VA life insurance is one of the most time-sensitive benefits in the entire veterans' benefits system. Miss a deadline by even one day and you may permanently lose the right to convert or apply for certain coverage — coverage you may never be able to get anywhere else due to a service-connected disability. This guide breaks down every VA life insurance program — SGLI, VGLI, S-DVI, TSGLI, and the new VALife — with the exact eligibility rules, rates, conversion windows, and the critical deadlines that can never be recovered once missed.
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is automatic low-cost term life insurance provided to all active duty servicemembers. You are automatically enrolled at the maximum coverage amount unless you affirmatively elect a lower amount or decline coverage.
This is the critical point most separating servicemembers miss: SGLI coverage ends 120 days after separation from active duty. The 120-day window is a grace period — premiums are not charged during this time, but coverage is in effect. After day 120, if you have not converted to VGLI or obtained other life insurance, you have no coverage.
For servicemembers who are totally disabled at separation, SGLI coverage continues free of charge for up to two years after separation while totally disabled.
Your SGLI coverage ends 120 days after you separate from active duty. You have 1 year and 120 days from separation to convert to VGLI — but the longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes. If you're within 240 days of separation, you can convert with no medical exam required. Act early.
Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is the primary way to maintain life insurance coverage after separation. VGLI is a term insurance program administered by Prudential under contract with VA. It allows veterans to convert their SGLI coverage to civilian group life insurance without proving they are in good health — a critical feature for veterans with service-connected disabilities who might be uninsurable or face high premiums on the private market.
Unlike SGLI's flat rate, VGLI premiums increase with age. This is standard for term life insurance — older applicants pay more. The rates below are monthly premiums per $10,000 of coverage:
| Age Group | Monthly Rate per $10,000 | Cost for $500,000 Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | $0.80 | $40.00/month |
| 30–34 | $1.00 | $50.00/month |
| 35–39 | $1.30 | $65.00/month |
| 40–44 | $2.00 | $100.00/month |
| 45–49 | $3.00 | $150.00/month |
| 50–54 | $4.30 | $215.00/month |
| 55–59 | $6.40 | $320.00/month |
| 60–64 | $8.60 | $430.00/month |
| 65–69 | $13.00 | $650.00/month |
| 70–74 | $25.00 | $1,250.00/month |
| 75 and over | $37.00 | $1,850.00/month |
Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI) is a VA-administered life insurance program specifically for veterans who receive a new service-connected disability rating. It provides guaranteed-issue coverage at relatively low premiums — but it comes with strict eligibility rules and a narrow application window.
VA stopped accepting new S-DVI applications after December 31, 2022. If you do not already have S-DVI coverage, you should apply for VALife instead. If you already have S-DVI, your coverage continues. See the VALife section below for the replacement program.
Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) is a rider automatically attached to every SGLI policy — you cannot waive it separately. Every servicemember with SGLI has TSGLI, and the $1.00/month premium is included in the SGLI cost.
TSGLI provides lump-sum payments to servicemembers or veterans who suffer severe traumatic injuries. It is designed to provide financial support during recovery when a service member is unable to work and facing significant medical expenses and care needs.
TSGLI pays between $25,000 and $100,000 depending on the nature and severity of the injury. Qualifying losses include:
TSGLI covers traumatic injuries that occur:
TSGLI also retroactively covers injuries that occurred between October 7, 2001, and November 30, 2005, for any servicemember who suffered a qualifying traumatic injury during that period — even if they were separated before the program was formally established in December 2005.
File TSGLI claims using SGLV Form 8600 (Application for TSGLI Benefits). Submit to your branch of service TSGLI office. The branch of service — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard — processes TSGLI claims, not VA directly. If your claim is denied, you have the right to appeal through the branch of service appeals process.
VA launched VALife (Veterans Affairs Life Insurance) in January 2023 as a permanent replacement for the S-DVI program. VALife provides guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance to veterans with any service-connected disability rating.
VALife is the most accessible life insurance program VA has ever offered — guaranteed acceptance with any SC rating means no veteran with a service-connected disability is turned away. If you have received a new VA disability rating and do not have VALife, apply within 2 years of your rating decision for the best available rate.
VA life insurance has some of the strictest deadlines in the benefits system. Missing these windows can permanently foreclose your access to coverage — and VA does not grant extensions or exceptions for most of them.
SGLI coverage ends 120 days after separation. After this, you have no life insurance through VA unless you've converted to VGLI.
Apply for VGLI within 240 days of separation to convert with NO medical exam required. After 240 days, a medical exam is required and you may be denied based on health.
Absolute deadline to apply for VGLI. After this date, you can never convert SGLI to VGLI. Ever. There are no exceptions.
Apply for VALife within 2 years of a new service-connected disability rating for best rates. You can apply after 2 years, but rates are based on your age at application — waiting costs money.
| Program | Max Coverage | Who Qualifies | Key Deadline | Medical Exam? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGLI | $500,000 | Active duty servicemembers | Ends 120 days after separation | No |
| VGLI | $500,000 | Veterans who had SGLI | Apply within 480 days of separation | No (if within 240 days) |
| S-DVI | $10,000 basic + $30,000 supplemental | SC-rated veterans (closed to new applicants 12/31/2022) | Apply within 2 years of SC rating | No |
| TSGLI | $100,000 | Servicemembers with SGLI who suffer traumatic injury | File within 1 year of qualifying loss | N/A (injury-based benefit) |
| VALife | $40,000 | Veterans with any SC rating, up to age 80 | Apply within 2 years for best rates | No — guaranteed acceptance |
To convert SGLI to VGLI, apply online at the Office of Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) website at benefits.va.gov/insurance/ or call 1-800-419-1473. You'll need your:
Apply for VALife at benefits.va.gov/insurance/valife.asp or call VA's insurance center at 1-800-669-8477. You'll need your VA disability rating letter showing your service-connected condition. The application is straightforward since there's no underwriting — guaranteed acceptance with any SC rating.
Download SGLV Form 8600 from benefits.va.gov/insurance/tsgli.asp. Have the form completed by your attending physician (Part B) and submit to your branch of service TSGLI processor. The claim must document the qualifying loss and its duration. If denied, you have 1 year to file an appeal with your branch's TSGLI Appeals Board.
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