Penn State is excited to announce legal insurance provided by MetLife for Faculty & Staff. This new benefit can be used for you, your spouse, children (any age, living with you or elsewhere), your parents and in-laws, as well as grandparent and grandparents-in-law.

For family members that need access to legal services, they can rest assured of confidentiality. Each family member who will utilize your benefit will use their own website login and eligibility ID when accessing legal services for themselves, or when they contact the MetLife Legal call center. You as the enrolled employee would not have access to what a covered family member is using the services for.

With the MetLife Legal plan, you have access to the expert guidance and tools you need to navigate a broad range of personal legal needs. Whether you’re buying or selling a home, starting a family, or caring for aging parents, the benefit provides protection at every step. MetLife's services are tailored to your needs. With network attorneys available in person, by phone or by email and online tools to do-it-yourself — they make it easy to get legal help. And, you will always have a choice in which attorney to use. You can choose one from our network of prequalified attorneys or use an attorney outside of our network and be reimbursed per the Schedule of Fee Reimbursement for use of a non-network attorney.

To use the plan simply find an attorney, make an appointment, and then you're set. There are no copays, deductibles, or claim forms when you use a network attorney for a covered matter.

You may enroll or disenroll from this plan each open enrollment period. Outside of open enrollment, you will only be able to change this plan coverage with an approved benefit change due to an IRS qualifying life event, such as marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, or others.

Please note that once enrolled you will only be able to have legal services covered that begin on or after January 1, 2025. If you began a legal process prior to your enrollment date, that pre-existing legal process will not be eligible under the new plan.

Some of the topics covered include:

You are able to view the MetLife Legal network attorney's prior to electing the Legal insurance benefit. To view the network, you will need to register for a MetLife Legal account prior to electing coverage. Below are the steps you can follow:

1. Access the website https://members.legalplans.com.
    
2. Register for an account with your email and chosen password.
    
3. The next steps will ask you to create your account with name, phone, and address. This information is important to find the network attorneys for your area. For Employer or Organization, find The Pennsylvania State University.
    
4. After your account is created, you will be presented with legal categories. Select the category that best fits your needs.
      For example, select Family Law.
    
5. Once the legal service option is selected, you will have expanded options within that category. 
      For example, under Family Law, select Adoption (uncontested). 
    
6. Once you have selected the specific legal service you need, you may need to dismiss the alert stating you are not enrolled, but then you will be be presented with the network attorneys in your area. Please also note that some legal services under certain categories may ask for you to answer additional questions before providing the network attorney list.

For $14.33 per month, you, your spouse and dependents get legal assistance for some of the most frequently needed personal legal matters — with no waiting periods, no deductibles and no claim forms when using a network attorney for a covered matter. And, for non-covered matters that are not otherwise excluded, your plan provides 18 hours of network attorney time and services per year.

Deductions are made post-tax from employee payroll.

If you wish to continue your legal plan benefit after retiring or terminating employment, we offer you the opportunity to remain enrolled through a Continuation of Coverage plan.

The monthly rate and covered services for this plan are the same as your former employer’s plan. Please visit Members Legal Plans or call 1-800-821-6400, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., ET for plan details. You must enroll in this plan within 60 days of your last day of employment.

How to enroll in Continuation of Coverage online:

1. Log in or create your MetLife Legal Plans account at Members Legal Plans.

2. Once you are logged into your MetLife Legal Plans account, go to your account menu and select ‘Continue my Coverage’. Click the link to enroll.

3. Provide your credit card details. ACH debits or personal checks are not accepted.

Upon receipt of your enrollment, we will charge your credit card each month on the same date that you enrolled, or the next business banking day if that day falls on a weekend or holiday.

Continuation of Coverage enrollments will remain effective through the end of your former employer’s benefit plan year. The plan will automatically renew for additional 12-month terms each year unless you cancel Continuation of Coverage during the annual renewal period. You can cancel the plan by contacting us at 800-821-6400.

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