Skip to main content

Transitioning to a new Life and Disability insurance administrator

MetLife will be the administrator for the Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance plans beginning January 1, 2024.

The university regularly conducts a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to ensure that the fees, services, and offerings associated with current benefit plans are competitive. After an extensive RFP process, MetLife was selected as the new vendor beginning in 2024.

The transition doesn’t impact covered benefits. That is, faculty, staff and/or retirees are not required to re-enroll and current coverage will carry over. However, because of the switch in vendor, there are a few opportunities to be aware of for the upcoming Annual Enrollment period for faculty and staff (October 23-November 3, 2023).


Life insurance

For more information on all of the life insurance plan options, visit the life insurance webpage.

Basic Life

There are no changes to benefit coverage for the 2024 plan year.

Additional Life

Premiums are lower compared to 2023. During Annual Enrollment for the 2024 plan year, faculty and staff will have opportunity to add or increase coverage without completing a statement of health form as follows:

  • Add coverage up to 1x annual base salary
  • Increase coverage from 1x to 2x annual base salary

A statement of health form will be required if enrolling in 2x or 3x coverage during Annual Enrollment or increasing coverage at a later date.

Newly benefit-eligible faculty and staff are not required to complete a statement of health form for 1x annual base salary coverage as part of their first-time enrollment.

New additional life coverage level options are also available, from 4x-8x annual base salary, to maximum of $1,000,000 (maximum for 2023 is 3x).

Dependent Life- Child

There are no changes to benefit coverage for the 2024 plan year.

Dependent Life- Spouse*

During Annual Enrollment for the 2024 plan year, faculty and staff will have opportunity to add or increase coverage up to $20,000 for a spouse or sponsored adult dependent without completing a statement of health form.

Coverage for spouses and sponsored adult dependents is available in increments of $10,000, up to a new maximum amount of $100,000 for 2024 (maximum for 2023 is $50,000).

*Spouse coverage includes eligible sponsored adult dependents; see the benefits coverage for sponsored adult dependents webpage for additional information.

Beneficiaries

It is also a good idea to review and make sure all beneficiary information is up to date. Beneficiary information is available in myHR (myHR.umsystem.edu). Beneficiaries can be updated in myHR during the Annual Enrollment period. Outside of the Annual Enrollment period, update beneficiaries by completing the Beneficiary Designation Form for Active Employees (PDF, 40KB).


Disability insurance

Short-Term Disability (STD)

A new plan type for benefit-eligible staff and certain non-regular academic employees to replace income when unable to work due to qualified medical disability (up to 20 weeks).

  • Base Plan: Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in the Base Plan, which provides 60% income replacement. Base Plan premiums are fully employer-paid.
  • Buy-Up Plan: This option provides 100% income replacement for an additional premium by covering the remaining 40% of eligible earnings on top of the coverage provided by the Base Plan.

During Annual Enrollment for the 2024 plan year, faculty and staff will have opportunity to enroll in the Buy-Up Plan without completing a statement of health form. A statement of health form will be required if increasing coverage at a later date.

Newly benefit-eligible staff and certain non-regular academic employees are not required to complete a statement of health form as part of their first time enrollment.

For more information on the Short-Term Disability plan options, visit the Short-Term Disability webpage.

Long-Term Disability (LTD)

There are no changes to benefit coverage for the 2024 plan year. Premiums for the Buy-Up Plan are lower than in 2023.

For more information on the Long-Term Disability plan options, visit the Long-Term Disability webpage.


Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Accidental Death and Dismemberment

There are no changes to the benefit coverage for the 2024 plan year.

For more information on the Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance plan, visit the Accidental Death and Dismemberment webpage.

Reviewed 2023-09-25

 

Notice of Nondiscrimination

If you speak another language, assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call UnitedHealthcare at 1-844-634-1237 for translation assistance.

Español   繁體中文   Tiếng Việt   Srpsko-hrvatski   Deutsch   العربية   Русский   한국어  
Français   Tagalog   Deitsch   فارسی   Oroomiffa   Português   አማርኛ

UnitedHealthcare’s Transparency in Coverage (exit UM System site)