Eligible employees may enroll in the NCPERS Group Life Insurance program if their employer offers the program, they meet their employer’s eligibility requirements, and they enroll during their initial eligibility period or their employer’s designated Open Enrollment period.

Eligible dependent coverage is also available for a spouse or domestic partner and eligible dependent children, as outlined in the selected plan. No medical exams or health questions are required for eligible employees who enroll during their initial eligibility period or Open Enrollment.

Yes. One of the advantages of the NCPERS Group Life Insurance program is that eligible members may have options to continue their coverage after retirement or when leaving employment.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to continue coverage through retiree payroll deduction (if available) or convert your group coverage to an individual life insurance policy. Please contact Member Benefits for assistance in determining your available continuation options and any applicable deadlines.

If you become totally disabled before age 60 and meet the requirements of the Waiver of Premium provision, your life insurance coverage may continue without additional premium payments while you remain eligible.

Eligibility is determined in accordance with the terms of the policy, and proof of continued disability may be required. Please contact Member Benefits for information about applying for the Waiver of Premium benefit.

Employees on a leave of absence are allowed to keep their insurance for up to a year, at which time they must either return to work or exercise their conversion privilege.

Employers are eligible to offer the NCPERS Group Life Insurance program if they participate in NCPERS and elect to make the program available through payroll deduction.

Employees are generally eligible if they meet their employer’s participation requirements, are actively at work, and enroll during their initial eligibility period or during their employer’s designated Open Enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: Participating employers typically conduct Open Enrollment during October through November. However, employers may choose a different 60-day Open Enrollment period that best fits their organization’s schedule.

When Coverage Begins: Coverage generally becomes effective on the first day of the month following the first full payroll deduction, provided all eligibility requirements have been met.

When Dependent Coverage Begins: Eligible dependent coverage becomes effective on the same date as the employee’s coverage. If an eligible dependent is confined for medical treatment on the effective date, coverage will begin once the dependent is no longer confined and otherwise meets the plan’s eligibility requirements.

Termination: Coverage ends when premium payments are discontinued, the employee is no longer eligible under the NCPERS Group Life Insurance program, or the employer’s participation in the program ends.

The NCPERS Group Life Insurance program typically conducts Open Enrollment during October through November. However, participating employers may select a different 60-day Open Enrollment period that best fits their organization’s schedule. Employees should contact their Human Resources or Benefits Office for their employer’s Open Enrollment dates.

Your employees who did not sign up within 90 days of hire can join during open enrollment. Health questions or medical exams are not required if the eligible employee enrolls during the open enrollment period. The employee only needs to be actively at work for the insurance to become effective.

Coverage for employee’s eligible dependents are included in the employee’s premium.

Participation is completely voluntary and no minimum number of participants is required to make the coverage effective. The plan allows you to offer important and valuable benefits to employees through convenient payroll deductions.

Yes. Employees may choose from three guaranteed-issue life insurance plan options—$16, $20, or $25 per month. Each plan includes Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, as well as spouse/domestic partner and dependent children coverage.

The three plans offer different levels of life insurance protection, allowing employees to select the coverage that best fits their needs and budget. Eligible employees may enroll during their initial eligibility period or during an open enrollment period, if offered by their employer.

Policy documents are typically mailed within 30 days after an employee’s enrollment has been processed. Processing times may vary depending on the timing of the enrollment submission and whether any additional information is needed.

To change your beneficiary, complete the Beneficiary Change Form available in the Resource Library.

For your protection, beneficiary changes must be submitted in writing, signed, and dated by the member. Changes cannot be accepted by phone.

Payments are due in the lock box by the 1st of the month of coverage and are considered to be late by the 10th. If you are on a schedule, which makes it impossible for you to make this deadline, changes you make to your statement will not be reflected on the very next billing statement, as your payment will have missed the cutoff date of the 10th.

New employees are added to the billing system the first of the month following their 90 days eligibility period. If you begin payroll deductions sooner, add them to your billing statement and adjust your “current months charges” to include their premium. We will adjust our records to show the correct effective date based on payment.

Enrollment forms that are incomplete or missing required information may delay processing and prevent an employee from appearing on your billing statement. Please ensure all required information is completed before submitting the enrollment. Without the name of the employer, we do not know what group to enter the participant into. Other pertinent information needed to process the enrollment are; “Date of Hire”, “Occupation”, “Social Security Number”, “Date of Birth”, and “Beneficiary Designation”. This information is required to process enrollment; it is also required information when completing death claim forms and applications for waiver of premium. Finally, make sure the employee signs and dates the enrollment form.

If an employee does not have a deduction made by payroll deduction during the month for any of the following reasons, note the reason on your Billing Statement. If an Employee is not receiving a payroll check because of disability, leave of absence or no earnings, payment must still be received for continued coverage. The Employee can submit a personal check to the Employer Unit for the period of time during which the Employee will not be receiving a check from the Employer Unit. This payment should be submitted with the normal premium payment. The Employer Unit can also make a double deduction during the pay period prior to or subsequent to the absence and note it on the billing statement using the following codes:

A = Add
T = Terminated
M = Medical Leave of Absence
R = Retired

Member Benefits cannot process a name change from the billing statement. Please use the Change/Update Contact Information Form in the Resource Library to make any type of member contact changes.

Highlight the employee name on your billing statement and place a “T” – Terminated, “R” – Retired, “D” – Disabled or “C” – Deceased, in the billing code. Reduce you current month charge by that employee’s premium, then process your payment for the new amount.

Partial payment or partial month coverage cannot be accepted. If an employee retires, terminates or is deceased before a full month’s premium has been deducted, do not send the partial month deduction. This should be refunded to the employee as part of their final paycheck. Adjustments for partial payments sent in error are the responsibility of the employer unit making payroll deductions. If checks are automatically printed from the payroll system, simply void the check and reissue two manual checks, one for the employee and a check for the remaining balance, which you mail with your billing statement.

In the event that you are assisting an employee to file a claim, please help them complete and return the Death Claim Form found in the Resource Library.

Death claims are usually paid within 4-6 weeks from receipt of complete claim information. Incomplete information will delay the claim.

Subject to applicable state law, Prudential’s Alliance Account^® is the standard settlement option for death benefits of $5,000 or more.¹ We will establish an interest-bearing account in the beneficiary’s name. Beneficiaries earn interest as long as the account remains open. They can withdraw the full amount immediately, write drafts² against the balance, or leave the funds in the account to collect interest. For death benefits of less than $5,000, claims will be settled via a lump sum check.

The following settlement and payment options are available as an alternative to the Alliance Account:

• Lump Sum: The beneficiary may receive the full death benefit in a single lump sum check or receive the full amount via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
• Payment for a Fixed Period: The death benefit plus interest may be paid over a fixed number of years (1 to 25) either monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually.³
• Payment in Installments for Life: The death benefit may provide monthly payments in installments for as long as the beneficiary lives.
• Payment of a Fixed Amount: The beneficiary may choose an income payment of a stated fixed amount either monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually.
• Interest Income: All or part of the proceeds may be left with Prudential to earn interest, which can be paid annually, semiannually, quarterly, or monthly. The minimum deposit is $1,000.

To file a claim, contact the Member Benefits at 1-888-706-9155, email NCPERS@memberbenefits.com, or use the downloadable form linked above.

¹Beneficiaries may wish to consult a tax advisor regarding interest earned on the account. There are fees for special services, such as stop payment requests. Prudential’s Alliance Account is a registered trademark of The Prudential Insurance Company of America.
²Alliance Account drafts are considered checks under federal law for certain purposes.
³Interest rates may change.

The Bank of New York Mellon is the Administrator of the Prudential Alliance Account Settlement Option, a contractual obligation of The Prudential Insurance Company of America, located at 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3777. Draft clearing and processing support is provided by The Bank of New York Mellon. The Bank of New York Mellon is not a Prudential Financial company. Alliance Account balances are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). All funds are held within Prudential’s general account, which is not FDIC insured because is not a bank account or bank product.

Member Benefits is responsible for administering the NCPERS plan.