The University of Michigan is offering a new optional group long-term care insurance plan. The plan is underwritten by John Hancock Life Insurance Company.

Long-term care insurance offers important optional coverage that is generally not available under your medical and long-term disability benefits or fully covered through Medicare or Medicaid. It can help provide protection against the high costs of long-term care that can result from the effects of aging, illness, or a serious accident. It can help you manage the expenses associated with care received in your home, an alternate care facility, or a nursing home.

Faculty and Staff: Enroll by May 16 for Guaranteed Acceptance
Eligible faculty and staff members who enroll in the U-M Long-Term Care Insurance Plan during the special enrollment period ending May 16, 2008 will be automatically accepted for the coverage. Coverage will be effective beginning July 1, 2008. This is a one-time opportunity for guaranteed acceptance regardless of your medical history or health status. You may enroll in the plan at anytime, however if you enroll after May 16, 2008 you will be asked to provide proof of good health and must be accepted for coverage.

Retirees: Enroll anytime
Eligible retirees and survivors are also eligible to apply, but they must provide proof of good health and be accepted for coverage by John Hancock.

Eligible Family Members
Eligible family members of actively-at-work faculty and staff can also apply for coverage but they must provide proof of good health before they are accepted for coverage regardless of when they apply. Spouses, other qualified adults, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, siblings, spouses of siblings, adult children and spouses of adult children are eligible to apply.

Information for Current MetLife Long-Term Care Plan Enrollees
If you are currently enrolled in the MetLife Long-Term Care Plan, you have the following options:

• Replace your existing MetLife LTC plan with the new John Hancock LTC plan. Make sure you are accepted for coverage in the John Hancock plan before you drop your MetLife coverage.
  
  
• Keep your existing MetLife LTC plan and enroll in the new John Hancock LTC plan to supplement your coverage.
  
  
• Keep your existing MetLife LTC plan and do not enroll in the new plan.

Please call MetLife at 1-800-308-0179 if you have questions about your current plan.

More Information
If you are eligible to enroll, you will receive more detailed information by mail from John Hancock, which will be closely followed by a personal rate quote.

Remember, actively-at-work faculty and staff must enroll by May 16, 2008 for guaranteed acceptance in the plan.

To learn more, to request an enrollment kit for an eligible family member, or to enroll in coverage:

• Visit the U-M Group Long-Term Care Web site at:
  http://umich.jhancock.com/ (username: umich; password: mybenefit).
  
  
• Participate in a live Webinar session hosted by representatives from John Hancock:
  
  May 8th at 12:00 p.m. ET
  May 14th at 12:00 p.m. ET
  
  Call-in number: 1-866-871-4877
  
  See the site listed above for information on how to participate.
  
  
• Call the John Hancock Group Long-term Care Call Center at 1-888-231-4324.  Call center hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Eastern Time.