LIFE INSURANCE

• The following changes to the Basic Employee Life Insurance benefits will become effective January 1, 2025, no action required.

— The City paid basic life insurance benefit for half-time employees will increase from $5,000 to $25,000.

— The City paid basic life insurance benefit for full-time employees will increase from $10,000 to $50,000.

— For employees age 65 or over, the life insurance coverage age reduction will be removed.

• The following changes to the Supplemental Employee Life Insurance benefits will become effective January 1, 2025.

— The benefit election options will increase from up to 5x annual salary to up to 7x annual salary, not to exceed $1 million in coverage.

— For employees age 65 or over, the life insurance coverage age reduction will be removed.

Basic Life Insurance

For 2025, LAwell provides the following basic life insurance at no cost to employees:

• $50,000 coverage amount for full-time employees

• $25,000 coverage amount for half-time employees

For 2024, LAwell provides the following basic life insurance at no cost to employees:

• $10,000 coverage amount for full-time employees

• $5,000 coverage amount for half-time employees

Supplemental Life Insurance

Employees have the option to purchase supplemental life insurance using pre-tax dollars from their pay.
For 2025, you can purchase coverage amounts up to 7 times your annual base salary rounded up to the nearest $1,000.
For 2024, you can purchase coverage amounts up to 5 times your annual base salary rounded up to the nearest $1,000.
(Not to exceed $1 million in coverage.)

For your life coverage (Basic and Supplemental): You can name anyone as the beneficiary of your basic and supplemental life insurance. If you have had a recent change in your family status – such as marriage or divorce – you may need to update your beneficiary. The beneficiary you name for your life insurance benefit may be separate and different from any other beneficiary you name with the City for your other employee benefits, such as your LACERS pension, Deferred Compensation Plan account, etc. It is important to name a beneficiary so death benefits can be paid to the person of your choice if you were to die.

To name or update your beneficiary information, go to keepingLAwell.com. You can also call the Benefits Service Center at 833-4LA-WELL (833-452-9355).

For your dependent (Spouse/Domestic Partner and Child) life coverage, you will be the beneficiary.

For Claims submitted on or before December 31, 2024

Claims Process

To receive a life insurance benefit, your beneficiary must complete and submit a beneficiary statement with required documentation. If you have designated multiple beneficiaries, each beneficiary must complete and submit their own. 

The City and its life insurance provider, Standard Insurance Company, will not notify beneficiaries of any eligibility. It is the responsibility of the beneficiary to initiate the life insurance claim process. Make sure your beneficiary is informed of their designation as your beneficiary and the process to initiate a claim. View more information, including the Checklist For Surviving Family Members, at your Benefits Central Portal or call the Employee Benefits Life Insurance Coordinator at 213-978-1655.

Accelerated Benefit

The Accelerated Benefit option can provide financial assistance if you become terminally ill and have a life expectancy of 12 months or less. In this case, you may have the right to receive during your lifetime a portion of your insurance as an Accelerated Benefit.

You must have at least $10,000 of insurance in effect to be eligible. You may elect up to 75% of your basic and supplemental insurance, to a maximum of $500,000. The minimum Accelerated Benefit is $5,000 or 10% of your insurance, whichever is greater. However, if coverage is scheduled to reduce in the next 24 months, the Accelerated Benefit is based on the reduced amount. The Accelerated Benefit will be paid in a lump sum. The remaining amount of life insurance will be reduced by an interest charge.

Funeral Planning Services

The Funeral Planning service option allows your beneficiary to designate a funeral home assignment, which allows the insurance company to pay the funeral home directly from your life insurance policy. Additional funeral planning services may be available. Please visit The Standard and follow these step-by-step instructions.

• Click on The Standard

• Select Forms & Documents

• Scroll down to click on “Life Services Toolkit” under Other Services

For Claims submitted on or after January 1,2025

Claims Process

To receive a life insurance benefit, your beneficiary

must complete and submit a beneficiary statement with required documentation. If you have designated multiple beneficiaries, each beneficiary must complete and submit their own.

The City and its life insurance provider, Metlife, will not notify beneficiaries of any eligibility. It is the responsibility of the beneficiary to initiate the life insurance claim process. Make sure your beneficiary is informed of their designation as your beneficiary and the process to initiate a claim. View more information, including the Checklist for Surviving Family Members, at your Benefits Central Portal or call the Employee Benefits Life Insurance Coordinator at (213) 978-1655.

Accelerated Benefit

The Accelerated Benefit option can provide financial assistance if you become terminally ill and have a life expectancy of 12 months or less. In this case, you may have the right to receive during your lifetime a portion of your insurance as an Accelerated Benefit.

You must have at least $10,000 of insurance in effect to be eligible. You may elect up to 75% of your basic and supplemental insurance, to a maximum of $500,000. The minimum Accelerated Benefit is $10,000.

The Accelerated Benefit will be paid in a lump sum. The remaining amount of life insurance will be reduced by an interest charge.

Funeral Planning Services

The Funeral Planning service option allows your beneficiary to designate a funeral home assignment, which allows the insurance company to pay the funeral home directly from your life insurance policy. A claim must be submitted before a funeral assignment can occur. Additional funeral planning services may be available. Review more information on funeral planning services at MetLife

For Claims submitted on or before December 31, 2024

If your City employment ends, there are two ways you can take your life insurance with you — portability and conversion. Portability allows you to continue group coverage at group rates, whereas conversion allows you to continue your coverage as an individual policy. Different rules apply. Here is an overview: 

Portability 

For Your Life Insurance Coverage (Basic and Supplemental) 

You must be under age 80, able to perform at least one gainful occupation, and on the date your employment terminates, you must have been continuously insured under the Group Policy for 12 consecutive months. Portable coverage lets you choose group term life insurance up to the amount of your basic and supplemental life coverage combined — to a maximum of $1,000,000 — without a Medical History Statement Form. The minimum amount you may port is $10,000. 

For Your Dependent Life Coverage (Spouse/Domestic Partner and Child) 

If you choose portable coverage for yourself, you may also take any dependent coverage with you if your dependent(s) meet the following age requirements: 

• Your spouse/DP must meet the same age requirements listed above for your coverage. 

• Children must be under age 26. 

Conversion 

If your coverage ends or reduces for any reason except failure to pay the premium or payment of an Accelerated Benefit, you can convert your life insurance, or your dependent’s life insurance, to an individual policy without a Medical History Statement Form. Because group rates will no longer apply, this individual conversion policy will cost substantially more than coverage you have as a City employee through LAwell. Conversion is the only option available if you do not qualify for portability. 

What You Need to Do 

To select portable coverage or to convert coverage, you must complete and submit a form — within 60 days from the date your employment or dependent coverage ends. Forms are available here. For more information, call Employee Benefits at 213-978-1655. 

For Claims submitted on or before January 1, 2025

If your City employment ends, there are two ways you can take your life insurance with you — portability and conversion. Portability allows you to continue group coverage at group rates if your coverage ends because employment is being voluntarily or involuntarily terminated, whereas conversion allows you to continue your coverage as an individual policy. Different rules apply. Here is an overview:

Portability 

For Your Life Insurance Coverage (Basic and Supplemental) 

Portability is an optional feature that allows you and your dependents to continue their Group Term Life insurance under a separate policy. Portable coverage lets you choose group term life insurance up to the amount of your basic and supplemental life coverage combined — to a maximum of $2,000,000 — without an MEOI. The minimum amount you may port is $10,000. You may also apply for Preferred portable Life Rates and/or to increase coverage by submitting an MEOI. Portable coverage is effective on the 32nd day after group coverage ends. 

For Your Dependent Life Coverage (Spouse/Domestic Partner and Child) 

Your spouse/DP and or child(ren) may also elect to port coverage when they lose life insurance coverage at group rates. If they choose to submit an MEOI they may apply for Preferred portable Life Rates and increase their life insurance coverage.

Conversion 

Conversion is available on all Group Life insurance coverages. If you wish to increase your coverage amount or add spouse or child coverage, the non-underwritten policy available through the Conversion process may not meet your needs. An individually underwritten policy may be more cost-effective and provide additional benefits, such as the ability to elect waiver of premium, accidental death benefit and/or a children’s term rider, that are not available with a Conversion policy. You may apply for a medically underwritten life insurance policy simultaneously with your application for the Conversion policy. Underwritten policies are subject to underwriting requirements, so you may have to provide medical information. If you apply for both the Conversion policy and an underwritten policy and are approved for the underwritten policy, then you can choose the underwritten policy. If you are not approved for the underwritten policy, then the Conversion policy will be issued and become effective on the 32nd day after your group coverage ends.

You can generally convert your Group Life insurance benefits to an Individual Whole Life insurance policy if your coverage terminates in whole or in part due to:

• Retirement or termination of employment

• A change in your employee class

What You Need to Do 

To select portable coverage or to convert coverage, you must complete and submit a form along with your premium payment within 60 days from the date your employment or dependent coverage ends. Forms are available here or call
213-978-1655 for more information.