Benefits
Servicemembers' and Veterans' Life Insurance
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Servicemember and son |
Links You Can Use Department of Veterans Affairs Life Insurance Program
Toll-free telephone: 1-800-419-1473
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VA provides life insurance for servicemembers, their families, and veterans. Four of the policies are: Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI): Active duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Cost Guard; commissioned members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Public Heath Service; cadets or midshipmen of the service academies; members, cadets and midshipmen of the ROTC while engaged in authorized training; members of the Ready Reserves; and members who volunteer for assignment to a mobilization category in the Individual Ready Reserve are automatically insured for $400,000 under SGLI, a low-cost term insurance. Public Law 109-80 increased the maximum coverage amount from $250,000 to $400,000, and the increments of coverage from $10,000 to $50,000. Public Law 107-14, the Veterans’ Survivors Benefits Improvement Act of 2001, expanded SGLI to include coverage to spouses and children. Spouses may be insured for up to $100,000, and children are covered for $10,000. A servicemember may elect, in writing, not to insure a spouse; coverage for children is automatic. The Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program (TSGLI) is an automatic traumatic injury rider to the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program that provides payment to any service member who sustains a traumatic injury that results in qualifying severe losses and provides short-term financial assistance to traumatically injured service members and their families. The TSGLI rider was made retroactive to include OIF/OEF servicemembers whose injuries were incurred between October 7, 2001, and November 30, 2005 (P.L. 109-233). Public Law 109-80 increased the amount of coverage to $400,000 and requires spousal notification if the insured designates any beneficiary other than the member’s spouse or child. Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI): This is a renewable term insurance policy available after separation from service. This policy is not available to family members. The maximum amount of VGLI is $400,000. Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI): Congress established this program to provide mortgage protection life insurance to severely disabled veterans who have received grants for the purchase of specially adapted housing. The maximum amount of VMLI allowed an eligible veteran is $90,000. The insurance is payable if the veteran dies before the mortgage is paid off (up to $90,000). This insurance is payable only to the mortgage lender. Public Law 107-330, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2002, allows veterans to retain their VMLI coverage past age 70 (under previous law, coverage ceased when the insured reached age 70). This applies to current policy holders only; no new coverage is issued after age 69. Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI): S-DVI is available to a veteran with a service-connected disability but is otherwise in good health. Application must be made within two years from the date of being notified of service-connected status. This is a $10,000 policy, although totally disabled veterans may be eligible for additional supplemental coverage of up to $20,000. |
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