LIFE INSURANCE: ACCELERATED BENEFIT OPTION (ABO) FOR YOUR SPOUSE OR STATE-REGISTERED DOMESTIC PARTNER If Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner becomes Terminally Ill, You or Your legal representative have the option to request Us to pay Life Insurance for Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner before Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner's death. This is called an accelerated benefit. The request must be made while Life Insurance for Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is in effect. Terminally Ill or Terminal Illness means that due to injury or sickness, Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is expected to die within 24 months. Requirements For Payment of an Accelerated Benefit Subject to the conditions and requirements of this section, We will pay an accelerated benefit to You or Your legal representative if:  the amount of Life Insurance for the Terminally Ill Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner equals or exceeds $10,000; and  the ABO Eligible Life Insurance to be accelerated has not been assigned; and  We have received Proof that Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is Terminally Ill. We will only pay an accelerated benefit for Life Insurance for Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner once. Proof of Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner’s Terminal Illness We will require the following Proof of Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner’s Terminal Illness:  a completed accelerated benefit claim form;  a signed Physician’s certification that Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is Terminally Ill; and  an examination by a Physician of Our choice, at Our expense, if We request it. In determining whether Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is Terminally Ill, the certification provided by Your Physician and the opinion of the Physician We chose to examine Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner may not agree. If this happens, You are not required to accept the opinion of the Physician We chose to examine Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner. We will try to resolve the issue of whether Your Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner is Terminally Ill promptly and amicably. If We cannot, You may ask to have the issue mediated by, or submitted to binding arbitration with, a disinterested third party who has no ongoing relationship with either party. As part of any final decision, the arbitrator or mediator will determine who will pay the cost of the arbitration or mediation or may divide the costs equally or otherwise. You or Your legal representative should contact the Us to obtain a claim form and information regarding the accelerated benefit. Upon Our receipt of Your request to accelerate benefits, We will send You a letter with information about the accelerated benefit payment You requested. Our letter will describe the amount of the accelerated benefits We will pay and the amount of Life Insurance remaining after the accelerated benefit is paid. GCERT2024-WSHCA-WA-LIFE-EMPLOYEE1 65