What You Need to Know
While you obviously hope not to become seriously ill, being prepared is essential. Even the best medical and disability insurance plans don’t always cover all your illness-related expenses. Critical illness insurance provides some extra money during a serious illness and recovery to help you meet your financial obligations. Also, the coverage is portable, which means if you leave the Company, the coverage may be continued.
Understanding Critical Illness Insurance
Critical illness insurance,* insured by MetLife, is a voluntary benefit that supplements your medical insurance and offers financial protection in case of a covered illness. Covered illnesses may include cancer, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, COVID-19, cardiac arrest, Parkinson's, and more.
Enrollment
You and your covered family members can enroll in voluntary critical illness insurance during your initial eligibility period (generally when you first start working) or yearly during Annual Enrollment.
Using your benefit
There’s no waiting period to start receiving benefits for any newly diagnosed condition.* When you file a claim with MetLife, benefit payments are paid directly to you. You can use that money however you wish, including medical plan deductibles or coinsurance, household expenses, or bills.
Recurrence benefits
If you’ve already received your initial benefit, recurrence benefits may cover another occurrence or relapse of the following conditions: heart attack, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft, full benefit cancer, and partial benefit cancer.
There is a benefit suspension period between recurrences.
Paying for coverage
You pay for critical illness insurance coverage through payroll deductions. Your cost is based on your age (in whole years) at the end of prior year.
Covered illnesses
Covered conditions and related benefit payments include:
| Covered Conditions | Initial Benefit | Recurrence Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Full benefit cancer | Up to $15,000 | Up to $7,500 |
| Partial benefit cancer | Up to $3,750 | Up to $1,875 |
| Skin cancer | Up to $750 | N/A |
| Heart attack | Up to $15,000 | Up to $7,500 |
| Sudden cardiac arrest | Up to $7,500 | N/A |
| Stroke | Up to $15,000 | Up to $7,500 |
| Coma | Up to $15,000 | Up to $15,000 |
| Loss of ability to speak, hear or see | Up to $15,000 | N/A |
| Paralysis of two or more limbs | Up to $15,000 | N/A |
| Severe burn | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft | Up to $15,000 | Up to $7,500 |
| Kidney failure | Up to $15,000 | N/A |
| Alzheimer’s disease | Up to $15,000 | N/A |
| Parkinson’s disease (advanced) | $15,000 | N/A |
| Major organ transplant | Up to $15,000 | N/A |
| Other covered conditions | Up to $3,750 | N/A |
If you suffer from multiple covered conditions, you can receive up to three initial benefit payments—a total benefit of $45,000.
Learn more about voluntary critical illness insurance
Watch a brief presentation on covered illnesses, claims, and more.