MetLife Advantages℠
Your life insurance benefits include access to MetLife Advantages℠—a comprehensive suite of valuable services for support, planning and protection when you need it most at no cost to you.
Services include:
Will Preparation offers you and your spouse unlimited face-to-face or telephone meetings with an attorney, from the MetLife Legal Plans network of over 18,000 participating attorneys, to prepare or update a will, living will and Power of Attorney. This benefit is available to you only if you have Optional Life insurance.
For more information, call MetLife Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Advise the Client Service Representative that you are with the State of Maryland (group number 215917) and provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Create and execute key estate planning documents for you or your spouse online from the comfort of your own home. Receive step-by-step guidance to help complete a will, living will and power of attorney in as little as 15 minutes. Answer a few questions about yourself, your family, and your assets to create these documents instantly and have the documents witnessed and notarized with real-time ID verification and video notary.2 If there are aspects of your estate that are more complicated, you might be directed to one of our MetLife Legal Plans network attorneys. This benefit is available to you only if you have Optional Life insurance.
Visit www.legalplans.com/estateplanning and follow the online instructions to create an account using the email and password of your choice. Follow the simple instructions to create your documents.
This is another option to help you or your spouse prepare a will, living will, Power of Attorney and HIPAA Authorization form on your own, at your own pace, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Visit www.willscenter.com and register as a new user. Follow the simple instructions to create your online document.
Estate representatives and beneficiaries may receive unlimited face-to-face legal assistance with probating your and your spouse’s estates. Beneficiaries can also consult an attorney, from the MetLife Legal Plans network of more than 18,000 participating attorneys, for general questions about the probate process. This benefit is available to you only if you have Optional Life insurance.
For more information, call MetLife Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Advise the Client Service Representative that you are with the State of Maryland (group number 215917) and provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.
This service is designed to simplify the funeral planning process for your loved ones and beneficiaries to assist them with organizing an event that will honor a loved one’s life - from a self-paced funeral planning guide to services such as locating funeral homes, florists and local support groups.
To locate funeral homes and other important service providers, call Dignity Memorial 24 hours a day at 1-866-853-0954 or visit www.finalwishesplanning.com. To locate funeral homes and other important service providers, call 1-866-853-0954.
Grief Counseling provides you and your dependents up to five private, face-to-face counseling sessions per event with a professional grief counselor to help cope with a loss, no matter the circumstances, whether it’s a death, an illness or divorce. Sessions may also be held over the phone.
Call LifeWorks, US Inc. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-319-7819.
The Total Control Account®6 (TCA) is a settlement option that provides your loved ones with a safe and convenient way to manage life insurance proceeds. They’ll have the convenience of immediate access to any or all of their proceeds through an interest-bearing account with unlimited check-writing privileges. The Total Control Account also allows beneficiaries time to decide what to do with their proceeds.
Call MetLife at 1-800-638-7283, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Transition Solutions focuses on guidance and services around insurance and other financial products to help you and your family better prepare for your future in response to benefit changing events.
Call MetLife at 1-877-275-6387, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Travel Assistance is a unique program where you and covered family members9 can contact AXA representatives to administer emergency medical, travel, and personal assistance services on your behalf wherever you are in the world.
Call AXA at 1-800-454-3679 within the United States or call collect at 1-312-935-3783 outside the United States.
This service is designed to help beneficiaries sort through the details and serious questions about claims and financial needs during a difficult time. MetLife has arranged to have specially-trained financial professionals available (in person or by telephone) to help with filing life insurance claims, government benefits and help with financial questions.
To be referred to a Delivering the Promise Specialist who will contact you directly, call 1-877-275-6387, prompt 2.
Additional Plan Features:
You can generally convert your group term life insurance benefits to an individual whole life insurance policy if your coverage terminates in whole or in part due to your retirement, termination of employment with the State of Maryland, or a change in your employee class. Please note that you cannot convert your Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverages.
MetLife has contracted with Barnum Financial Group to help with converting coverage. Call MetLife at 1-877-275-6387 , prompt 1, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Gives you an opportunity to continue your Group Life insurance coverage with MetLife should you leave employment with the State of Maryland for any reason. Competitive rates apply but will likely be higher than your current rates and MetLife will bill you directly. To take advantage of this feature, you must have coverage of at least $10,000 up to a maximum of $2,000,000. Generally, there is no minimum time for you to be covered by the plan before you can take advantage of the portability feature. Please see your plan administrator for specific details. Portability is also available on coverage you’ve selected for your spouse and dependent child(ren). Dependents’ amounts are contingent on the employee’s amount. Increases, decreases and maximums are subject to state availability.
You can receive up to 100% of your Optional Life insurance proceeds, in the event that you become terminally ill and are diagnosed with less than 12 months to live. This can go a long way toward helping your family meet medical and other related expenses at this difficult time.
Call MetLife at 1-800-638-6420, prompt 2, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
1 Included with Optional Life Insurance, Will Preparation and MetLife Estate Resolution Services are offered by MetLife Legal Plans, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. In certain states, legal service benefits are provided through insurance coverage underwritten by Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Warwick, Rhode Island. Certain services are not covered by Estate Resolution Services, including matters in which there is a conflict of interest between the executor and any beneficiary or heir and the estate; any disputes with the group policyholder, MetLife and/or any of its affiliates; any disputes involving statutory benefits; will contests or litigation outside probate court; appeals; court costs, filing fees, recording fees, transcripts, witness fees, expenses to a third party, judgments or fines; and frivolous or unethical matters.
2 Online Notary for Digital Estate Planning is not currently available in all states.
3 WillsCenter.com is a document service provided by SmartLegalForms, Inc., an affiliate of Epoq Group, Ltd. SmartLegalForms, Inc. is not affiliated with MetLife and the WillsCenter.com service is separate and apart from any insurance or service provided by MetLife. The WillsCenter.com service does not provide access to an attorney, does not provide legal advice, and may not be suitable for your specific needs. Please consult with your financial, legal, and tax advisors for advice with respect to such matters. WillsCenter.com is available to anyone regardless of affiliation with MetLife.
4 Services and discounts are provided through a member of the Dignity Memorial® Network, a brand name used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that are affiliates of Service Corporation International (together with its affiliates, “SCI”), 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. The online planning site is provided by SCI Shared Resources, LLC. SCI is not affiliated with MetLife, and the services provided by Dignity Memorial members are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife. Not available in some states. SCI offers planning services, expert assistance, and bereavement travel services to anyone regardless of affiliation with MetLife. Discounts through Dignity Memorial’s network of funeral providers have been pre-negotiated. Not available where prohibited by law. If the group policy is issued in an approved state, the discount is available for funeral services held in any state except KY and NY, or where there is no Dignity Memorial presence (AK, MT, ND, SD, and WY). For TN, the funeral services discount is available for “At Need” services only. Not approved in AK, FL, KY, MT, ND, NY and WA.
5 Grief Counseling services are provided through an agreement with LifeWorks, US Inc. LifeWorks is not an affiliate of MetLife, and the services LifeWorks provides are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife. LifeWorks has a nationwide network of over 30,000 counselors. Counselors have master’s or doctoral degrees and are licensed professionals. The Grief Counseling program does not provide support for issues such as: domestic issues, parenting issues, or marital/relationship issues (other than a finalized divorce). For such issues, members should inquire with their human resources department about available company resources. This program is available to insureds, their dependents and beneficiaries who have received a serious medical diagnosis or suffered a loss. Events that may result in a loss are not covered under this program unless and until such loss has occurred.
6 The TCA is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency. The assets backing TCAs are maintained in MetLife’s general account and are subject to claims of MetLife’s creditors. MetLife bears the investment risk of the assets backing TCAs, and expects to receive a profit. Regardless of the investment experience of such assets, the interest credited to TCAs will never fall below the guaranteed minimum rate. Guarantees are subject to the financial strength and claims paying ability of MetLife.
7 MetLife administers the Transition Solutions and Delivering the Promise programs but has arranged to have specially-trained financial professionals offer financial education and, upon request, provide personal guidance to employees and former employees of companies providing Transition Solutions and Delivering the Promise through MetLife.
8 Travel Assistance services are administered by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. Certain benefits provided under the Travel Assistance program are underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London (not incorporated) through Lloyd’s Illinois, Inc. Neither AXA Assistance USA Inc. nor the Lloyd’s entities are affiliated with MetLife, and the services and benefits they provide are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife.
9 You and Covered Family Members means an enrolled employee and their eligible dependents as defined under the group insurance contract issued by MetLife.
10 To take advantage of this benefit, coverage of at least $10,000 must be elected. Increases, decreases, minimum and maximum coverage amounts are subject to state availability. Please contact your plan administrator or refer to your certificate for specific details.
11 The Accelerated Benefits Option is subject to state availability and regulation. The accelerated life insurance benefits offered under your certificate are intended to qualify for favorable federal income tax treatment. If the accelerated benefits qualify for favorable tax treatment, the benefits will be excludable from your income and not subject to federal taxation. This information was written as a supplement to the marketing of life insurance products. Tax laws relating to accelerated benefits are complex and limitations may apply. You are advised to consult with and rely on an independent tax advisor about your own particular circumstances. Receipt of accelerated benefits may affect your eligibility, or that of your spouse or your family, for public assistance programs such as medical assistance (Medicaid), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplementary Social Security Income (SSI) and drug assistance programs. You are advised to consult with social service agencies concerning the effect that receipt of accelerated benefits will have on public assistance eligibility for you, your spouse or your family.