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Group Life Insurance

The University offers a choice of group term life insurance programs. Both programs offer the flexibility to change your level of coverage as your needs change. Coverage is available for you and eligible dependents.

UNC System Group Term Life Insurance

The UNC System has partnered with Securian Financial to provide a consolidated life insurance plan that offers coverage for employees, spouses or domestic partners, and dependent children. This new vendor has taken the place of MetLife, our former life insurance vendor. Those who were on the UNC MetLife Group Term Life Insurance plan have continued coverage but now with Securian Financial and at more favorable rates.

As a newly hired or newly eligible employee, you can elect benefits of one to three times your annual salary, up to a maximum of $500,000 with no evidence of insurability. If you need additional coverage, you must complete an evidence of insurability process and you may choose up to eight times your salary with a maximum $1,000,000 in coverage.

Spouse, Child and Domestic partner coverage are available through the UNC Group Term Life plan. Spouse coverage can be $10,000 or a multiple of $25,000 up to $250,000 and must be less than the employee coverage amount. Spouse coverage in excess of $50,000 requires evidence of insurability for underwriting. Child coverage is a flat amount of $10,000 for children up to age 26. Those employees enrolling after their 30-day new hire period must complete an evidence of insurability process for underwriting.

Those who enroll in the plan will also receive Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage for the employee coverage only. This coverage is paid out at the same level as the group term life coverage. As an example, if an employee has $120,000 in life coverage and dies in a car accident, the $120,000 is paid out in life insurance and $120,000 is paid out in accidental death coverage-subject to determination by the insurer. If an employee dies of cancer, only the life insurance of $120,000 would pay out.

To learn more, visit the University of North Carolina System Human Resources Income Protection Benefits webpage and select the UNC System Group Term Life Insurance sections to read about this plan.

The premiums for this UNC Group Term Life Insurance plan are on average 12% lower than our previous plan. To view the costs, see the UNC System Life Insurance and AD&D Plan Rates.

The amount you pay depends on your selected plan level and who is covered. The timing of deductions from your paycheck depends on your pay schedule:

  • If you are paid one time per month, the full monthly rate is deducted from your paycheck.
  • If you are paid every two weeks, half of the monthly rate is deducted from each of the first two paychecks in the month.
    • If there is a third bi-weekly paycheck in the month, the premium is not deducted.

New Hires

You have 30 calendar days starting from your date of hire to enroll, and coverage begins on the first day of the month following your hire date.

Life Events

For those on the plan who have a qualifying life event, such as birth or marriage, coverage is effective the first day of the month following the event.

See the UNC HR Life Events webpage for more information about qualifying life events.

Enrollments and changes are managed electronically through ConnectCarolina. To enroll, terminate or submit changes to your plan:

  • Log in to ConnectCarolina
  • Click on Self Service
  • Click on My Benefits
  • Click on Benefits Enrollment
  • Click on UNC Life Insurance

This will securely sign you to the enrollment platform for the UNC Life Insurance where you can make your elections. You have 30 days as a new hire or 30 days from the qualifying life event date to enroll or make changes to coverage.

There are several free benefits to being enrolled in this plan as an employee, including:

  • Legal services
  • Will preparation
  • Travel assistance
  • Legacy planning

These services are free for those enrolled in the UNC Life Insurance Plan.

Retirees from UNC-Chapel Hill have options for continuing or enrolling in coverage. Securian Financial, the vendor for this plan, will reach out to the retiree.

For retirees who were enrolled in the UNC Life Insurance Plan as an active employee | Continuation options are available at the same coverage level or less. Rates will be higher as you are moving off the active employee group plan. For additional information and rates, see the UNC System Retiree Coverage Flyer.

For retirees who were NOT enrolled in the UNC Life Insurance Plan as an active employee | As a new retiree, you may elect a $25,000 guaranteed coverage amount within 31 days of retirement. For coverage greater than $25,000, you must complete an evidence of insurability process for approval.

To see the enrollment forms and coverage information, visit the University of North Carolina System Human Resources Income Protection Benefits webpage and scroll to the UNC System Group Term Life Insurance section for retirees.

NCFlex Group Term Life Insurance

The VOYA Financial policy pays a benefit to the beneficiary(ies) as a result of death while covered under the policy. This is strictly a term life insurance policy. There is no accumulated cash value. The monthly premium is based on age and the covered amount you elect from $20,000 up to $500,000. Medical questions may be required but as a new hire, you are guaranteed and issuance of $200,000.
The amount you pay depends on your selected plan level and who you cover. If you are paid one time per month, the full monthly rate is deducted from your pay check. If you are paid every two weeks, one half of the monthly rate is deducted from the first two paychecks in the month. If there is a third bi-weekly paycheck in the month, the premium is not deducted.

If you are a new-hire or become eligible for coverage due to a qualifying life event and enroll in the plan, benefits begin on the first day of the month following your event date. You have 30 calendar days starting from your event date to enroll and coverage begins on the first day of the month following your event date.

The plan year is January through December. Your plan election is “locked in” for the entire calendar year and does not require re-enrollment during open enrollment.   Your elected plan continues from year to year unless you decide to make changes.

If you experience a qualifying life event during the year, you may add or drop dependents but you may not change the benefit plan level. You may change your plan level and drop/add dependents during open enrollment and the changes become effective on January 1.

If you lose eligibility for coverage, terminate employment or retire, your coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the event date occurs.

NCFlex Group Life Insurance enrollment and changes are made through ConnectCarolina Self Service (Enroll or Change Benefits).