Everyone needs life insurance.
Contrary to popular belief, life insurance isn't just for parents. You need life insurance if anyone is financially dependent on you.

You've recently graduated from college.
You may have significant student loan obligations. If something were to happen to you, your loved ones would most likely be forced to shoulder that debt.

You're the parent of small children.
You want to make sure they'll be able to keep the same lifestyle and attend college—even if you're not there to see it happen.

Your grown children are on their own.
But your children may rely on you for support and help around the house. If you weren't there for them, your children would need extra money to pay someone to take care of things you've been managing for them.

Your spouse may be depending on your income for retirement.
But you're not sure your retirement savings is enough to keep up with a rising cost of living if your paycheck stopped. Life insurance can be a smart way to fill the gap.

Like many families, you rely on two incomes to make ends meet.
You'll need life insurance on both you and your spouse. Even if your spouse stays at home, you should consider life insurance on your spouse to cover the cost of hiring someone to take care of the things your spouse generally handles.

You want to be sure your children can protect their futures, too.

Most children's life insurance coverage contains an innovative feature that allows them to convert their term life protection to a permanent life insurance plan at a higher premium when they become adults. This ensures that your children can protect their own families—no matter what health problems they may develop.

4 Ever Life Insurance Company, an independent licensee of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association and a wholly owned subsidiary of the BCS Financial Corporation. This program is offered exclusively to the employees of the BlueCross and BlueShield companies and their affiliates.

You can enroll if you:

• Are a regular full-time or a regular part-time employee working at least 20 hours per week.
• Are actively at work on both the date the enrollment form is signed and the effective date of coverage.
• Meet the eligibility requirements on the enrollment form.
• Are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.

Note: You can enroll in coverage amounts equal to between 1 to 6 times your eligible earnings, subject to a minimum amount of $10,000 and a maximum of $1,500,000.

If you enroll, you can also enroll these family members:

• Your legal spouse/domestic partner
• Your dependent children or those of your spouse/domestic partner

You can enroll your spouse/domestic partner in any amount between $10,000 and $100,000 in increments of $1,000.

You can enroll your children in the following benefit amount: $10,000 for a monthly cost of just $1.00 that covers all children.

Important Definitions
Domestic Partner: A person of the same or opposite sex who:

• Shares the employee's permanent residence
• Has resided with the employee continuously for at least one year
• Is financially interdependent with the employee
• Has signed a domestic partner declaration with the employee
• Has not signed a domestic partner declaration with any other person in the last 12 months
• Is not less than 18 years old
• Is not currently legally married to any other person
• Is not a blood relative any closer than would prohibit legal marriage

 

Child: The child of an employee who is:

• at least 14 days of age but under 26 years of age; and
• your own child; your adopted child, or a child for whom adoption papers have been filed; a child for whom you are legal guardian or managing conservator; or a stepchild, if living in your home.

You can enroll anytime!

At certain times you may be allowed to enroll in the Group Universal Life plan by not completing as many questions. These times include:

1. Within 31 days of your initial eligibility date.
2. During special enrollment periods as offered by your employer and the insurance provider.
3. Within 31 days of marriage.
4. Within 45 days of the birth or adoption of your first child. Coverage for a newborn will begin when the child is 14 days old, however the application for coverage could be received immediately following the birth.

If you do not apply for yourself and your eligible family members during your initial eligibility date or during a special enrollment period, you will be required to answer a more comprehensive health questionnaire and be approved by the insurance company before coverage can begin.

If you apply when first eligible:

• For a full-time employee, you can enroll in coverage up to $500,000, not to exceed 3 times your eligible earnings by successfully answering a few eligibility questions.
• You can apply for up to $50,000 for your spouse/domestic partner by successfully answering a few health questions.
• You can apply for $10,000 for your children with no health questions.

Your cost is based on several factors including your age, any special features you select, and the amount of coverage you want. Also, you may be eligible for a premium discount if you do not use tobacco. Click on the link below for rate information/See the rate chart below for rate information.

 

Rates

 

Employee and Spouse Coverage

Employee or Spouse Monthly Cost of Insurance per $1,000 of Coverage

Age	Rate for Nonsmoker	Rate for Smoker	Age	Rate for Nonsmoker	Rate for Smoker	Age	Rate for Nonsmoker	Rate for Smoker
<33	$0.06	$0.09	45	$0.14	$0.26	55	$0.43	$0.77
33-35	$0.07	$0.10	46	$0.14	$0.28	56	$0.48	$0.84
36	$0.08	$0.12	47	$0.17	$0.32	57	$0.50	$0.87
37	$0.08	$0.13	48	$0.18	$0.35	58	$0.50	$0.89
38	$0.09	$0.14	49	$0.21	$0.41	59	$0.53	$0.93
39-40	$0.10	$0.15	50	$0.23	$0.45	60	$0.54	$0.95
41	$0.10	$0.16	51	$0.26	$0.50	61	$0.56	$0.97
42	$0.10	$0.18	52	$0.29	$0.56	62	$0.58	$1.02
43	$0.11	$0.20	53	$0.34	$0.63	63	$0.60	$1.06
44	$0.14	$0.24	54	$0.38	$0.69	64	$0.86	$1.35

 

*Please note: A $1.50 administration fee will be charged for each employee and spouse policy on a monthly basis. Use age as of the prior January 1. Rates for age 65 and older are available upon request to Mercer Voluntary Benefits. If the Accidental Death Benefit (ADB) is chosen, you must add $0.04 to each rate per $1,000 of coverage purchased. ADB is discontinued at age 65.

When you leave or retire from your current employer, you can continue your coverage without interruption subject to applicable law and the policies' terms and conditions. Although payroll deduction will no longer be available if you retire or leave your company, you can opt for other payment methods such as direct checking or bank account deduction, credit card billing or home billing. You will be billed directly for your cost of coverage at portable rates. Portable rates may be higher.

Perhaps the best advantage of Group Universal Life Insurance is the availability of a special interest-bearing, tax deferred account. Withdrawals are often paid out tax-free. You can access the money whenever you want and for whatever you want. You can also take a loan against the value in your cash fund and may continue to earn a lower interest on the borrowed amount.

In addition to the advantages of this plan over other life insurance options, this plan offers even more special benefits:

• Nonsmoker rates: Reduced rates are available if the insured has not smoked or used any form of tobacco for 12 consecutive months prior to the date you complete the enrollment form. (If the insured qualifies at a later date, you may change your rate to nonsmoker by completing a smoker change form.)
• Automatic Coverage Increase: Your employee coverage will automatically increase annually by January 1 based on your salary as of October 1. If you would like to opt out of this feature you must contact Mercer Voluntary Benefits.
• Accelerated Benefit Rider:
  • An advance payment of your life insurance benefits is available if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less.
  • You can request payment up to 50 percent of your coverage amount. However, it is not available for coverage amounts less than $20,000.00.
  • Advance payment permanently reduces the death benefit.
  • Premiums must continue to be paid on the remaining coverage amount after an advanced payment.
  • This benefit is available to you and your covered spouse/domestic partner.
• Children's Portability Privilege: When your child is no longer an eligible dependent, he or she can apply for an increase in coverage up to 5 times the amount of the children's rider not to exceed $50,000, as long as the group policy is still in effect. The child will be issued a Group Universal Life certificate and will be eligible to contribute to a cash fund. The request for coverage must be made by writing to Mercer Voluntary Benefits within 90 days of the date the child is no longer an eligible dependent.
  
  A Children’s Portability Privilege is not available for a disabled child. Children's coverage may be continued for a disabled child as a rider to the existing adult Group Universal Life certificate. The dependent rider may remain in effect as long as the employee or spouse maintains coverage. Please contact Mercer Voluntary Benefits to request continued coverage for a disabled child.

If evidence of good health is required...
Coverage is effective on the first of the month after coverage is approved by 4 Ever Life Insurance Company.

If evidence of good health is not required...
Coverage is effective the first day of the month in which your first payroll deduction begins.