We’re halfway through the 2026 Annual Life Insurance Review period!

For employees who already have optional life insurance, October is their window of opportunity to increase their coverage without proving insurability (no medical history statement required)

Benefit-eligible employees actively employed before September 1, 2025, can increase coverage amounts (in increments of $10,000) by up to $20,000 without proving insurability, provided the coverage amount does not exceed six times their annual salary, or $800,000.

Keep in mind that this opportunity does not apply to spouse and child(ren) coverage. If an employee wishes to maintain their current level of coverage, no action is required.

If an employee wishes to increase their optional life insurance coverage amount, have them log in to myMOSERS between now and October 31, 2025 (midnight). On the MOSERS Member Dashboard, the employee must click the Update Now button and follow the steps to increase coverage. They should not use the Life Insurance page on the Member Dashboard to increase their coverage during the Annual Life Insurance Review period.

Please encourage your employees to take advantage of this special opportunity to protect their loved ones from financial hardship. Don’t miss out!

It’s that time of year again!

For employees who already have optional life insurance, October is their window of opportunity to increase their coverage without proving insurability (no medical history statement required).

Benefit-eligible employees actively employed before September 1, 2025, can increase coverage amounts (in increments of $10,000) by up to $20,000 without proving insurability, provided the coverage amount does not exceed six times their annual salary, or $800,000.

Keep in mind that this opportunity does not apply to spouse and child(ren) coverage (see FAQs). If an employee wishes to maintain their current level of coverage, no action is required.

In late September, MOSERS will email eligible employees with instructions on how to increase coverage. We will send a personalized letter via Document Express (their MOSERS online mailbox) to each eligible employee outlining their optional life insurance coverage options. The letter will be sent by regular mail to employees without a valid email address on file. Please encourage them to read it carefully.

All MOSERS members can access Document Express by logging in to myMOSERS and following the prompts. Remind your employees that they must have a valid email address on file with MOSERS to create an Online ID and password. Employees who cannot complete the process online may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for assistance.

If your employee wishes to increase their optional life insurance coverage amount, have them log in to myMOSERS between now and October 31, 2025 (midnight). On the MOSERS Member Dashboard, the employee must click the Update Now button and follow the steps to increase coverage.

If an employee increases their coverage, we will post a confirmation letter in their Document Express online mailbox and send an email notification once it is ready to view. Employees can log in to myMOSERS to access the letter. If the employee opted out of electronic delivery, MOSERS will mail a confirmation letter reflecting any changes to their coverage to their home address.

• We will provide eligible employees with their current 2025 coverage amounts and monthly premiums, and their new 2026 premiums.
• Any new elections made in October will go into effect on January 1, 2026, as long as the employee meets the “actively at work” requirement. More information about this requirement is available in the Life Insurance Handbook.
• Term life insurance proceeds are paid to the employee’s designated beneficiary(ies) if the employee passes away. There is no cash or loan value.
• Employees can use the Optional Life Insurance Calculator to research premiums on their own.

Life insurance through MOSERS is not available to Department of Conservation or university employees (except State Technical College of Missouri & Lincoln University) because those employers provide their own life insurance benefits.

The Annual Benefit Statement employees receive from MOSERS includes their primary life insurance beneficiary designation. Please encourage employees to update their beneficiary designations if they have a life event that may affect this information, such as a marriage, divorce, or death. Beneficiary designations can be updated online by following these steps:

1. Log in to myMOSERS
2. Select Update Beneficiaries from the Member Dashboard.
3. Review your current designations and select Update Beneficiaries at the bottom of the screen.
4. Click the edit icon next to the name of any currently designated beneficiaries to review and edit their contact information. Make any changes as needed.
5. Select Add New Beneficiaries to add a new potential beneficiary.
6. Click the green plus sign to create a new beneficiary. Enter all required fields.
7. Select Continue to update primary and contingent beneficiary designations.
8. Add any new primary or contingent designations and adjust allocations for each beneficiary.
9. Click the checkbox stating that you have read and accepted the submission authorization, then click Submit.

The new beneficiary designations will become effective upon receipt by MOSERS.

Q: Can employees decrease or terminate their optional life insurance coverage?

A: Yes. They can log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu. This can be done at any time during the year. Remember, to be eligible for future annual review periods, they must maintain at least $10,000 of optional life insurance coverage.

Q: Can employees continue their optional life insurance into retirement?

A: Yes. If they retire directly from active employment or within 65 days of leaving state employment, the state will continue to provide $5,000 in basic life insurance coverage at no cost. In addition, retirees may retain up to $60,000 in optional life insurance, provided they carried at least that amount while actively employed.

• Employees who retire under the Rule of 80 in MSEP 2000 or Rule of 90 in MSEP 2011 may retain all their coverage until age 62. At age 62, the coverage amount will automatically reduce to $60,000.
• Retirees may choose to reduce or terminate their optional life coverage after they retirement, but they may not increase it.

Q: Can employees increase their coverage amount by more than $20,000 in October?

A: Yes. They may increase their coverage at any time during the year but must prove insurability. To do this, they can log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu. They must also complete the Medical History Statement.

If they have a family status change (including marriage, divorce, or legal separation; birth of a child; adoption of a child; or death of a spouse or child), they may be eligible to increase their optional life insurance coverage by $100,000 (in $10,000 increments) for themselves without proving insurability.

They must log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu within 31 days of the event and submit proof of family status change. Otherwise, the employee must also submit the Medical History Statement and be approved by The Standard Insurance Company for the increase to be effective.

Q: Can employees purchase (or increase) coverage for their spouse or dependent child in October?

A: Yes. They may increase or add coverage on a spouse at any time but must prove insurability. To do this, they can log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu. They must also complete the Medical History Statement.

Eligible dependent child(ren) can be enrolled at any time without proof of insurability by logging in to myMOSERS and selecting Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu. Dependent changes can be requested at any time, not just during October. The coverage amount will remain $10,000 per child with a premium of $2 per month, regardless of the number of insured children.

For coverage purposes only, a child is defined as the member's child from live birth to age 26. This includes biological children, dependent stepchildren and grandchildren, adopted children, and children for whom the member is the court-appointed legal guardian, provided they live with the member. Full-time members of the armed forces of any country, regardless of age, are not included in the definition of an eligible child.

Disabled children older than age 26, who are continuously incapable of self-sustaining employment because of developmental, intellectual, or physical handicaps and are dependent on the member for support, are also eligible for dependent coverage. However, the member must provide proof that their child is disabled and be approved by The Standard Insurance Company for continued coverage. (The Continued Dependent Life Insurance for a Disabled Child form is available in our Online Library or can be requested from a MOSERS benefit counselor.)

Q: Can employees enroll in the Optional Life Insurance Plan if they are not currently enrolled?

A: Yes. They may add optional life coverage at any time during the year but must prove insurability. To do this, they can log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu. They must also complete the Medical History Statement.

If they have a family status change (including marriage, divorce, or legal separation; birth of a child; adoption of a child; or death of a spouse or child), they may be eligible to apply for up to $30,000 of optional life insurance coverage, in $10,000 increments, for themselves without proving insurability.

They must log in to myMOSERS and select Enroll/Change Life Insurance Coverage from the I want to… menu within 31 days of the event and submit proof of family status change. Otherwise, the employee must also submit the Medical History Statement and be approved by The Standard Insurance Company for the coverage to be effective.