To cancel MetLife life insurance, first find the company named on your policy or latest statement, because MetLife says some individual policies moved to Brighthouse Financial. Then send a signed written request to that company and ask it to confirm the end date in writing. If the coverage came through your job, the plan sets the steps, and one MetLife employer plan FAQ says to complete a Cancellation of Supplemental Life Insurance form.
MetLife's website lists Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York, NY as the issuer of its term life coverage, which it offers through employer group plans.
A MetLife policy can be with MetLife, with an employer plan, or with Brighthouse
The name on the envelope may not be the company that holds your contract. MetLife's customer page says it separated part of its U.S. business into a company called Brighthouse Financial, Inc., so certain policies are still with MetLife and others moved. It says the same terms and conditions apply and the same premiums need to be paid. Owners of active individual policies that moved were sent an endorsement, which is a notice changing the name of the issuing company. Brighthouse says it has been independent of MetLife, Inc. since August 4, 2017, and that its life insurance is issued by Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company, or, in New York only, Brighthouse Life Insurance Company of NY. A request addressed to the wrong one will not reach your record. The second thing to know is that the term life MetLife describes on its site is group coverage, offered through employers. Its page says that if you stop paying premiums, the insurance stops. Leaving the job can end the coverage too, and a MetLife portability and conversion guide we read gave 31 days to act. So the first job is to work out which of the three you hold.
How to cancel, step by step
- Find your policy number. It is on the policy itself and on any statement. Work from your own documents rather than from a letter you were not expecting.
- Put the request in writing. Sign and date it, name the policy number, and state the exact date you want coverage to end. A phone call alone leaves you nothing to point at later.
- Say if you are inside the free-look window. If the policy is new, your state may entitle you to a full refund. Make that request explicit rather than assuming it is applied.
- Ask for written confirmation. You want the termination date and, if there is cash value, the amount being released. Keep it.
- Stop the payment last, not first. Only once the insurer has confirmed the policy has ended. Stopping the draft first creates a lapse rather than a cancellation, which is messier and can cost you the cash value.
What to check before you send it
These are the things people most often wish they had looked at first. None of them are reasons not to cancel. They are the difference between a decision and a regret.
- Which company is named on the policy. Look for the endorsement notice, the policy schedule, or your latest statement. MetLife says owners of individual policies that moved to Brighthouse Financial were sent an endorsement changing the issuing company name. The company named there is the one to write to.
- Whether the coverage came through a job. A certificate from an employer or a payroll deduction means a group plan. MetLife's group term life is issued by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and the cancellation steps come from the plan. In one employer FAQ on MetLife's site, you complete MetLife's Cancellation of Supplemental Life Insurance form and send it to the address on the form.
- Your 31 day window if you are leaving a job. MetLife's portability and conversion guide describes two ways to continue group life coverage after employment ends. Portability keeps term coverage under a separate policy. Conversion moves group life to an individual whole life policy. In that guide the election window was 31 days, so check your plan's notice for the date.
- Cash value, loans and taxes on a permanent policy. Term coverage has no cash value. A whole life or universal life policy may have a cash surrender value, shown on your statement, less any loan. Part of a payout can be taxable, so ask a tax professional before you surrender.
- How the premiums are paid. MetLife's FAQ says an online account lets you view and print statements and change bank account details for automatic payments. If a bank draft is set up, confirm it has stopped after the policy ends so a payment does not go out afterward.
- Whether new coverage is in force. If you are replacing this policy, wait until the new one is approved, the first payment is made, and the policy is in your hands. Then cancel the old one.
When cancelling is the right answer
Cancelling makes sense when the reason you bought the coverage has been handled, or when you hold new coverage that is in force and do not want to pay for both. If your group coverage is ending with a job, look at portability and conversion before you let the window close. If the review shows what you have still fits, keeping it is a good outcome.
Common questions
How do I cancel a MetLife life insurance policy?
Start by confirming which company issued it. For an individual policy, the owner sends a signed written request to that company, using the address and instructions on your policy or statement, and asks for written confirmation of the date coverage ended. For employer coverage, ask your plan administrator which form applies. Keep the confirmation with your records.
Is my policy with MetLife or Brighthouse Financial?
MetLife says certain policies are still with MetLife and others moved to Brighthouse Financial. Owners of active individual policies that moved were sent an endorsement changing the name of the issuing company, so look for that notice. Your policy schedule and recent statements also name the issuer. If you cannot find any paperwork, our guide to finding a lost policy shows where to look.
How do I cancel MetLife life insurance that I get through work?
Group plans set their own steps. In one MetLife employer plan FAQ, cancelling supplemental life and AD&D coverage meant completing MetLife's Cancellation of Supplemental Life Insurance form and sending it to the address on the form. Your plan may use a different form or an online enrollment change, so ask your benefits team which one applies to you.
What happens to my MetLife group life coverage if I leave my job?
It can end, depending on your plan. MetLife's portability and conversion guide describes two options: portability, which continues group term life under a separate policy, and conversion, which moves group life to an individual whole life policy. In that guide you had 31 days to elect, and portable coverage started on the 32nd day after group coverage ended. Your own notice has the exact terms.
Can I get a refund if I cancel?
That depends on the policy. Free look rules are set by each state, and the period printed in your policy is usually between 10 and 30 days from delivery. Inside it, premiums are returned. After it, term premiums already paid are not refunded, and a permanent policy may pay its cash surrender value if it has one. Check your policy for the exact wording.
Does stopping payments cancel a MetLife policy?
For group coverage, MetLife's page says that if you stop paying premiums, the insurance stops. For an individual policy, an unpaid premium starts the grace period in your policy, and the policy can lapse after it. Some permanent policies move to a paid-up or extended term option instead. A written request gives you a clear end date and a confirmation, which is cleaner than a lapse.
Can a family member cancel for a parent?
The owner signs the request. If the owner has died or cannot sign, ask the issuing company what documents it needs, such as a power of attorney or a death certificate, before you send anything. Asking first saves a round trip.
Free · Read it before you cancel
Read it before you end it.
Bring your MetLife policy, or just the latest letter. We will read it with you, explain what it is worth today and what you would lose, and answer billing or paperwork questions. Keeping it is a fine result, and so is cancelling if it is right for you.
- What cancelling your MetLife policy would end
- Any cash value, dividends or riders you would give up
- Where the written request goes and what to ask for
- Billing and premium questions
Helping families since 2000. Licensed in all 50 states.
Mon-Sat · 10am-9pm
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Cancellation terms, refunds, and free-look windows depend on your contract and your state. Policy Review Center is a free comparison and referral service, not an insurance agency, insurer, or producer, and it connects you with independent licensed agents. Carrier names are used for reference only and do not imply any endorsement or affiliation.