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 questions).

Additionally, this year, employees who do not have optional life insurance and have never been denied coverage through The Standard Insurance Company can enroll during October without proving insurability (no medical questions). This enrollment opportunity only comes around every four years.

Benefit-eligible employees actively employed before September 1, 2023, can increase or elect coverage amounts (in increments of $10,000) by up to $100,000 without proving insurability, provided the coverage amount does not exceed six times their annual salary or $800,000. The opportunity to increase coverage amounts up to $100,000 only comes around every four years.

Please note 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.

Remind Employees to Check Their Email

In late September, MOSERS will email eligible employees instructions explaining how to increase coverage or enroll in optional life insurance. They may view their notification in their Document Express online mailbox. Please encourage them to read it carefully. If no valid email address is on file, MOSERS will mail a letter.

Note: All MOSERS members have access to Document Express. Employees may use ESS and go to MOSERS or log in to myMOSERS and follow the prompts. To create a MOSERS Online ID & password, employees must have a valid email address on file with MOSERS. If an employee cannot enroll online, please have them contact a MOSERS benefit counselor at (800) 827-1063 for assistance.

Instructions for Increases Coverage and Enrolling

If your employee wishes to increase or enroll in optional life insurance, have them go to their MOSERS Member Homepage through ESS or log in to myMOSERS between October 1 and October 31, 2023 (midnight). On the MOSERS Member Homepage, the employee must click the Update Now button and follow the steps to increase or enroll in coverage.

Confirmation of Election

If an employee increases or enrolls in new coverage, we will post a confirmation letter to their Document Express, which they can access by logging in to myMOSERS. We will send an email notification alerting them when it is posted and ready to be viewed. If the employee opted out of electronic delivery, we will send a confirmation letter in the mail reflecting any changes to their coverage.

Important Details

• We will provide eligible employees with their current 2023 coverage amount and monthly premiums (if applicable), as well as their 2024 coverage and premiums if they increase or enroll in new coverage.
• Any new elections in October will go into effect on January 1, 2024, if they meet the “Actively-at-Work” requirement. More information is available in the Life Insurance Handbook.
• Term life insurance proceeds are paid to designated beneficiaries upon death. 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 employees of the Department of Conservation or universities (except State Technical College of Missouri & Lincoln University) because those employers provide their own life insurance benefits.

Updating Beneficiaries

The Annual Benefit Statement employees receive from MOSERS includes primary life insurance beneficiary designations. If an employee has had a life event that may affect their beneficiary designation, such as a marriage, divorce, or death, please encourage them to update their beneficiary designation as soon as possible. Beneficiary designations can be updated online as follows:

• Log in to myMOSERS.
• Click on Forms, then Life Insurance Beneficiaries in the top menu.
• Follow the instructions for completing and submitting the online form.

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

Optional Life Insurance FAQs

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

A: Yes. They must complete an Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance form and submit it to MOSERS. Employees can complete and submit the form electronically by logging in to myMOSERS. This can be done at any time throughout the year. Remember, to be eligible for future annual life insurance 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 to them. They may retain up to $60,000 in optional life insurance, provided they had at least that amount while actively employed. They may retain all their coverage until age 62 if they retire under the “Rule of 80" in MSEP 2000 or under the “Rule of 90” in MSEP 2011. At age 62, the coverage amount will automatically reduce to $60,000. They may reduce or terminate their optional life coverage amount after they retire, but they may not increase it.

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

A: They may increase or add coverage on a spouse anytime but must prove insurability. To do so, they must complete and submit the following forms by logging in to myMOSERS:

• Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance
• The Standard Medical History Statement

Dependent child coverage can be requested at any time without proof of insurability by submitting an Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance form. 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 disability 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. (They may request a Continued Dependent Life Insurance for a Disabled Child form from a MOSERS benefit counselor.)

Q: Can employees increase or add coverage for themselves outside of the annual review?

A: Yes. Eligible employees may increase or add coverage on themselves at any time, but they must prove insurability outside the month of October. To do so, they must complete and submit the following forms by logging in to myMOSERS:

• The Standard Medical History Statement
• Enrollment/Change - Optional Life Insurance

Additionally, if they have a family status change (includes marriage, divorce or legal separation; the birth of a child; adoption of a child; or death of a spouse or child) and already have optional life insurance coverage, they may be eligible to apply for additional optional life insurance coverage for themselves without proving insurability. Additional coverage must be in $10,000 increments, not to exceed $100,000. If they do not have optional life insurance coverage and have never been denied coverage by The Standard Insurance Company, they may add coverage in increments of $10,000 up to $30,000 for themselves without proving insurability. They must apply within 31 days of the event and submit proof of the event for the coverage to be effective.