6 | Planning Your Legacy: VA Survivor and Burial Benets Kit
explore your options, manage your policy, update your life insurance beneficiary
designation(s), or file claims, visit www.benefits.va.gov/insurance.
• Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife): Provides guaranteed acceptance whole life
coverage of up to $40,000 to Veterans with service-connected disabilities. No
medical underwriting is required and there is no time limit to apply for Veterans
aged 80 and under. Veterans aged 81 and over are eligible in some circumstances.
Under this plan, the elected coverage takes effect two years after enrollment as long
as premiums are paid during the two-year period. More information available at
www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/valife/.
• Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI): Offers mortgage protection insurance to
the families of Service members and Veterans with severe service-connected
disabilities, who have received a specially-adapted housing grant from VA. VMLI
provides decreasing term insurance up to $200,000 or the amount you owe on your
mortgage, whichever is less. More information available at www.va.gov/life-
insurance/options-eligibility/vmli/.
• Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI): Provides automatic maximum
coverage up to $500,000 in $50,000 increments. Coverage expires 120 days after
separation from service but can be extended with the SGLI Disability Extension
(SGLI-DE) for up to two years following separation if you are totally disabled. You
must apply for the SGLI-DE; it is not automatic. More information available at
www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/sgli/.
• Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI): allows separating Service members to
convert their SGLI coverage to renewable group term insurance. The initial amount
of VGLI available is equal to the amount of SGLI at separation but can be increased in
$25,000 increments beginning one year after enrollment, and then every five years
until you are 60 years old. No health questions are required if you apply within 240
days after separation. You have up to 1 year and 120 days after separation to apply
but must meet good health requirements if you apply more than 240 days after
separation. More information available at www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-
eligibility/vgli/.
• Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI): Offers coverage for the
spouse and dependent children of Service members covered under full-time SGLI.
Spouse coverage is up to $100,000 or the amount of the member’s coverage,
whichever is less. Dependent children are covered for $10,000 each at no cost to the
member. Spouses who have Family SGLI coverage at the time of the Service
member’s passing have 120 days to apply to convert their coverage to a permanent
plan of insurance with a participating insurer. They can also convert their coverage
upon other key events such as the Service member’s separation from service. More
information available at www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/fsgli/.
Under SGLI, FSGLI, and VGLI, terminally ill Service members, spouses of Service members, and
Veterans can obtain up to 50% of their insurance coverage prior to death if they have a medical
prognosis of 9 months or less to live.