Life Insurance

We provide basic life insurance, plus the opportunity to purchase supplemental life insurance. As a Stanford employee, you are automatically enrolled in our basic life insurance program.

Plan Information

Stanford’s basic term life insurance provides a benefit if you die when employed at the university. Both the basic life insurance and supplemental life insurance are provided through Prudential Insurance Company.

All life insurance benefits are based on your salary as of Sept. 1. Premium payments and benefit payouts are also based on the September 1 frozen salary. For employees hired after Sept. 1, your salary is frozen for benefits purposes on your date of hire.

Basic Life Insurance	Supplemental Life Insurance	Supplemental Dependent Life Insurance
No charge to you for basic life insurance Maximum: up to $50,000	You may elect to purchase supplemental life insurance Maximum: one to eight times your salary, up to a $1.5 million Evidence of Insurability (proof of good health) is required when: You elect coverage over three times your salary You do not enroll for coverage when you are first eligible	You may elect to purchase supplemental coverage for your spouse or registered domestic partner Maximum: up to 50 percent of your combined basic and supplemental coverage, or $250,000, whichever is less. You can also select coverage of $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 for your child(ren) as long as you have at least twice as much coverage for yourself. Evidence of Insurability (proof of good health) is required when: You elect coverage over $25,000
View the Basic Life Insurance Summary	View the Supplemental Life Insurance Summary

Basic Life Insurance

Supplemental Life Insurance

Supplemental Dependent
Life Insurance

No charge to you for basic life insurance

Maximum: up to $50,000

You may elect to purchase supplemental life insurance

Maximum: one to eight times your salary, up to a $1.5 million

Evidence of Insurability (proof of good health) is required when:

You elect coverage over three times your salary
You do not enroll for coverage when you are first eligible

You may elect to purchase supplemental coverage for your spouse or registered domestic partner

Maximum: up to 50 percent of your combined basic and supplemental coverage, or $250,000, whichever is less.

You can also select coverage of $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 for your child(ren) as long as you have at least twice as much coverage for yourself.

Evidence of Insurability (proof of good health) is required when:

You elect coverage over $25,000

View the Basic Life Insurance Summary

View the Supplemental Life Insurance Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding life insurance.

General Information

Do I have to pay for this benefit?

Stanford pays the entire cost of the basic life insurance benefit for you. However, if you are on an approved unpaid leave of absence, you may have to pay for a portion of the cost.

Why does this benefit only go up to $50,000?

Because Stanford pays for the basic life insurance benefit, the maximum is limited to one times your annual salary up to $50,000 in order to avoid imputed income being charged to you. Imputed income increases your taxes.

If I do not enroll in benefits, do I get any life insurance?

Yes. You will be automatically enrolled in basic life insurance for one times your annual salary up to a $50,000 maximum.

If I become terminally ill, can I use part of this benefit while I am still alive?

Yes. You can access a portion of this benefit while you are still alive. This will reduce the amount paid at the time of your death. For example, if you access $50,000 while you are alive, the amount paid to your beneficiary when you die will be reduced by $50,000.

What happens to my life insurance if I go on an unpaid leave of absence?

You will receive information from Stanford’s direct pay administrator, Vita Administration Company, on how to either continue or cancel your coverage. If you continue coverage, you are responsible for the paying the full cost to Vita Administration Company. Be aware, if you do not pay within 38 days of the due date, your coverage will be canceled.

Can I continue life insurance coverage after my employment ends?

Basic life insurance coverage ends when your employment ends at Stanford, however, you may be able to continue your supplemental life insurance coverage. To learn more, call the University HR Service Team at 650-736-2985, option 9.

Beneficiaries

What is a beneficiary and how do I name one?

Your beneficiary is the person to whom your life insurance benefits are paid in the event of your death. You can have more than one beneficiary at a time. When you log in to enroll for benefits you are asked to complete the beneficiary designation form. Be sure to print a copy for your records.

Who is my beneficiary if I do not complete the Beneficiary Designation Form?

If you die without naming a beneficiary, your benefit will be paid to a relative or your estate. Prudential follows a standard procedure to determine the payee.