General Information

What Is TSGLI?

The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection program (TSGLI) is a traumatic injury protection rider under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) that provides for payment to any member of the uniformed services covered by SGLI who sustains a traumatic injury that results in certain severe losses.

Coverage

How Much Coverage Is Available?

TSGLI coverage will pay a benefit of between $25,000 and $100,000 depending on the loss directly resulting from the traumatic injury.

Who Is Covered Under TSGLI?

Every member who has SGLI also has TSGLI effective December 1, 2005.

Can The Service Member Decline TSGLI?

TSGLI coverage is automatic for those insured under basic SGLI and cannot be declined. The only way to decline TSGLI is to decline basic SGLI coverage.

Are Spouses And Children Covered By TSGLI?

No, TSGLI is not available to spouses and children under Family SGLI. It is available only to service members insured under SGLI.

Are Members Covered For TSGLI When They're Insured Under VGLI?

No. TSGLI coverage is not available to VGLI policyholders.

What Losses Are Covered and How Much Is Paid For Each Loss?

Covered losses and payment amounts are listed in the TSGLI Schedule of Losses. 
For example:

Follow this link for a complete listing of all losses that are covered under TSGLI and how much will be paid for each loss.

Are There Any Injuries Or Conditions That Are Not Covered Under TSGLI?

Yes, certain injuries and conditions are excluded from coverage. For more information on these exclusions, please contact your service department points of contact.

Premiums

How Much Does TSGLI Cost?

The premium for TSGLI is a flat rate of $1 per month for most service members. Members who carry the maximum SGLI coverage of $400,000 will pay $29.00 per month for both SGLI and TSGLI. 

The table below outlines the rates for various categories of SGLI coverage.

Note: These rates are determined by VA and are subject to change based on claims experience.

TSGLI Eligibility and Claims

What Are The Eligibility Requirements For Payment Under TSGLI?

To be eligible for payment of TSGLI, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• You must be insured by SGLI.
• You must incur a scheduled loss and that loss must be a direct result of a traumatic injury.
• You must have suffered the traumatic injury prior to midnight of the day that you separate from the uniformed services.
• You must suffer a scheduled loss within 2 years (730 days) of the traumatic injury.
• You must survive for a period of not less than seven full days from the date of the traumatic injury. (The 7-day period begins on the date and time of the traumatic injury, as measured by Zulu [Greenwich Meridian] time and ends 168 full hours later).

What If The Traumatic Injury Occurred Prior To December 1?

Congress directed that TSGLI would be retroactive to October 7, 2001, for members who incur a qualifying loss as a direct result of injuries incurred on or after October 7, 2001, through and including November 30, 2005, in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). For the purposes of TSGLI only, "incurred in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom" means that the member must have been deployed outside the United States on orders in support of OEF or OIF or serving in a geographic location that qualified the service member for the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion under the Internal Revenue Service Code.

How Does A Member Make A Claim For TSGLI?

In order to make a claim for the TSGLI benefit, the member (or someone acting on his or her behalf) should:

1. Download the TSGLI Certification Form GL.2005.261 at www.insurance.va.gov. You can also obtain this form from your service department point of contact or from the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance by toll-free phone at 1-800-419-1473 or by email at osgli.claims@prudential.com.
   
2. Contact your service department point of contact to begin the certification process.

The certification form has three parts:

• Part A is to be completed by the service member or, if incapacitated, by the member's guardian, or the member's attorney-in-fact.
  
• Part B is to be completed by the attending medical professional.
  
• Part C is to be completed by the Branch of Service.
  

Will The Service Member Ever Have To File More Than One Claim?

Yes. There are certain situations when the member will have to file more than one claim.

• For losses such as coma or traumatic brain injury, the TSGLI benefit is payable in $25,000 increments on the 15th, 30th, 60th, and 90th consecutive days of the member's inability to carry out activities of daily living. A separate claim for TSGLI must be filed at each time interval. For example, if a service member suffers a traumatic injury that leaves him in a coma, a claim for TSGLI should be filed after the 15th consecutive day of the member being in a coma for which $25,000 is payable. If the member remains in a coma for 30 days after the traumatic injury, another claim should be submitted and another $25,000 will be paid.
  
• If a member files a claim for an incurred loss and then subsequently incurs another loss as a result of the same traumatic event, a new claim must be filed for the subsequent loss. For example, if a member files a claim for losing one leg as a result of an explosion and four months later has the other leg amputated as a result of that same explosion, the member must file another claim for the loss of the leg.

May A Service Member Appeal If He or She Applies For A TSGLI Benefit And Is Denied?

Yes, a service member may appeal if denied TSGLI.

1. If the service member is appealing a decision based on eligibility criteria such as their loss or the circumstances surrounding the traumatic injury causing the loss, the service member should contact the appropriate service department point of contact.
   
2. If the service member is appealing a decision based on whether they had TSGLI coverage at the time of the traumatic injury, the service member should contact the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance at 1-800-419-1473 to file an appeal.

All appeals must be in writing and must be filed within one year of the date of the denial.

Payment of TSGLI Benefits

Who Is The Beneficiary Of TSGLI?

The service member is the beneficiary of TSGLI. The member cannot name someone other than himself or herself as the TSGLI beneficiary. If the member is incompetent, the benefit will be paid to his or her guardian or attorney-in-fact.

Is TSGLI Payable If The Service Member Dies As A Result Of The Traumatic Injury?

If the service member dies as a result of the traumatic injury, TSGLI is still payable if the member survived for a period of not less than seven full days from the date of the traumatic event and died before the maximum benefit for which the service member qualifies is paid. (The 7-day period begins on the date and time of the traumatic event, as measured by Zulu [Greenwich Meridian] time and ends 168 full hours later).

Who Will Receive the TSGLI Benefit if the Service Member is Deceased?

If the service member is deceased, the TSGLI payment will be made to the beneficiary or beneficiaries of the member's basic SGLI.

Does payment of TSGLI benefits reduce the amount of SGLI payable at the time of the service member's death?

No, payment of TSGLI has no impact on the amount of SGLI payable. For example, if a service member is insured for $400,000 of SGLI coverage and receives a TSGLI payment of $50,000 for a traumatic injury, that member is still insured for the full $400,000 of SGLI coverage, which will be paid upon the service member's death.

How Is The TSGLI Benefit Paid?

TSGLI payments will be made by one of the following methods:

• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) - Under this option, the TSGLI payment is electronically credited to the bank account specified by the service member. This option is available to the service member or the member's guardian or attorney-in-fact.
  
• Prudential's Alliance Account - Under this option, the service member will receive a checkbook for an interest-bearing account that gives the member ready access to the money. This option is available only to the service member. If the member is deceased, the member's SGLI beneficiary will receive payment via the Alliance Account.
  
• Check - Under this option, the service member's guardian or attorney-in-fact will receive a single check on behalf of the service member for the full TSGLI benefit payable. This option is available only to the service member's guardian or attorney-in-fact.

Is The TSGLI Benefit Taxable?

The IRS has determined that the TSGLI benefit is not taxable.

Does The Member Have To Use The TSGLI Benefit To Assist With Recovery From Their Traumatic Injury?

No. The member may use their TSGLI benefit payment or payments in any manner they choose.

Is Beneficiary Financial Counseling Available To TSGLI Claimants?

Yes. TSGLI benefit recipients may take advantage of the Beneficiary Financial Counseling Services (BFCS) program, which is the same free counseling service to which SGLI or VGLI beneficiaries have access. For more information on BFCS, visit www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/BFCS/BFCS.htm.

Contact Information

Where Can I Get More Information?

For more detailed information on the TSGLI benefit, you can refer to title 38, CFR, Part 9.20. You can also contact your service department point of contact or the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance by phone at 1-800-419-1473 or by email at osgli.claims@prudential.com.

Service Department Points of Contact List by Branch of Service