What to do when a Aetna account holder dies
Contact Aetna — 5-step process, 9 required documents, and group life insurance death claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days of receiving complete documentation. delays may occur if documentation is incomplete, the policy is within the two-year contestability period, or the circumstances of death require further investigation. ad&d claims may require additional investigation time.
Aetna Customer Service Center
Phone1-888-772-9682
Mailing Address
Aetna Life Insurance Company, 151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156
Aetna General Customer Service
Aetna Voluntary Plans
Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance
WebsiteLearn more→
Aetna Customer Service Center
Phone1-888-772-9682
Mailing Address
Aetna Life Insurance Company, 151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156
Aetna General Customer Service
Aetna Voluntary Plans
Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance
WebsiteLearn more→
Aetna Group Life Claims
Phone1-888-772-9682
Fax1-859-455-8650
Mailing Address
Aetna, PO Box 14079, Lexington, KY 40512-4079
Aetna Voluntary Plans Claims
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
Filing a death claim on a Aetna policy begins with notifying the Aetna Group Life Claims at 1-888-772-9682. Life insurance claims are separate from probate—proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries regardless of whether the estate goes through court. The timeline and documentation requirements depend on the policy type and cause of death.
Aetna provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Aetna works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Notify the deceased's employer HR or benefits department as soon as possible
2
Obtain the Aetna Group Life Proof of Death claim form from the employer HR department
3
Complete the claim form and gather required documentation:
- Certified death certificate from the local vital records office
- Beneficiary designation form/card if available
- Birth certificate and Social Security card if the beneficiary is a minor child
4
Submit the completed claim package to the employer HR department or directly to Aetna
5
For questions on claim submission, call Aetna at 1-888-772-9682
Required Documents
- Completed Aetna Group Life Proof of Death claim form
- Certified death certificate (with cause and manner of death)
- Beneficiary designation form/card (if available)
- Enrollment information (if applicable)
- Government-issued ID for the beneficiary
- Birth certificate and Social Security card (if beneficiary is a minor child)
- Police report or accident report (if death was due to accident, for AD&D claims)
- Trust documents and trustee ID (if a trust is the beneficiary)
- Letters of administration or court appointment (if no beneficiary is on file and proceeds are payable to the estate)
For employer-sponsored group life insurance, the employer HR or benefits department is typically the first point of contact to initiate a death claim. The employer will provide the Proof of Death claim form and can assist with the submission process. The Aetna claims processing center for group life insurance is located in Lexington, Kentucky. For Aetna Voluntary Plans, call 1-866-292-3374. If the deceased had both basic life and AD&D coverage, both claims should be submitted simultaneously. Conversion and portability options are available to the deceased's dependents for any dependent life coverage; the 31-day conversion window begins from the date of the employee's death.
How long the process takes at Aetna: Group life insurance death claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days of receiving complete documentation. Delays may occur if documentation is incomplete, the policy is within the two-year contestability period, or the circumstances of death require further investigation. AD&D claims may require additional investigation time. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Aetna requires several documents to process a claim, including Completed Aetna Group Life Proof of Death claim form, Certified death certificate (with cause and manner of death), and Beneficiary designation form/card (if available), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
For individual or converted Aetna life insurance policies, you can assign policy ownership to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). This removes the death benefit from your taxable estate, though a three-year lookback rule under IRC Section 2035 applies if you transfer an existing policy. Group term life policies cannot be assigned to an ILIT, but you can name a trust as the beneficiary so the death benefit pays directly into the trust. Contact Aetna at 1-800-872-3862 to request an assignment form for individual or converted policies. Aetna does not establish ILITs; work with an estate attorney to create one.
Contact the deceased's employer HR or benefits department to initiate the claim. Obtain the Aetna Group Life Proof of Death claim form (GC-1373-4) from HR or by calling Aetna at 1-888-772-9682. Submit the completed form along with a certified death certificate (with cause and manner of death), beneficiary designation information, and enrollment records. Mail to Aetna, PO Box 14079, Lexington, KY 40512-4079, or fax to 1-859-455-8650. If the deceased had both basic life and AD&D coverage, submit both claims simultaneously. Claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days of receiving complete documentation.
The Aetna Accelerated Death Benefit allows members with life-limiting medical conditions to receive up to 75% of their life insurance benefit while still living. Qualifying conditions may include ALS, need for artificial life support, or organ failure where the member is not a transplant candidate. The funds can be used for hospital bills, medications, experimental treatments, daily living expenses, or financial arrangements for the family. Receipt of accelerated benefits may affect eligibility for public assistance programs such as Medicaid, and tax treatment can be complex, so consult a qualified tax advisor.
Aetna offers dependent life insurance through employer-sponsored plans, covering spouses and dependent children at flat dollar amounts. The employee must purchase supplemental life coverage to be eligible for dependent life coverage. Benefits are payable to the employee (the certificate holder) upon the death of a covered dependent, not to a named beneficiary. Dependent life insurance is not typically a significant estate planning asset, but if the employee dies, covered dependents have a 31-day conversion window to convert their dependent life coverage to an individual policy.
Aetna's Aetna Group Life Claims can be reached by phone at 1-888-772-9682 and fax at 1-859-455-8650 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Aetna policies, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Aetna Group Life Claims can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Aetna Customer Service Center
Phone1-888-772-9682
Mailing Address
Aetna Life Insurance Company, 151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156
Aetna General Customer Service
Aetna Voluntary Plans
Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance
WebsiteLearn more→
Aetna Customer Service Center
Phone1-888-772-9682
Mailing Address
Aetna Life Insurance Company, 151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156
Aetna General Customer Service
Aetna Voluntary Plans
Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance
WebsiteLearn more→
Aetna Group Life Claims
Phone1-888-772-9682
Fax1-859-455-8650
Mailing Address
Aetna, PO Box 14079, Lexington, KY 40512-4079
Aetna Voluntary Plans Claims
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
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