By Cliff Montgomery – Nov. 10th, 2010
On the eve of Veterans’ Day, the American Spark feels it’s only right to discuss just how well our nation treats our heroes’ families when they are the ones needing help.
The Spark therefore offers a recent, short Congressional Research Service (CRS) review of Veterans Affairs (VA) life insurance programs for active service members and veterans.
It is screamed at us that private insurers can best handle medical care. Yet life insurance programs administered by Prudential Financial for U.S. service members and veterans have proven to be causes for major concern.
The Spark quotes the CRS report summary below:
“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers and supervises several life insurance programs for active service members and veterans.
“The VA supervises the Service members’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs, which are administered by the Office of Service members’ Group Life Insurance (OSGLI), a division of Prudential Financial.
“The Service-Disabled Veterans’ Insurance (S-DVI) program, on the other hand, is administered entirely by the VA. Access to VA-administered life insurance programs gives service members and veterans, who may not be eligible for private life insurance policies, the opportunity to carry group life insurance. This provides for their families in the event of the service member’s or veteran’s death.
“In September 1965…Congress established the SGLI program and mandated the VA to enter into an agreement with the private insurance industry to meet the insurance needs of Vietnam era service members. As a result, VA established an agreement with Prudential Financial to administer its policies.
“When first enacted, the SGLI program provided up to $10,000 in coverage for policyholders. Today, service members can receive a maximum of $400,000 insurance coverage under the program.
“On August 1, 1974…VGLI became available to service members. VGLI provides for the conversion of SGLI after separation from active military duty. VGLI is a five-year renewable term policy that, like SGLI, provides a maximum of $400,000 of coverage.
“Service members may have their SGLI and VGLI proceeds paid either as a lump sum or over a period of 36 months. Since 1999, if the member chose to have his or her benefits paid as a lump sum without specifying that the payment be made via a single check, beneficiaries would have received payments via retained asset accounts called Alliance Accounts.
“However, in light of recent media coverage condemning this practice as a violation of contractual agreements [such as this article from the Bloomberg business wire service entitled, Fallen Soldiers’ Families Denied Cash as Insurers Profit], Prudential is to now send beneficiaries of VA life-insurance policies a check when they ask for a lump-sum benefit payment rather than keeping the money in an Alliance Account and mailing a draft book, unless an Alliance Account is specifically requested.
“Free financial counseling is available to SGLI and VGLI beneficiaries if the policyholder chooses to have payments made via an Alliance Account.
“During the Korean War, before SGLI and VGLI were established, Congress passed the Insurance Act of 1951…and established the S-DVI program.
“S-DVI was created to meet the insurance needs of certain veterans with service-connected disabilities, many of whom would not be eligible for private life insurance due to their service-connected disabilities. Currently, policies are issued for a maximum face value of $10,000.
“Retained asset accounts are not offered under the S-DVI program.
“Several bills have been introduced in the 111th Congress that would affect the VA’s current life insurance programs: H.R. 5993, H.R. 2713, H.R. 1037, S. 3718, and S. 728.”
