Life insurance

Who is eligible?

The SEBB Program will provide life insurance to all eligible school employees. Eligible school employees will automatically be enrolled in basic life and AD&D insurance coverage, even if they waive medical coverage.

You can also enroll in supplemental life insurance and supplemental AD&D insurance for yourself and your eligible dependents

Supplemental life and supplemental AD&D insurance is not available to school employees whose eligibility was locally negotiated under WAC 182-30-130. 

How do I enroll?

Enroll online using MetLife's MyBenefits portal. If you have questions about enrollment or need to request paper forms, please contact MetLife at 1-833-854-9624. Note: It can take up to 30 days to process the MetLife enrollment/change form.

Create an online account with MetLife

1. Visit MetLife's MyBenefits portal. A Welcome to MyBenefits screen will appear.
2. You should see "WA State Health Care Authority SEBB" in the Log in box. Select the Register now button.
3. Complete registration to create your login credentials.
4. After registering, select Go to Accounts in the registration confirmation pop-up.

If you have questions regarding enrollment or the MetLife website, please contact MetLife at 1-833-854-9624, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Pacific).

When can I enroll in supplemental life insurance?

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 dependent life insurance, each succeeding child you enroll will be covered for the same amount on the date that child becomes eligible as defined in the certificate of coverage.
• No later than 60 days after a child becoming eligible as an extended dependent through legal custody or legal guardianship.

If you apply for or increase 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.

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.

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

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

• $35,000 for basic life insurance.
• $5,000 for basic AD&D insurance.

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.

You can also enroll in supplemental life and supplemental AD&D insurance for yourself and your eligible dependents. To enroll your eligible dependents in supplemental life and AD&D insurance, you must elect employee supplemental life insurance for yourself.

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

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

FAQs

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. When porting or converting your employee life insurance, your coverage will become an individual policy that is not tied to the SEBB Program. Call MetLife at 1-833-854-9624 following your separation of employment if you do not receive a portability and conversion application. 

Portability Provision

Under the Portability Provision, you can apply to continue all or part of your active employee basic life, supplemental life, and dependent life insurance.

You must be actively enrolled and apply within 60 days from when your coverage ended to have the opportunity to continue your coverage through portability.

Dependent child and spouse or state-registered domestic partner life insurance may be continued, even if you choose not to continue your life insurance.

Any amount of life insurance not ported may be converted.

Conversion of Life Insurance Provision

You may apply to convert your basic life, supplemental life, spouse or state-registered domestic partner, or dependent child life insurance to an individual policy. The amount of the individual policy will be equal to (or, if you choose, less than) the amount of life insurance you or your insured dependents had on the termination date of the policy you are converting.

You have 60 days to apply for conversion coverage after your SEBB employee life insurance ends.

How do I cancel my supplemental coverage?

To cancel your supplemental life or supplemental AD&D insurance, send MetLife's cancellation of supplemental life and AD&D insurance form to:

MetLife Recordkeeping Center
PO Box 14406
Lexington, KY 40512-4406

You can also call MetLife at 1-833-854-9624. 

For dependents who are no longer eligible due to events such as divorce or a child turning age 26, notice should be provided to MetLife as soon as possible to avoid overpayment of premiums and loss of eligibility for portability or conversion of coverage. Note: MetLife is unable to pay a claim for a dependent who has lost eligibility, even if MetLife was not provided timely notification of the loss of eligibility.

Is there an accelerated benefit in SEBB 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.

Note: The maximum accelerated benefit for spouse or state-registered domestic partner is 80 percent of the dependent life amount, not to exceed $400,000. 

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 beneficiary claim assistance, funeral discounts and planning, grief counseling, life settlement account, online will preparation, transition solutions, and travel assistance.

Additionally, employees enrolled in supplemental life insurance through MetLife can take advantage of MetLife's will preparation and estate resolution services at no additional cost.