carrier starting January 1, 2017. During this transition, you may enroll in or increase your life insurance coverage during MetLife's special, one-time open enrollment opportunity from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30, 2016.

  • Employee Basic Life Insurance increases from $25,000 to $35,000 at no cost to you. This increase will happen automatically on Jan. 1, 2017. Employee Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) remains at $5,000 at no cost to you.
  • Your current Employee Optional and Spouse Optional Life Insurance will move to MetLife starting Jan. 1, 2017. During this one-time opportunity, you can increase your optional life insurance with MetLife, up to the new guaranteed issue amount of $500,000. However, you need to name your beneficiaries with MetLife, even if you don't make changes to your life and/or AD&D insurance for 2017. Your beneficiary designations will not transfer to MetLife.
  • Your current Dependent (spouse /state-registered domestic partner and child basic) Basic Life Insurance is not available through MetLife. You must make a new election under the new plan options by enrolling them in optional life insurance or you will no longer have coverage for these dependents.
  • If you and your family are currently enrolled in Supplemental Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance, this coverage will not transfer to MetLife. You must elect Optional AD&D insurance with MetLife to have this coverage in 2017.
  • MetLife optional life insurance is available in $10,000 increments for employees and $5,000 increments for spouse/state-registered domestic partners and children. If you currently have an odd amount of optional life insurance (not in these increments), you should round your coverage up or down at this time. If you don't your current coverage will transfer, but future changes must be made on a paper form and may require answering health questions and/or having a medical exam.

How do I find my current life insurance information?

  • MetLife mailed an enrollment packet to you in late October which includes the amount of life insurance that transferred to MetLife.
  • To view your current amount of life insurance, go to the PEBB Program's MyAccount and select the “My Life/LTD Coverage” tab. Current coverage with VOYA/ReliaStar will only display 2016 coverage, even if you make changes for 2017. To view your 2017 life insurance coverage, go to MetLife's MyBenefits portal.

How to enroll or make changes:

Create an account on MetLife's MyBenefits portal beginning Nov. 1, 2016. Note: The employer name is already coded into the page “PEBB Benefits – State of Washington”.  Leave this information as is and choose the Submit button to create your account. Do not change this information.

The new life insurance rates are posted on the PEBB website under Life Insurance Premiums. The cost listed on the life insurance rate tables is the cost per $1,000 of coverage. To calculate your life insurance premium, determine the amount of coverage you would like. Refer to the table based on your age and whether you are a tobacco user. And multiply the amount of coverage by the cost.

For example: A 42 year old, non-tobacco user is choosing to have $250,000 in employee optional life insurance. The rate for a 42 year old non-tobacco user is .064 cents. Multiply 250 (amount requesting) x .064 (cost per thousand) to determine the cost of the optional life insurance. The cost would be $16 per month for this employee.

MetLife must receive your completed enrollment form or your online elections by Nov. 30, 2016.

This is a special one-time opportunity only to make changes to your life insurance.

For questions about your life insurance benefit, premiums and naming your beneficiary, contact MetLife Customer Service at 1-866-548-7139.