Designating a Beneficiary

When Can You Designate a Beneficiary?

You designate your beneficiary or beneficiaries during your initial enrollment period and you can change your beneficiary at any time. To designate or change your beneficiary for Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Supplemental Life and Supplemental AD&D complete a Beneficiary Designation Form.  You may name more than one beneficiary per plan – if there’s not enough room for all your beneficiaries, attach a paper with any additional names.

Who Can Be Your Beneficiary?

You can name anyone you want as your beneficiary. This includes:

• Different beneficiaries for each Survivor Benefit Plan,
• Two or more beneficiaries per plan in which case you may indicate the percentage of your plan benefit each will receive (otherwise the benefit will be divided equally among them), and
• A secondary beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive benefits if your primary beneficiary or beneficiaries predecease you.

Note, if you designate your Spouse as a beneficiary and you later divorce, that designation will be revoked. However, if you want, you may re-name your former Spouse as a beneficiary by submitting a new beneficiary designation form.

Also, if you designate a minor child as a beneficiary, there may be certain legal implications. Be sure to consult with an attorney before making such a designation.

How to Designate a Beneficiary

You may designate your beneficiary(ies) by completing a Beneficiary Designation Form. Once you have completed your Beneficiary Designation Form you need to give a copy to your location's payroll clerk, keep a copy for yourself and advise your designated beneficiaries that you have done so.

How to Complete a Beneficiary Designation Form

List your first choices of beneficiary(ies) under the Primary Beneficiary sections; be sure to include their social security number, address, date of birth, their relationship to you and what percent you want to designate to the individual (the percentages must total 100%).

You may also list a Secondary beneficiary(ies) under the Secondary Beneficiary sections. A secondary beneficiary will receive the benefit in the event that all of your primary beneficiary(ies) are deceased. Please be sure to include their social security number, address, date of birth, their relationship to you and what percent you want to designate to the individual (the percentages must total 100%).

Where a beneficiary is related to the insured by blood or marriage, the relationship should be inserted, e.g., husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin, foster-mother, sister-in-law, half-brother, etc.

Where a beneficiary is not related to the insured by blood or marriage, any other relationship should be inserted, e.g., business associate, partner, creditor, fiancée, former wife, etc.

If you do not designate a beneficiary, or if all named beneficiaries do not survive you, or if your named beneficiary is disqualified, your death benefit will be paid to the first surviving family member of the family members in the order listed below:

• Spouse
• Child or children in equal amounts;
• Mother or father in equal amounts;
• Sisters or brothers in equal amounts; or
• Estate.