Frequently Asked Questions

Each year, Los Angeles Country dedicates the entire month of October for employees to make enrollment changes with an effective date the following January 1st.

You can also make changes to your Optional Group Term Life, Optional Dependent Group Term Life or Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans should you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). QLEs include for following:

1. Marriage
2. Enter into a Domestic Partnership
3. A child born to you, adopted or placed with you for adoption, or for whom you are the legal guardian
4. Divorce or legal Separation
5. Terminate a domestic Partnership
6. Military leave (beginning or ending)

You will need to use the County of Los Angeles online enrollment system, www.mylacountybenefits.com. Or, you can call the Employee Benefits Hotline at 213-388-9982. 

A beneficiary is the person or organization that you legally choose to leave money to from your insurance policy when you pass away. Charities, trusts, and estates can also be a beneficiary

Yes, you can name more than one beneficiary. You can also divide the money among each beneficiary anyway you would like. If no percentages are listed on the Beneficiary Designation Form, the money will be given to the primary living beneficiaries in equal parts. You may also name an alternate or contingent beneficiary, who will receive the money if there is no surviving primary beneficiary.

Although common, it is not required. However, if you are married, live in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin), and name someone other than your spouse as beneficiary, it is possible that payment of benefits may be delayed or disputed unless your spouse also signs the beneficiary form.

Yes, you can name your children, however if your child(ren) are minors, we pay the guardian of the minor’s estate or hold the funds until the child reaches legal age. The guardian of your child’s estate can differ from the person who is the guardian of your child. While it can be the same person, being the guardian of the child does not make a person guardian of the child’s estate.

You will need the beneficiary’s: • Full name • Address and phone number • Social Security number • Date of birth • Relationship to you

If there is no named beneficiary or no surviving beneficiary, money will be paid according to the policy terms. Please refer to your certificate of insurance for details. Relying on policy terms can lead to payment delays. You should keep a current choice of named beneficiary/ies on file.

You can add or change a beneficiary at any time. It is important to make sure your beneficiary is always updated to fit your current needs.

Check with your employer to learn where beneficiary selections are kept and how to update.

This information is for general use and not intended to be used as legal advice. You may want to speak with an attorney when choosing your beneficiaries. An attorney can help confirm that your chosen beneficiary correctly express your wants, are clear and straightforward, and meets legal requirements

Please get in touch with the Benefit Service Center at (800) 842-6635.

If you want to update your beneficiaries, we can send you the beneficiary form, or you can download the beneficiary form here (English or Spanish). Once you have made your updates, please sign and return the beneficiary form to the Benefit Service Center address on the form.

When the unfortunate event of death occurs of a covered employee, dependent spouse, domestic partner, or dependent child, please begin the process by calling the Los Angeles County Department of Human Resource at (213) 388-9982.

When the unfortunate event of an accident occurs by a covered employee, dependent spouse, domestic partner, or dependent child, please begin the process by calling the Los Angeles County Department of Human Resource at (213) 388-9982.

Choices, Options & Flex (Class 1):
Basic Group Term Life: The County gives you basic term life insurance at no cost to you. Safety Members of Retirement Plan A, B, C, and General Members of Retirement Plan A, B, C, D, or G are insured for $2,000. Members of Retirement Plan E are insured for $10,000.

Choices, Options, (Class 2*):
Basic Group Term Life: The County gives you basic term life insurance at no cost to you. If you meet the eligibility requirements of Class 2*, you may be insured for $15,000.

For more information and plan rules, please see the appropriate Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex Summary Plan Description (SPD) at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/ or view the Basic & Optional Term Life Group Insurance Certificate.

* Class 2 = Shall apply to any person who is a general member of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), who was employed by the county on December 30, 1982, who remains in continuous service after that date, and who dies or becomes disabled, and who is not eligible to receive social security disability benefits, or whose spouse and/or minor children are not eligible to receive social security benefits, solely because the county of Los Angeles withdrew from the Social Security System on December 31, 1982.

Optional Group Term Life: You may buy optional life insurance of one to eight times your annual salary. If you don’t elect the maximum amount of optional group term life insurance when you are newly eligible, you can increase your coverage by one level each year during annual benefits enrollment, to a maximum of eight times your annual salary.

Optional Dependent Term Life: If you buy optional life for yourself, you may also buy coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and dependent children in the amounts of $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000.

Click here to learn how to calculate the Optional Group Term Life Insurance Premiums.

For more information and plan rules, please see the appropriate Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex Summary Plan Description (SPD) at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/ or view the Basic & Optional Term Life Group Insurance Certificate.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D): You can buy AD&D insurance at low monthly rates. If you die in an accident, become paralyzed, or lose a limb, eyesight, speech, or hearing because of an accident, your AD&D insurance pays benefits. The amount of AD&D coverage you can buy is listed below:

Choices, Options & Flex

¹ The maximum employee AD&D benefit is limited to the lesser of 10 times salary or $250,000.
² The maximum death benefit for each child is limited to $25,000.
 

MegaFlex Plan

¹ The maximum employee AD&D benefit is limited to the lesser of 10 times salary or $350,000.
² The maximum death benefit for each child is limited to $25,000.
 

If you have elected AD&D coverage, you may also buy coverage for your eligible spouse or domestic partner under age 70, and dependent children. A person cannot be insured as both an Insured and a Spouse or a Dependent Child. Dependent Children of more than one Insured may only be insured under one Insured.

For more information and plan rules, please see the appropriate Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex Summary Plan Description (SPD) at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/ or view the Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Certificate of Insurance.

You can make changes to your Optional Group Term Life, Optional Dependent Group Term Life or Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans each annual enrollment, which takes place during the entire month October of each year.

You can also make changes to your Optional Group Term Life, Optional Dependent Group Term Life or Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans should you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). QLEs include for following:

1. Marriage
2. Enter into a Domestic Partnership
3. A child born to you, adopted or placed with you for adoption, or for whom you are the legal guardian
4. Divorce or legal Separation
5. Terminate a Domestic Partnership
6. Military leave (beginning or ending)

To make changes during the annual enrollment, or if you experience a QLE, you will need to use the County of Los Angeles online enrollment system, www.mylacountybenefits.com. 

Yes. If you enroll into the Optional Group Term Life plan or Accidental Death & Dismemberment plan, you can enroll eligible dependents under the Optional Dependent Group Term Life, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans. (A person cannot be insured as both an Insured and a Spouse or a Dependent Child. Dependent Children of more than one Insured may only be insured under one Insured. )

Eligible dependents under the Optional Dependent Group Term Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans are:

1. Your  lawful spouse or domestic partner, and
2. Your and your lawful spouse’s or domestic partner’s children from birth until age 21, or if they are full time students, but less than age 26. (If you choose dependent coverage, all of your eligible dependents are automatically covered.)
3. Under the AD&D plan, dependent spouse, up to age 70

For more information and plan rules, please see the appropriate Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex Summary Plan Description (SPD) at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/ or view the Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Certificate of Insurance and Basic & Optional Term Life Group Insurance Certificate.

Employees may be eligible to convert their Optional Group Term Life insurance or Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage to an individual policy by calling the Benefit Service Center at 800-842-6635. Conversion may be issued to you if you are entitled to convert and if you apply in writing and pay the first premium within 31 days after the date your Life Insurance ceases. For more information, select the links that apply to you

• Life Conversion Rates
• Life Conversion Form
• AD&D conversion Rates
• AD&D Conversion Form

To confirm the current Optional Group Term Life premiums, please refer to your current plan year Los Angeles County Summary Plan Description (SPD) for Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/. To understand how the premium calculation is determined, please refer to this link on Calculating Your Monthly Optional Group Term Life Insurance Premium.

Secure Travel worldwide travel assistance program is part of your Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) plan coverage. This program is available when you travel more than 100 miles from home. Services are provided, and benefits are arranged by General Global Assistance (GGA) and must be contacted directly to obtain all services and benefits.

To access program benefits from the United States and Canada, call (888) 226-4567. From all other locations, call collect at (202) 331-7635. Live, multilingual customer service is available 24/7, wherever you are in the world. For more information, see flyer and description.

For help handling life’s challenges, the Life Assistance Program provides resources on family, caregiving, pet care, aging, grief counseling, balancing life’s priorities, working smarter, and more.  You can review the flyer here. Contact Life Assistance Program 24/7 support at (800) 344-9752 or https://www.guidanceresources.com and register using Web ID: NYLGBS.

Losing a loved one is difficult. NYLGBS understands how challenging it can be for beneficiaries to manage their loved one’s insurance benefits, among other pressures, during such a difficult time. That’s why, as part of the Survivor Assurance program, services are available to support beneficiaries when they need it most. For more information, please review the Survivor Assurance Resource links below:

• Looking Ahead – Planning Guide for Beneficiaries
• Providing Peace of Mind During Time of Need
• Funeral Home Assignment Job Aid
• Survivor Assurance Website
• Survivor Assurance Where To Go From Here

Yes. A Funeral Assignment is an agreement that is signed by a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.  The beneficiary assigns all or a portion of the life insurance benefits at the Funeral Home, which allows payment for funeral expenses to be made directly to the funeral home. For more information, please select the link below.

• Funeral Home Assignment Job Aid

You may apply for a waiver of premium if you are enrolled in the Optional Group Term Life plan, are totally disabled and have been on a leave of absence for nine months, and are under age 65. For claim forms to apply for a waiver, phone the Benefit Service Center at 800.842.6635.

A Terminal Illness Benefit, also known as an Accelerated Benefit, is available to County employees who have Optional Group Term Life coverage, and who have been diagnosed with a year or less to survive, may apply for 25% to 75% of the amount of Optional Group Term Life coverage they have. If approved, after the benefit is paid, the premiums due for this benefit are put on a waiver of premium and the balance of their Optional Group Term Life coverage is paid out upon the employee’s death. Forms to apply for the benefit are available through the Benefit Service Center 800.842.6635.

Contact the County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources at (213) 388-9982.

For more information and plan rules, please see the appropriate Choices, Options, Megaflex or Flex Summary Plan Description (SPD) at https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/benefits-2/ or view the Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Certificate of Insurance and Basic & Optional Term Life Group Insurance Certificate.

Class 1 = Any person who is NOT a general member of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA).

Class 2 = Any person who is a general member of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA).

To view your Optional Group Term Life, Optional Dependent Group Term Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, the amounts elected are listed under separate deductions on your paystub. For example, if you elected 1 times your annual salary for Optional Group Term Life coverage and elected $200,000 of AD&D coverage for yourself only, it would look something like the table below on your paystub:

To determine the total amount of all coverages you have with Los Angeles County, take your annual salary before taxes, round it to the nearest thousand, and then multiply it the amount of Optional Group Term Life coverage you elected (1-8 times salary) which you will see on your paycheck stub. Then add your Basic Group Term Life coverage amount:

• Class 1 - Retirement plans A,B,C,D,G = $5,000
• Class 1 - Retirement plan E = $13,000
• Class 2* -  See below = $15,000

* Class 2 = Shall apply to any person who is a general member of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), who was employed by the county on December 30, 1982, who  remains in continuous service after that date, and who dies or becomes disabled, and who is not eligible to receive social security disability benefits, or whose spouse and/or minor children are not eligible to receive social security benefits, solely because the county of Los Angeles withdrew from the Social Security System on December 31, 1982

When your Basic Earnings increases, the Optional Group Term Life premium rates will go up the first day of the month after the increase occurs. In addition, the Optional Group Term Life rates are age-banded in 5 years blocks. If you have a birthday and your age increases into a higher rate block category, your Optional Group Term Life premium will increase the pay period following. Please select this link Calculating Your Monthly Optional Group Term Life Insurance Premium for an example.