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LIFE INSURANCE
Basic Life Insurance

Valassis automatically provides full-time associates (scheduled to work 37.5 or more hours a week) with basic life insurance coverage equal to 1.5 times your annual pay on the date you become covered under the plan (rounded to the next higher $1,000) up to $500,000. The full amount of your basic life insurance is paid to your beneficiary (ies) when you die. Part-time associates (scheduled to work 20 to 37.4 hours a week) are provided $25,000 in coverage.

Definition of Annual Pay
For purposes of this plan, annual pay is defined as your regular compensation for normal scheduled workdays, including paid holidays and vacations. It does not include bonuses, overtime and/or other extra compensation. If your base pay changes, the amount of your basic life insurance will also change. Annual pay for sales associates is defined as your base pay plus commissions and/or sales bonuses received during the prior two full calendar years. Auto allowance is excluded.

Accelerated Payment Benefit
A portion of your Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance coverage amount may be payable before death, if your life expectancy is twelve months or less, your policy is for at least $10,000 and you are under the age of 60. You may request a minimum benefit amount of $3,000 and a maximum of $500,000, to not exceed 80% of the terminally ill person's amount of life insurance. This option can be exercised only once for you and only once for each of your dependents.

This provision allows a terminally ill patient to use life insurance benefits to pay for medical and other expenses. This accelerated benefit is payable to you (or your beneficiary) in a lump sum once in your lifetime and may be subject to income taxes; check with your tax advisor for details. Upon your death, the amount of your Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance benefit will be reduced by the amount of any accelerated benefit that has been paid.

You must apply in writing to request an accelerated benefit. Your request must be accompanied by a physician’s certification that you are terminally ill with a life expectancy of twelve months or less (the insurance company may require an independent exam).

In the event you are required by law to accelerate benefits to meet the claims of creditors or if a government agency requires you to apply for benefits to qualify for a government benefit or entitlement you will still be required to satisfy all the terms and conditions herein in order to receive an accelerated benefit.

Note: Receipt of accelerated life insurance benefits may affect you, your spouse’s or family’s eligibility for public assistance programs, such as Medicaid, supplementary Social Security income or prescription drug assistance programs.

Reduction of Basic and Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance Coverage
At age 70, your basic and voluntary life and AD&D insurance coverage will be reduced to 65% of the amount in effect on the day before your 70th birthday. At age 75, coverage will be reduced to 50% of the amount in effect on the day before your 75th birthday.

 

Topics
Bullet Highlights
Bullet Eligibility & Enrollment
Bullet Basic Life_Insurance
Bullet Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
Bullet Dependent Term Life Insurance
Bullet Voluntary Life Insurance
Bullet Filing a Claim
Bullet Other Information
Bullet Numbers, Addresses & Links

Summary Plan Description
The legal summary of this benefit will be included in the 2008 Benefits Handbook.

   Important Legal Information: This site is designed to provide easy-to-understand explanations of the key features of the Valassis benefit plans. These descriptions do not necessarily include all the plan details, which are contained in the official plan documents. In the event of any contradiction between the information in these Summary Plan Descriptions and the official plan documents, the official plan documents will govern in all cases. More information...