Benton County Employee Benefits – Life Insurance and Disability Benefits

Prudential Insurance Company of America is Benton County's provider for life insurance, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and supplemental life insurance.

Life Insurance and Disability Benefits - Prudential

What services does Prudential provide?

• Group Term Life Insurance
• Optional Term Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment

How do I enroll in the Group Term Life Insurance? 

Employees are given a Prudential Group Life Insurance enrollment form during their new hire benefit orientation with Human Resources.  Upon receiving the group life insurance enrollment form, Benton County enrolls employees in the group term life insurance plan.

How do I enroll in the LTD and AD&D?

Employees are automatically enrolled in LTD and AD&D when they enroll in the group term life insurance plan.

What are my LTD benefits?

If an employee is disabled (per Prudential LTD booklet) for more than 90 days, Prudential will pay an employee 66.67% (to the maximum of $6000) of their salary beginning on the 91st day.  The benefit duration is up to the employees normal retirement age under the Social Security Act.  If the employee is disabled at or after the age of 65, benefits are payable according to an age-based schedule.

What are my AD&D benefits?

Benton County provides accidental death and dismemberment as a rider to the group term life insurance.

When can I enroll in optional term life insurance?

If an employee decides not to enroll within the first 31 day following their date of hire, they can enroll in supplemental life insurance during the annual benefit open enrollment period.  To enroll, an employee needs to complete a optional term life insurance enrollment form:

Optional Term Life Insurance (all others)

Optional Term Life Insurance (BCDSA)

Current participants:  Evidence of insurability satisfactory to The Prudential Insurance Company of America is required for all increases in coverage amount. You should complete the EOI - short form.

Is optional Term Life portable?

Benton County stops participation in County sponsored life and disability insurance upon an employee's retirement or separation.

Portability of Supplemental Life Insurance Coverage: Benton County supplemental life insurance coverage includes a portability provision which allows employees to continue their insurance coverage.

If employees elect portability, if they have a spouse or domestic partner and children covered under Dependent Term Life, they can also elect portability.  Generally, employees and dependents can elect portability if:

1.  Employees and spouses or domestic partner are under age 80,

2.  Dependent children are under age 19, or 23 or 25 for full-time students depending on the plan's contract state.

3. Employees are actively at work on the day before employment ends.

Generally, employees and dependents cannot elect portability:

1.  Contributions are not up to date,

2.  The employee is retired or disabled,

3.  The dependent is confined for medical care or treatment, either at home or elsewhere,

4.  The employer plan ends and is replaced by another group plan within 31 days,

5.  Employment ends because of retirement.

Portability Form

How do I list my beneficiaries?

On the Group Life Insurance enrollment form there is a section to list your beneficiaries.  For the optional term life insurance, a section to list beneficiaries is also provided.

Travel Assistance Program

Benton County employees have access to assistance services when faced with an emergency while traveling internationally or domestically when more than 100 miles away from home through the Travel Assistance Program. You and your dependents (whether traveling together or separately) will have immediate access to a broad range of travel assistance services like:

• Emergency Evacuation
• Critical Care Monitoring
• Medically Supervised Repatriation
• Dispatch of Prescription Medication
• Emergency Message Transmission
• Transportation to Join Patient
• Care for Minor Children
• Return of Mortal Remains
• Legal Referrals Lost Document and Luggage Assistance
• Emergency Cash/Bail Assistance
• Political Evacuation, and
• Pet Housing and Return

How to access the services? Next time you or your family members are traveling and need assistance, remember to use the phone number on the back of your Travel Assistance ID Card. Be sure to carry the card with out at all times. One simple phone call to the Alarm Center puts you in touch with highly-trained staff who will ensure your call is handled promptly and will even coordinate with your medical insurance carrier in the event of a medical emergency. Your health insurance still pays the medical expenses, but all of the extra costs involved in the medical transportation and other travel assistance services provided by AXA are covered. Please remember, The Alarm Center needs to be contacted to activate the services, and all services must be arranged and provided by AXA. No claims for reimbursement will be accepted. Please review the Travel Assistance Program handout for exclusions.