Life Insurance

Retirees that have elected to continue their group term life insurance in their retirement are covered in accordance with the below Life Insurance Schedule while they are retired and paying premiums through post-tax pension check deductions. The premium amounts are determined in accordance with the rates posted on the “Premium Rates” tab of this page. Pursuant to the below Age Reduction Rule, beginning at age 65 a retiree’s life insurance coverage decreases in value as the employee ages. Premiums are based on current policy value, including any decrease based on the Age Reduction Rule.

The Hartford Policy Details

• State of Rhode Island Policy Number: GL-804857

Customer Service and Claims Processing

Please contact The Hartford for claims processing and additional assistance:

• For beneficiary management assistance, policy value inquiries or other general questions, call 1-855-396-7655
• To initiate a claim, call 1-888-755-1503

You are eligible to maintain basic coverage if you are a retiring State employee who had basic coverage as an active employee. Deferring retirement to a later date can result in a forfeiture of eligibility. You must formally retire through ERSRI immediately after leaving State service to continue your basic life insurance coverage. College employees not eligible for retirement under ERSRI should ask their college HR office if they are eligible to continue their group life insurance coverage in their retirement.

At your time of retirement, ERSRI will provide you with a Basic Group Life Insurance Election Form along with all other retirement paperwork. You must complete and return this form to ERSRI prior to retirement in order to maintain group life coverage. College employees not eligible for retirement under ERSRI should ask their college HR office how they can continue their group life insurance coverage in their retirement.

The State of Rhode Island does not maintain any beneficiary information for retiree group life policies. Group life beneficiary information is maintained exclusively by The Hartford.

To designate beneficiary(ies):

• Complete and send the Beneficiary Designation Form to The Hartford, or
• Call The Hartford’s beneficiary management line 1-855-396-7655.

Group life premium rate is $0.448 per $1,000 of coverage, regardless of age. Premiums are based on the current value of your policy, including any decrease based on the Age Reduction Rule.

Group life premiums are deducted post-tax from your monthly pension check. Deductions will be displayed in your monthly earning statement (available via the member portal at ERSRI).

If you are enrolled in group term life insurance coverage from The Hartford, you and your beneficiaries will have access to several additional services:

• Estate Planning - create a simple will free of charge
• Travel Assistance & Identity Theft Protection - obtain pre-trip assistance and information, emergency medical assistance and personal services while on a trip, and identity theft assistance
• Beneficiary Assistance - counselling and assistance services for your beneficiary
• Funeral Concierge - funeral planning services

Conversion is a way you can preserve life insurance coverage lost due to a reduction in policy value based on the Age Reduction Rule.

Converting coverage results in an individual whole life policy that is significantly more expensive than group term coverage.

Review The Hartford’s Guide to Portability and Conversion for additional details. Please note that this document is not specific to the State of Rhode Island’s life insurance benefit so there are references in it that are not applicable to you (for example, it references dependent coverage which State Rhode Island retirees do not have). Also please note that portability is not available for the retiree life insurance benefit.

To convert coverage, obtain The Hartford’s Portability and Conversion Application (with the employer section completed) from the Office of Employee Benefits and return it to The Hartford. You must apply to convert coverage to The Hartford within 31 days after your policy value is lost.

Please contact The Hartford for claims processing and additional assistance:

• For beneficiary management assistance, policy value inquiries or other general questions, call 1-855-396-7655
• To initiate a claim, call 1-888-755-1503