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Claims
Under the FEDERAL FIRST Term Life Insurance Program, there are three situations for which an insured employee or dependent may be eligible to file a claim. The three types of claim situations are
- Premium Waiver for Permanently and Totally Disabled Employees
- Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminally Ill Employees
- Death Claim
Premium Waiver for Permanently and Totally Disabled Employees
When you are not able to work due to a permanent and total disability, you may be eligible to continue your term life insurance coverage without making premium payments. You must continue to pay your premium allotments until MetLife approves the premium waiver claim and notifies you. Your spouse and your dependent children are not eligible for premium waiver.
To be eligible for premium waiver, you as the covered employee must meet these conditions
- Your term life insurance must be inforce when you become totally disabled;
- You leave work due to the disease or injury that causes the total disability before your age 60;
- The permanent and total disability must last at least nine months; and
- You must furnish MetLife with proof to support the claim when requested during the first two years after the premium waiver was approved. After that, you need to provide MetLife with proof once a year. Premium waiver will stop on the earlier of the date you recover or reach age 65.
Important note: If you are eligible for premium waiver benefits, a notice of the claim must be given to MetLife not more than 12 months from the date you last worked. If notice is received after 12 months, it will be treated as late and the claim will be denied.
How to File a Premium Waiver Claim
If you have been continuously away from work for 9 months due to a disability, your Human Resources Specialist must follow the instructions below to ensure a notice of disability claim to MetLife. This notice must be submitted within 12 months from the date you last worked.
- If you are enrolled in the FEDERAL FIRST Long Term Disability Insurance Program, underwritten by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), MetLife will use your Long Term Disability Claim Form to determine if you are eligible for Premium Waiver. Once the information is reviewed and approved, MetLife will coordinate the claims under the Long Term Disability and Voluntary Term Life Insurance policies to be sure you are given notice of the approval. MetLife will then provide the necessary written notice to the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center.
- If you are not enrolled in the FEDERAL FIRST Long Term Disability Insurance Program, your Human Resource Sepcialist and/or you will need to request the necessary premium waiver forms and instructions by:
- Contacting the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center via email here.
- Calling the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center at: 1-800-233-0438
- Obtaining forms from Forms Download.
If you have question about your Premium Waiver claim, contact:
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
P.O. Box 14401
Lexington, KY 40512-4401
Toll Free Number: 1-800-243-8786
Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminally Ill Employees
Accelerated Death Benefit is often referred to as a “living benefit”. It can provide an early payment of up to 75% of your inforce voluntary term life insurance coverage if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness. The maximum payment is $375,000. The minimum payment is $5,000. The benefit is payable in a lump sum. We recommend you consult with your tax consultant to determine the consequence of this benefit payment.
You will be considered terminally ill if you suffer from an incurable, progressive and medically recognized condition and, to a reasonable medical probability and based on generally accepted prognostic protocol, will not survive more than 24 months. MetLife will make the final determination based on medical documentation submitted by your physician.
The Accelerated Death Benefit is not available to spouses or dependent children.
How to File a Claim for the Accelerated Death Benefit
In the unfortunate event of terminal illness, your can obtain the form you need by:
- Contacting the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center via email here or by phone at: 1-800-233-0438
- Obtaining forms from Forms Download.
If you have a question about your Accelerated Death Benefit claim, please contact:
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
P.O. Box 14401
Lexington, KY 40512-4401
Toll Free Number: 1-800-ASK-4MET (1-800-275-4638)
Death Claim
Upon the death of the covered individual, family members and/or beneficiaries can obtain the necessary forms and instructions by
- Contacting the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center via email here or by phone at: 1-800-233-0438
- Obtaining forms from Forms Download.
Additional items such as death certificate, current beneficiary information, enrollment forms will be needed to process the claim. Aetna will work with the FEDERAL FIRST Service Center and family members/beneficiaries to get information needed to complete the claim process.
If your family members and/or beneficiaries have questions about the Death claim, they may contact:
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
P.O. Box 14401
Lexington, KY 40512-4401
Toll Free Number: 1-800-ASK-4MET (1-800-275-4638)
