Larry Dandridge

Editor’s note

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This is the third in a series of five articles.

VA benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers

By Larry Dandridge

This article will introduce VA Life Insurance options, claims, and beneficiary assistance. There is too much information to cover every aspect of what you need to know about VA life insurance in one article, but if military members, veterans, and their families, survivors, and caregivers read this article and the other references in this article, they will be on their way to understanding what they need to know.

The first two articles in this series of five were published on March 16 and March 30. Those articles covered VA healthcare, education, training, and employment benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers and VA home loan programs for surviving spouses. You can read:

  •  Part 1 at https://bit.ly/3TOYiSE and
  •  Part 2 at http://bit.ly/3MxaQwz.

The two best ways to find out what a veteran’s spouse, dependent, survivor, and family caregiver VA benefits are and how to apply for those benefits include:

1. Reading the VA’s webpage titled VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, Survivors, and Family Caregivers found at https://bit.ly/3ZsrvET and …

2. Asking a VA-trained and accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO). Read about VA Accredited Representatives and how to find one at https://bit.ly/3rNLdvy, https://bit.ly/41PPiQM, and https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL.

Do not miss out on spouse, dependent, survivor, and caregiver benefits

According to the VA, the spouse or dependent child of a veteran or service member may qualify for benefits, like home loans, health care, life insurance, or money to help pay for school or training. The survivor of a veteran or service member may qualify for added benefits, including help with burial costs and survivor compensation. A family caregiver of a veteran may also be eligible for support to help them better care for the veteran — and for themselves.

VA life insurance

The VA offers quality life insurance coverage for veterans, service members, and their families. According to the VA Life Insurance webpage https://www.va.gov/life-insurance/, VA life insurance can offer financial security for veterans, service members, and their spouses and dependent children.

Act quickly. If you are ending your military tour of duty soon, you’ll need to get new coverage quickly. In some cases, veterans must act within 120 days of leaving the military to be sure there’s no break in their coverage.

VA life insurance options

The About VA Insurance Options and Eligibility webpage found at http://bit.ly/3m2tfGB states, “Different programs cover veterans (VGLI), service members (SGLI), and family members (FSGLI). If you are an active-duty service member, you are automatically enrolled in SGLI, which can also cover spouses and dependent children. You may also be able to get short-term financial coverage through TSGLI to help you recover from a traumatic (severe) injury. And if you have a service-connected disability, you may be able to get coverage through VALife.”

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)

Find out if you are eligible for SGLI, how to access and manage SGLI, how to get SGLI, how to make changes to benefits, how to change beneficiaries, how much SGLI costs, and how to apply for VGLI when you separate or retire, and more at https://bit.ly/3Gxbsia. SGLI only remains in effect 120 days after a military member leaves military service.

Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)

Learn all about FSGLI at https://bit.ly/3WUMGOe. FSGLI offers coverage for the spouse and dependent children of service members covered under full-time SGLI.

Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI). Read online about TSGLI at https://bit.ly/3WDXEYI. TSGLI provides short-term financial support to help eligible service members recover from a severe injury. If you were covered by SGLI and experienced a traumatic injury while serving, you need to find out how to file a claim for TSGLI or appeal a past decision. The VA is expanding TSGLI benefits on April 14, 2023. These types of care are being expanded: (1) Limb reconstruction surgeries; (2) Inpatient hospitalization at critical care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and skilled nursing facilities; and (3) Care to help veterans transition from an inpatient facility to living at home (called therapeutic pass).

Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI)

With VGLI, military members may be able to keep their life insurance coverage after they leave the military for as long as they pay premiums. Find out the eligibility requirements, who is covered, the benefits, how to get the benefits, how much the insurance costs, how to choose beneficiaries, how to convert VGLI into a commercial policy, whom to call for help with a claim, what forms do family members need, how to access your policy online, how to get disabled and terminally ill policyholder assistance, and much more at https://bit.ly/3IeOldv.

Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife)

The VA began offering a new life insurance plan on January 1, 2023, for all service-disabled veterans. VALife offers guaranteed acceptance of whole life insurance with no medical exam requirements, no time limit to apply, with locked in for life premium rates, if you have a service-connected disability. Read the information at http://bit.ly/40Gmf10 to answer questions about eligibility for VALife, how to apply for VALife, benefits with VALife, when your benefits start, premium rates, changing form S-DVI to VALife, what you should know about changing to VALife, How beneficiaries can file a claim, whom to call for answers to questions, and much more.

VA Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI)

If a veteran has received a Specially Adapted Housing Grant, the VA offers mortgage life insurance. See the VA fact sheet titled Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance or call 800-669-8477.

Official VA YouTube Channel

Learn more about VA life insurance at the official YouTube channel for the US Department of VA at https://www.youtube.com/user/DeptVetAffairs. Below are some sample videos you may want to watch.

VA Fact Sheets on Life Insurance

Find more about VA Life Insurance in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) fact sheets on insurance at https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets.asp.

VA Life Insurance Publications & Handbooks

Again, there is too much information on VA Life Insurance to cover in one newspaper article. So do your homework by:

  1.  Reading the VA webpage https://www.benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/,
  2.  Watching VA YouTube Videos on VA Life Insurance,
  3.  Download and read the SGLI and VGLI Handbook found at https://www.benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/docs/SGLI-VGLI-handbook.pd,.
  4.  Download and read the SGLI Procedures Guide found at https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/docs/TSGLIProceduresGuide.pdf,
  5.  Download and read the TSGLI Procedures Guide found at https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/docs/FSGLIProceduralGuide.pdf, and
  6.  Asking a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to help you with understanding and applying for Veterans Life Insurance.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.

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