Benefits-eligible employees are eligible for life insurance beginning the first day of employment. Basic life insurance, which is 1x the employee's annual salary up to a maximum of $500,000, is paid by Bethel. Any amount of life insurance over $50,000 results in a small charge to the employee based on the amount funded over $50,000. That charge is included in each employee’s taxable income.
Employees also have the option to elect supplemental life insurance at their own cost based on their age. Coverage can be elected in increments of 1, 2 or 3 times their annual earnings up to $500,000. New employees are able to select up to $125,000 of coverage during initial enrollment without answering any medical questions.
Applications received after the first 30 days of employment are subject to changes in family status (change of spouse's employment, marriage, etc.) called qualifying events. Employees who need to make changes in their life insurance election due to an associated, reciprocal family status change should contact the Office of People and Culture for the appropriate insurance forms. Forms must be completed within 30 days of a qualifying event.
Open Enrollment is held each year in late fall for an effective date of January 1st to allow employees to change their elections for the following year. Life insurance election changes are subject to a medical questionnaire in most cases.