Help- Group Supplemental Life Conversion Priviledges.

ILUVSAILZ

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Have a question for any group life specialists re employee benefits.
Please know I appreciate anyone's feedback.

How do group plans serve notice of individual requests of cancellation of coverage and reinstatements alike to the employee? Reinstatement would require retro payments right?

Husband has supplemental life at work in addition to 'core' with MetLife. Looks like layoff is imminent, and have been reviewing conversion options.
Group plan states conversion/portability requires proof of 5 years of coverage for conversions. We've been communicating with VP of benefits regarding this issue asking for documentation of the supplemental life enrollment and effective date.

Yesterday the VP emails her research shows
this group life policy was terminated (at who's request?) then reinstated ... all of which trumps the 5 year proof of previous coverage. I think his initial effective year was 2007, and we never requested cancellation or were aware of a reinstatement 2010. I don't understand group plans. The VP also stated when a COBRA pkg. is offered, the provisions and data are supplied at that time. I think some premium in refunds are due the employee/insured. Should not Met or the company provide documentation re cancellation and reinstatement requests?
So sorry it's this long...
 
Have a question for any group life specialists re employee benefits.
Please know I appreciate anyone's feedback.

How do group plans serve notice of individual requests of cancellation of coverage and reinstatements alike to the employee? Reinstatement would require retro payments right?

Husband has supplemental life at work in addition to 'core' with MetLife. Looks like layoff is imminent, and have been reviewing conversion options.
Group plan states conversion/portability requires proof of 5 years of coverage for conversions. We've been communicating with VP of benefits regarding this issue asking for documentation of the supplemental life enrollment and effective date.

Yesterday the VP emails her research shows
this group life policy was terminated (at who's request?) then reinstated ... all of which trumps the 5 year proof of previous coverage. I think his initial effective year was 2007, and we never requested cancellation or were aware of a reinstatement 2010. I don't understand group plans. The VP also stated when a COBRA pkg. is offered, the provisions and data are supplied at that time. I think some premium in refunds are due the employee/insured. Should not Met or the company provide documentation re cancellation and reinstatement requests?
So sorry it's this long...


This is a big ball of "it depends".
Call Met directly instead of going through HR. HR departments are famous for their insurance ignorance.

Is this a "Group Life Policy" or a "Group Term Policy"? Or is it an "Individual Supplemental Life Policy"?
You cant go by what the paystub calls the deduction. You need to look at the policy/paperwork (or ask Met) to find out what type it really is.


-The cancellation/reinstatement is from one of two things.-
1. He canceled it or failed to re-enroll (if yearly re-enrollment was necessary).
2. The company changed benefit plans and this is a Group Term Policy that changed along with the Health Insurance.

It sounds like #2 might be the case here. If it is a group term policy those are not meant to be ones primary life insurance policy.


If the policy is a group policy, then you are not the owner of it and have no control over it. If it is an individual policy then you have 100% control over it.

If his policy is indeed an individual policy, then he would have had to be the one to cancel/reinstate it.


At this point, if I were you, I would call Met. You will probably have all your answers in about 15min if you just call them and not the HR dep.
 
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Call Met directly instead of going through HR. HR departments are famous for their insurance ignorance.

Since the OP stated that it is a Supplemental policy I am more inclined to believe the HR/Company screwed up and did not pay the bill timely and pulled a favor to get it reinstated. Happens more than you think.

OP needs to contact MetLife to get the scoop. If reinstatement was without lapse, and was not the fault of the OP than there should be no problem with conversion at MetLife and they will honor it.

Remember, all lapses, terms and cancellations are usually followed up by the company (METLIFE) to the insured on Supp plans to give notice of conversion option. If this did not happen a procedure was not followed at MetLife if they cannot document this event. Now if the insured had moved and did not make sure the new address was forwarded to the insurance plans by His HR dept than MetLife may have mailed notice and has fulfilled its duty.

Lots to learn yet with MetLife directly.
 
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Happens more than you think.
.

Oh I know. Happens in the qualified plan world more than you might think too!

But I agree. The only way to get the real truth is to call MET. Im not sure why people are so afraid to call the insurance company. That is just what HR is doing anyway.... if your lucky....
 
One thing also to keep in mind is if he didn't have to qualify for the coverage, you may not want to convert it to an individual policy unless poor health is present. In most cases where group conversion is allowed, the price of the individual policy is very high as the company protects itself from adverse selection. So you may want to look for your own policy new rather than converting into something expensive.
 
Thanks to all that replied. HR finally called Met as husband was instructed to, and Met 'could not find him'. Documentation is en route to us and I'm expecting to see a circus of errors. HR said no information would EVER be disclosed to MET re re-enrollment or lapses- but she had to step in here and get out of her box. HR is just political pretzels!

Health is an issue and want to keep it if manageable under conversion but employer likely screwed it up - I'm disgusted now and determined. Thanks to everyone.
 
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