Optional Life Insurance
Eligible Staff
Once you have served any applicable waiting period for basic employee life insurance, you may choose to purchase additional life insurance for yourself and your eligible dependents. Optional life insurance provides financial assistance to your beneficiary above the basic employee life insurance benefit. If your beneficiary dies before you or if there is no designated beneficiary, this benefit is payable to your estate.
Approval for optional employee or spousal life insurance coverage is subject to satisfactory medical evidence of insurability. You are responsible to pay for any costs associated with the medical examination, if required.
You will be notified once the insurer has approved your application for insurance. Your optional life insurance will be effective on the date the insurance company approves your coverage, and payroll deductions for premiums will begin on the first of the following month.
Employee or Spouse
Optional life insurance is available for you and/or your spouse in units of $1,000 up to maximum of $300,000 subject to medical evidence of insurability. You must be covered under the basic employee life insurance before you can apply for optional life insurance for yourself or your spouse.
The cost of employee or spousal optional life insurance depends on the amount of coverage, age, sex and smoking status of the applicant. The monthly premium cost will be adjusted each year to reflect your current age.
The following chart illustrates the monthly premium rates per $1,000 of coverage for Academic Staff and Support Staff members, effective September 1, 2020. For Management and Professional Staff members these monthly rates will be effective from January 1, 2021.
Non-Smoker
-
Male
$0.058 -
Female
$0.035
-
Non-binary
$0.058
-
Male
$0.058 -
Female
$0.035
-
Non-binary
$0.058
-
Male
$0.058
-
Female
$0.047 -
Non-binary
$0.058
-
Male
$0.070
-
Female
$0.058
-
Non-binary
$0.070
-
Male
$0.128
-
Female
$0.105
-
Non-binary
$0.128
-
Male
$0.233
-
Female
$0.163
-
Non-binary
$0.233
-
Male
$0.431
-
Female
$0.268 -
Non-binary
$0.431
-
Male
$0.583
-
Female
$0.338 -
Non-binary
$0.583
-
Male
$0.816
-
Female
$0.490
-
Non-binary
$0.816
-
Male
$1.411 -
Female
$0.851 -
Non-binary
$1.411
Smoker
-
Male
$0.105
-
Female
$0.047
-
Non-binary
$0.105
-
Male
$0.105 -
Female
$0.047
-
Non-binary
$0.105
-
Male
$0.117
-
Female
$0.058
-
Non-binary
$0.117
-
Male
$0.187
-
Female
$0.105
-
Non-binary
$0.187
-
Male
$0.350 -
Female
$0.187
-
Non-binary
$0.350
-
Male
$0.583 -
Female
$0.303 -
Non-binary
$0.583
-
Male
$1.003
-
Female
$0.466 -
Non-binary
$1.003
-
Male
$1.329 -
Female
$0.560
-
Non-binary
$1.329
-
Male
$1.749
-
Female
$0.746
-
Non-binary
$1.749
-
Male
$2.414
-
Female
$1.446 -
Non-binary
$2.414
Example: if you are male, age 46, non-smoker, the cost to purchase a $100,000 of coverage is:
$0.128 x $100,000 / 1000 = $12.80 per month or $6.40 semi-monthly.
Dependent Children
Optional child life insurance is available for your eligible dependent child(ren) in units of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000 per child. The amount of coverage you choose is applicable to each of your eligible dependent children. The cost is $1.10 per $5,000 of insurance coverage.
For example, if you select $10,000 of coverage, the total monthly cost is $1.10 x 2 units = $2.20 regardless of how many dependent children you have. Your semi-monthly payroll deduction is then $1.10.
Your child may still be insured if they are under 25 and a full-time student, or if they are over 21 years and they are dependent upon you by reason of a mental or physical disability and have been continuously so disabled since the age of 21. Evidence of insurability is required for overage dependents.
You may select child optional life coverage at any time by contacting benefits@ucalgary.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply at any time. To learn more about death benefits and how they work see Beneficiary Designation Frequently Asked Questions or contact Human Resources at benefits@ucalgary.ca to obtain the appropriate beneficiary designation forms or to apply for optional life insurance.
You should review your beneficiary designation to be sure that it reflects your current intent. If your beneficiary dies before you or if there is no designated beneficiary, the benefit is payable to your estate. If one of your dependents dies while insured, the amount of the benefit will be paid to you.
Conversion at the end of employment
Your entitlement to life insurance continues uninterrupted up to your termination date. All benefits will end as of your last day of work, however you may be eligible to convert your employee Life Insurance to an individual policy, without medical evidence.
Your new premium will be based on the contract you select. Your application for the individual policy along with the first monthly premium must be received by the insurance carrier within 31 days of the termination of your employee life insurance.
Please contact HR at benefits@ucalgary.ca if you are interested in life insurance conversion upon termination, or if you need more information about optional life insurance benefits.
Waiver of Premium benefit
If your employee Life Insurance premium is waived because you are totally disabled, the premium for optional life insurance will also be waived. This benefit is subject to proof of initial and continuing disability as set forth in the University of Calgary benefit plan.
In the event of death while insured under this policy, the amount of life insurance in force on the insured’s life at that time will be paid to the named beneficiary. Payment will be made in a lump sum. If one of your dependents dies while insured, the amount of this benefit will be paid to you.
To submit a life insurance claim a completed claim form must be submitted within 90 days from the date of loss. Documents necessary to submit with the form are listed on the form.
Contact the UService to learn more about this benefit or for any questions you may have about the claims process.