Our Group Life Insurance Plan, administered by Sun Life Financial, provides your family with valuable financial protection in the event of your death or the death of a covered dependent. The plan includes a university-provided basic life insurance benefit that helps protect your family in the event of your death. If you are eligible for basic life insurance, you will also have travel assistance coverage. In addition, a university-provided accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) benefit is payable if you die as a result of a covered accident while you’re on the job. For added protection, you can purchase additional supplemental life insurance coverage for yourself and/or your eligible dependents.

Enrollment

To enroll in or make changes to your life insurance coverage and update your beneficiaries:

Log in to enroll, make changes & update beneficiaries

Or follow these steps: Log into Academica, Click 'Employee Resources', Click 'Employee Self-Service', Click 'Benefit Plan Enrollment & Changes'. Click here for full instructions

For help, call Businessolver's WSU Benefits Service Center: 888-907-1433

Basic Life Insurance

Upon employment, WSU provides eligible employees a basic group term life insurance policy equal to their annual salary with Sun Life Financial. The basic group term life insurance policy includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits. The basic life insurance benefit reduces on a graduated scale beginning at age 70 (see below). The maximum death benefit varies by employee group.

Supplemental Life Insurance

Employee

For added protection, you can purchase additional supplemental life insurance coverage for yourself. You may be subject to EOI if outside your eligibility window (see EOI section below). The supplemental employee life insurance policy includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits. The supplemental employee life insurance benefit reduces on a graduated scale beginning at age 70 (see below). The maximum death benefit varies by employee group.

You can increase your life insurance coverage to one of the following options:

• the basic plus one time your salary,
• the basic plus two times your salary,
• the basic plus three times your salary, or
• the basic plus four times your salary 

Spouse & Dependent Child

Eligible employees also have the opportunity to purchase life insurance for a spouse and/or dependent child/ren ($20,000 for spouse and $10,000 per child). Other eligible persons (OEP) are eligible for spouse coverage. Eligible dependent children include any child claimed on your most recent income tax return, foster children to age 19 (or 25 if a full-time student) and disabled dependents over age 25. 

Supplemental spouse coverage may be subject to EOI if outside your eligibility window (see EOI section below). You may not elect supplemental spouse and/or supplemental dependent child life insurance coverage if your spouse and/or dependent child is covered under the policy of another WSU employee. Any person who is in full-time military service is not eligible to be covered as a spouse or dependent child. 

Evidence of Insurability (EOI)

For supplemental employee and supplemental spouse only: If applying outside of your initial eligibility period (within 45 days of hire), you or your spouse will be required to complete an Evidence of Insurability Application. The Evidence of Insurability Application to Sun Life Financial. Please do not submit health information to WSU. If your request is approved by Sun Life Financial, the change takes effect immediately. You will receive approval communication from Sun Life Financial.

Imputed Income - Life Insurance Over $50,000

The value of employer-paid group term life insurance in excess of $50,000 may generate income that must be included in your W-2 earnings. The amount of income is determined using an IRS table. Taxable life premiums are collected once per month, so if you are subject to the tax, you will notice a fluctuation in your net pay. This calculator is a helpful tool to calculate imputed income.

For more information see this website: https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/group-term-life-insurance

Age 70 Reductions

Beginning at age 70, basic and supplemental employee life insurance coverage amounts start to reduce to the following percentages:

• Age 70 through 74 reduces to 67% of your annual salary 
• Age 75 through 79 reduces to 45% of your annual salary 
• Age 80 through 84 reduces to 30% of your annual salary 
• Age 85 or over reduces to 20% of your annual salary 

Emergency Travel Assistance and Identity Theft Protection 

Read more about Emergency Travel Assistance and Identity Theft Protection benefits you can use today.

Online Will Preparation

Create your own will online for free by using your legal and financial benefit from Sun Life Financial. The Online Will program enables you to select from several will formats and choose the one that applies to your personal situation and needs. Wills are state-specific. Online Will preparation is available at www.EstateGuidance.com (Must insert promo code located in the brochure).

Leaving the University

These policies come with portability and conversion options upon termination of employment. See grey resources box for helpful documents.