MetLife Life Insurance Review 2026

MetLife Life Insurance Review 2026: Coverage, Ratings & How It Actually Works

MetLife is one of the most recognizable names in American insurance, but if you're researching MetLife for a life insurance policy in 2026, there's one thing you need to know before anything else: MetLife no longer sells individual life insurance policies directly to consumers. In 2017, the company spun off its U.S. retail life insurance and annuity business into a separate publicly traded company called Brighthouse Financial. Today, MetLife's life insurance presence in the U.S. is almost entirely through group and employer-sponsored plans — the coverage you get through your workplace.

This distinction matters more than almost anything else in this review, so we'll unpack exactly what it means for you, whether you're an employee evaluating workplace benefits or someone who landed here after seeing "MetLife" on an old policy.

Company Overview

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company traces its roots back to 1868, making it one of the oldest insurers in the country. Headquartered in New York City, MetLife today operates in more than 40 countries and serves tens of millions of customers worldwide, primarily through group benefits, institutional retirement products, and international insurance markets.

Financial Strength Ratings (2026)

These ratings apply to MetLife, Inc. and its life/health insurance subsidiaries. They reflect a company with strong capital reserves and a long track record of paying claims — an important consideration for any life insurance decision, since a policy is only as good as the company's ability to pay out when it matters.

If your policy predates 2017 and carries the MetLife name for an individually purchased life or annuity product, it's worth checking whether it's now serviced by Brighthouse Financial, which holds an AM Best rating of A (Excellent) — still a solid rating, just one tier below MetLife's own.

Types of MetLife Life Insurance Available Today

Since MetLife's U.S. life insurance business runs primarily through employers, the products you'll actually encounter look a bit different from a typical individual policy shopping experience:

Group Term Life Insurance — The most common MetLife product. Offered as a workplace benefit, often with a base amount of coverage provided free by your employer and the option to buy supplemental coverage through payroll deduction.

Basic and Supplemental Term Life — Basic coverage is usually employer-paid; supplemental term lets you add coverage in increments as your needs grow (marriage, kids, a mortgage).

Dependent Term Life — Extends coverage to a spouse, domestic partner, or children under the same group plan.

Group Universal Life (GUL) — A permanent life insurance option offered through some employers, combining lifelong coverage with a cash-value component that can grow over time.

Group Variable Universal Life — Similar to GUL but with investment sub-accounts, meaning the cash value can fluctuate with market performance. This comes with more upside potential but also more risk than a standard universal life policy.

Because these are group products, pricing is typically more favorable than individually underwritten policies — many plans require little to no medical underwriting, especially for the base and initial supplemental amounts, which is a real advantage if you have a pre-existing health condition.

Pros

• Strong financial ratings — A+ from AM Best means low risk of the company being unable to pay claims
• Guaranteed-issue or simplified underwriting on many group plans — easier approval than individual policies, especially valuable if you have health issues
• Payroll deduction makes premiums easy to manage and often cheaper than comparable individual coverage
• Portability options on some group policies, letting you keep coverage if you leave the employer (usually at a higher premium)
• Long operating history — 150+ years in the insurance business

Cons

• Not available for direct individual purchase — you generally need access through an employer or association
• Coverage is tied to your job in most cases — if you leave without electing portability (where offered), coverage typically ends
• Customer satisfaction complaints — MetLife has drawn criticism in some consumer reviews over claims processing timelines, particularly for group life claims where the employer is an intermediary
• Coverage amounts may be capped — group life insurance, even with supplemental options, often maxes out well below what a dedicated individual term policy could provide
• Limited product transparency for employees — since the employer chooses the plan design, individual employees have less control over policy terms than they would shopping independently

Who Should Consider MetLife Coverage

MetLife life insurance makes the most sense if:

• Your employer already offers it as a benefit and you want to take advantage of guaranteed-issue coverage
• You have a health condition that would make individual underwriting expensive or difficult
• You want a simple, low-effort way to add a baseline of coverage through payroll deduction

It's less suitable if:

• You're shopping for an individual policy from scratch and don't have access through an employer (in that case, insurers like Brighthouse, Prudential, or Northwestern Mutual are more relevant starting points)
• You want full control over policy design, riders, and long-term guarantees
• You're looking for a policy that stays with you regardless of employment changes, without relying on a portability option

How to Get Coverage

If MetLife life insurance is offered through your employer, you'll typically enroll during:

1. New hire enrollment — usually within your first 30-60 days
2. Open enrollment — an annual window, usually toward the end of the calendar year
3. Qualifying life events — marriage, birth of a child, or other major changes can open a special enrollment window outside the normal cycle

Ask your HR or benefits team for the specific plan document — it will spell out the base coverage amount, supplemental coverage tiers, whether evidence of insurability is required above a certain amount, and portability/conversion options if you leave the company.

Claims Process

MetLife group life claims are typically filed by the beneficiary directly with MetLife, though the process usually starts with a notification to the deceased's employer or HR department, who provides the necessary plan and policy information. Required documents generally include:

• A certified death certificate
• A completed claim form (provided by MetLife or the employer)
• Beneficiary identification

Processing times vary, and this is an area where MetLife has received mixed feedback in consumer reviews — some claims are processed smoothly within a few weeks, while others report longer delays, particularly when documentation is incomplete or when multiple beneficiaries are involved. If you're a beneficiary, following up proactively with both HR and MetLife directly, and ensuring paperwork is complete on the first submission, meaningfully speeds things up.

MetLife vs. Alternatives

If you're comparing group benefit providers more broadly, it's worth looking at how MetLife's offering stacks up against other companies in our life insurance comparison hub — coverage amounts, underwriting requirements, and portability terms vary meaningfully between insurers even at the group level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy an individual MetLife life insurance policy?

No. MetLife exited the individual life insurance and annuity business in 2017, transferring that business to Brighthouse Financial. New individual policies with the MetLife brand are not available; the company now focuses on group and employer-sponsored coverage.

Is my old individual MetLife policy still valid?

Yes, existing individual policies remain in force and are typically now serviced by Brighthouse Financial rather than MetLife directly. Your coverage terms don't change because of the spin-off, but you may notice correspondence coming from Brighthouse.

Does MetLife require a medical exam for life insurance?

For many group plans, base coverage and initial supplemental amounts are guaranteed-issue with no medical exam. Higher supplemental amounts may require evidence of insurability, which can include a health questionnaire or exam.

What happens to my MetLife life insurance if I leave my job?

This depends on your specific plan. Some MetLife group policies offer a portability or conversion option, letting you continue coverage (usually at a higher, individually-rated premium) after leaving the employer. Check your plan documents or ask HR, since not all group plans include this option.

Is MetLife a financially stable company?

Yes. MetLife holds an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best, along with strong ratings from S&P and Moody's, reflecting solid capital reserves and a long track record of meeting policyholder obligations.

Bottom Line

MetLife remains one of the most financially sound names in the insurance industry, but its role in 2026 is different from what many people expect — it's primarily a group benefits provider rather than a retailer of individual life insurance policies. If you have access to MetLife coverage through your employer, it's generally a solid, low-friction way to secure a baseline of life insurance, especially if simplified underwriting matters to you. If you're shopping independently, you'll want to look elsewhere — starting with insurers that still actively write individual policies.

Compare MetLife alongside other top-rated life insurance companies on our life insurance comparison page to see how coverage, ratings, and claim experience stack up.