Statement of Health
A policy’s Guaranteed Issue (GI) amount is the maximum amount of coverage you are eligible for without providing additional medical information. Our Life insurance plans may allow you to request more coverage than your policy’s Guaranteed Issue. If the coverage amount you request exceeds the Guaranteed Issue, Statement of Health (SOH) is required. This means that you and any dependents on your plan must provide certain medical information to MetLife for review before the additional coverage amount is approved.
Terms to know
As a reminder, here are a few key terms to know:
- Basic Life insurance – Pays a benefit to your beneficiary if you pass away.
- Supplemental Life insurance – Offers additional coverage to meet your individual needs. It pays an additional benefit to your beneficiary if you pass away.
- Dependent Life insurance – Offers additional coverage for your spouse, domestic partner and/or eligible children. It pays a benefit if your spouse/domestic partner and/or eligible children pass away.
- Guaranteed Issue (GI) – The maximum amount of coverage you are eligible for without providing additional medical information.
- Statement of Health (SOH) – The process you must go through to be eligible for coverage amounts above your plan’s Guaranteed Issue. This could include answering health questions, providing medical history and/or medical records or undergoing medical exams.
How to recognize your benefit and Guaranteed Issue amounts
Benefit amounts and Guaranteed Issue amounts are listed on your Schedule of Benefits. We’ve provided an example Schedule of Benefits below to help you understand your Life insurance (example is for illustrative purposes only; check your Schedule of Benefits or Certificate of Insurance for your exact benefit amounts as they may vary):
- Basic Life insurance is a benefit that’s equal to one times your basic annual earnings. Basic Life is available up to $500,000, which means that you can elect coverage for any amount up to $500,000. The GI for Basic Life is $100,000. This means if your salary is more than $100,000, you will have to apply for Evidence of Insurability to receive additional coverage. If you are not approved, your benefit amount will remain at $100,000.
- Supplemental Life insurance is available up to $500,000, which means that you can elect coverage for any amount up to $500,000. The GI for Supplemental Life is $250,000. This means if you choose to elect more than $250,000, you will have to apply for Evidence of Insurability to receive additional coverage. If you are not approved, your benefit amount will remain at $250,000.
You may see Statement of Health referred to as “Evidence of Insurability” in your Schedule of Benefits, below.
| Benefit | Benefit amounts and highlights |
|---|---|
| Basic Life Insurance | An amount equal to 1x your basic annual earnings, round to the next higher $1,000 |
| Minimum basic life benefit | None |
| Maximum basic life benefit | $500,000 |
| Supplemental Life insurance | Increments of $10,000 up to a maximum of $500,000 |
| Guaranteed Issue amount | The Guaranteed Issue Amount for Basic Life Insurance is $100,000 and Supplemental Life insurance is $250,000. Any amount of Life Insurance above the Guaranteed Issue Amount is subject to Statement of Health. |
How to increase your coverage amounts
You elect over the GI
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MetLife sends online application
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You complete online application
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MetLife reviews Statement of Health application
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Decision is made on coverage
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Coverage amount updated
Hint TextYou elect coverage over the GI amount at open enrollment or another qualifying event.
We reach out to you and provide the link to our online application. You are enrolled up to the GI until we confirm that you're approved for additional coverage.
You (if electing additional coverage on Basic or Supplemental Life) or your spouse (if electing additional coverage on Dependent Life) complete the online Statement of Health application.
We'll review the completed Statement of Health application and will request any necessary additional information, if required. This takes about 30 business days.
Your application is either accepted or denied. Youʼll be notified and you can see your application status on the portal. If your request is accepted, the day of the decision is the effective date of your additional coverage.
Your coverage amount is updated in our system. Future premiums will reflect the price of your new coverage amount.