• If you die as an active employee before reaching minimum retirement age (age 55 for most; age 50 for protective occupation participants), OR if your beneficiary is not a living person or a trust in which a living person has a beneficial interest, your death benefit is the "regular death benefit,", i.e., two times the balance in your WRS employee-required account, plus any voluntary additional contributions in your account.
• If you die as an active employee after reaching minimum retirement age AND your beneficiary is a living person or a trust in which a living person has a beneficial interest, the higher of two death benefits is payable:

• The regular death benefit, or
• A special death benefit, calculated as though you retired on the date of death and selected a joint survivor annuity continued in full to your beneficiary(ies).

Former employees ("inactives") have different death benefit provisions.

• Contact ETF immediately. A certified copy of the death certificate is required. ETF will send the beneficiary information about survivor benefits and how to apply for them, or
• Request assistance from the Benefits Office.

• If interested in continuing the group dental and major/medical plan, survivors should contact the Benefits Office to:
  • Obtain a continuation form for covered survivors.
  • Obtain an enrollment form to establish a new primary subscriber for covered survivors.

• Surviving spouse/domestic partner/dependent child(ren) of non-represented classified and unclassified employees are eligible to continue DentalBlue for 36 months after the date of death, if family coverage was in effect at the time of death.

• Obtain a DentalBlue continuation form and application form (to establish the primary subscriber) from the Benefits Office.
• Send these two forms, along with a personal check for the first three months of continued coverage, to

Dental Insurance for Represented Employees

Consult your union representative for information.

• Coverage terminates on your date of death.
• Benefits for which you had applied and were eligible are payable through the date of death.
• Benefits are not payable to survivors.

• A death benefit for the amount of coverage in force under Basic, Supplemental and Additional will be paid according to the beneficiary designation on file with ETF at the time of death.
• In the event of an accidental death, the amount of benefit is equal to two times the amount of Basic, Supplemental and Additional coverage. (Death must occur within one year of the accident.)
• Premiums are payable through the month of death.
• If Spouse and Dependent coverage was effective at the time of death,
  
  • the spouse and eligible dependents are covered for 90 days after the employee's death, and
  • the spouse and eligible dependents may convert to an individual policy.

• Contact the Benefits Office. The employer will notify ETF. Under direction by ETF, Minnesota Life Insurance Company sends a death claim statement to the beneficiary and requests an official death certificate.
• Survivors may choose a conversion plan, provided Spouse and Dependent coverage was in force at the time of death. Submit a conversion application, along with the premium payment, to Minnesota Life Insurance Company within 31 days of termination of coverage. Conversion Form ET 2306 may be downloaded from ETF's Internet site or requested from Minnesota Life by calling (608) 277-8690.

• A death benefit will be paid according to the beneficiary designation on file with the University of Wisconsin System.
• The death must occur within 365 days of the accident and meet qualifying plan provisions.
• The following benefits apply if you were enrolled in the Family Plan at time of death:
  
  • Your surviving spouse will be paid an additional 1% of the principal sum for 12 months in addition to any other benefits.
  • Your surviving spouse may receive a retraining benefit, within 30 months from the date of death, to a maximum of $3,500.
  • Your dependent child, if enrolled as a full-time student beyond 12th grade or in 12th grade at the time of accident, who enrolls in an accredited college, university or trade school within one year from the date of the accident, may receive an education benefit up to $2,000 for annual tuition for a maximum of four consecutive years.
    • If there are no dependent children who qualify for the education benefit, $1,000 additional benefit will be paid to the designated beneficiary.

• Contact the Benefits Office to report the death. The beneficiary receives a death claim form.
• Be prepared to provide:
  • A certified copy of the death certificate,
  • A copy of the motor vehicle accident report or police report,
  • A copy of the autopsy or a coroner's inquest, if performed, and
  • Any newspaper clipping(s) pertaining to the accident.

• Money left in a your Medical Expense ERA may be accessible after death for expenses incurred by you or a family member prior to the date of death.
• COBRA Continuation is available to your surviving spouse and dependents who lost Medical Expense ERA as a result of your death.
• Eligible expenses incurred prior to the date of death may be reimbursable in a Dependent Care ERA.

• Contact Fringe Benefit Management Company at (608) 829-0435 for information concerning reimbursements and procedures required to file claims.
• Contact the Benefits Office to apply for COBRA Continuation.