e. Payment of Accidental Death Benefit to
Beneficiaries
An adult Covered Person other than Your Dependent
may name a Beneficiary or change a Beneficiary at
any time. For a Beneficiary designation to become
effective, a written request on Our form for
designating the Beneficiary must be completed and
filed with Us. To obtain a Beneficiary Designation
Form, please contact Us at 1-800-228-6855. If the
Covered Person dies prior to the date We receive and record the change, payment will be made to the new
Beneficiary. Any Beneficiary designations or changes
made will take effect as of the date of the signed
request. The prior Beneficiary’s interest ends the date
the new designation takes effect.
If Your Dependent suffers an Accidental Death, You
are always the Beneficiary.
If more than one Beneficiary is designated and the
Covered Person has not specified the Beneficiaries’
respective interests, the designated Beneficiaries will
share equally. If no Beneficiary has been designated,
or if the designated Beneficiary dies before the
Covered Person and no other Beneficiary is named,
the benefits will be paid to the surviving person, or
equally to the surviving persons, in the first of the
following classes in which there is a living member:
(a) the Covered Person’s Spouse or Domestic
Partner;
(b) the Covered Person’s children, equally per
stirpes; or
(c) the Covered Person’s estate.
In determining such person or persons, We may rely
upon an affidavit by a member of any of the classes of
preference Beneficiaries. Payment based upon any
such affidavit will fully discharge Us from all
obligations under the Policy unless, before such
payment is made, We have received written notice of a
valid claim by some other person. Any amount
payable to a minor may be paid to the guardian of the
estate of the minor.
If a benefit not exceeding $1,000 is payable to an
estate or a minor, We may pay such benefit to any
relative by blood or with a connection by marriage to
the Covered Person who is deemed by Us to be
entitled. Any payment We make in good faith shall
fully discharge Us to the extent of such payment.