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SUPPLEMENT DATED MARCH 2, 2000 TO
PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1999 FOR
MODIFIED SINGLE PREMIUM DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACTS
ISSUED BY
NATIONWIDE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
THROUGH ITS
NATIONWIDE VARIABLE ACCOUNT - 9
THIS SUPPLEMENT UPDATES CERTAIN INFORMATION CONTAINED IN YOUR PROSPECTUS. PLEASE
READ IT AND KEEP IT WITH YOUR PROSPECTUS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
1. THE "ADDITIONAL CONTRACT OPTIONS" PROVISION ON PAGE 7 OF YOUR
PROSPECTUS IS AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING OPTION:
SPOUSAL PROTECTION ANNUITY OPTION - AVAILABLE WITH THE STANDARD DEATH
BENEFIT ONLY.
AN APPLICANT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITY OR A NON-QUALIFIED
CONTRACT MAY ELECT THE SPOUSAL PROTECTION OPTION AT NO ADDITIONAL COST
PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE SATISFIED:
1. One or both of the spouses must be named as the contract
owner. For contracts issued as Individual Retirement
Annuities, only the person for whom the Individual Retirement
Annuity is established may be named as the sole contract
owner.
2. Both spouses must be named as co-annuitants and both must be
age 85 or younger at the time the contract is issued.
3. No other person may be named as contract owner, joint owner,
contingent owner, annuitant, co-annuitant or primary
beneficiary.
4. If both spouses are alive upon annuitization, the contract
owner(s) must specify which spouse is the annuitant upon whose
continuation of life any annuity payments involving life
contingencies depend. For contracts issued as Individual
Retirement Annuities, the person named as the annuitant at the
time of annuitization must be the contract owner.
Election of the Spousal Protection Annuity Option permits the
following:
If one annuitant dies prior to annuitization of the contract, the
surviving spouse may continue the contract as the sole contract owner.
If the surviving spouse chooses to continue the contract, he or she may
name a new beneficiary but may not name another co-annuitant.
If the standard death benefit is higher than the contract value at the
time of the death of any annuitant, the contract value will be adjusted
to equal the standard death benefit amount.
APO - 3931-4