After a job change
Group coverage ends with the job. The options to keep it expire quickly.
Leaving a job removes coverage most people forget they had. Group life, and usually group disability, end with employment.
There are ways to keep some of it, and they have short deadlines — often measured in weeks.
Two options, both time-limited
- Portability — continue the group coverage by paying the premium directly, usually at a higher rate
- Conversion — exchange it for an individual permanent policy without proving your health
When conversion is worth taking
If your health has changed since you were last underwritten, conversion may be the only coverage available to you without medical questions. That makes it valuable regardless of price.
If you're in good health, an individually underwritten term policy is usually much better value. Get a quote before the conversion window closes so you're choosing rather than defaulting.
The first fortnight
- Ask HR in writing what coverage ends, on what date, and what the conversion and portability deadlines are
- Get quotes for individual coverage immediately, since underwriting takes weeks
- Check disability coverage too — it usually ends and is harder to replace
- Don't let anything lapse before replacement coverage is in force
- Check your beneficiary designations on anything you're converting
At the new job
New group coverage is worth taking, and it's still not a foundation. It ends with this job too, and it's typically a modest multiple of base salary.
Also check the supplemental options and compare them against an individual quote before enrolling — group supplemental is often age-banded and rises over time.
The lesson worth taking from it
A policy you own personally doesn't notice that you changed jobs. That's the whole argument for owning coverage rather than relying on an employer's, and a job change is the moment it becomes concrete.
Common questions
Group coverage generally does. Portability and conversion options usually exist but have short deadlines, often measured in weeks — ask HR in writing for the exact dates.
If your health has changed, conversion may be the only coverage available without medical questions, which makes it valuable regardless of price. In good health, an individual term policy is usually better value.
Take it, but don't rely on it. It ends with this job too and is typically a modest multiple of base salary. Own coverage that doesn't notice where you work.
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This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer. Nothing here binds coverage.