VA officials have announced the launch of the new Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) program, beginning this year. It is the VA's first new life insurance program in over 50 years. This is a big step for disabled veterans, enabling them access to life insurance policies with no medical disqualifications.
The VA previously offered the Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance program for those individuals whose injuries have made them ineligible for other life insurance plans. However, this program is contingent upon enrollment within two years of receiving a disability rating and will no longer be offered once VALife is in place. However those who already have this policy are able to keep it if they'd like.
VALife will offer disabled veterans up to $40,000 in coverage at competitive rates. There is no intended profit from the program, and its pricing is set up to avoid any new deficits for the department. Officials have yet to provide a target enrollment goal or how many veterans currently cannot obtain life insurance.
The VALife program was mandated by Congress in legislation passed last year and will be available for veterans ages 80 and under. Enrollment should now be open.
This change was in response to veterans’ advocacy and concern over limited availability of life insurance offered to those with service-connected injuries. The VA is receiving overwhelming support for their move to provide more access to life insurance to those who have earned it.
If you are interested, you can find more detailed policy details here.
After I retired with 100% I was not ellgible for the 10,000 that 100 percent rated veterans could get get, because If you are working a civilian job a the time, you are not eligible. Additionally, I did not rollover my Active duty Life Insurance into my Veteran status, because I could not afford it at the time(Divorce, full custody of my children, and Retirement ALL a the same time) Well, I worked that job less than a year and was not able to get it EVEN after I was no longer working the civilian job. I was told not only was I not elibible then, but now I missed my window of opportunity and it was FOREVER gone. That…
I received a 100% disability rating many years ago I was enrolled in the VA life insurance program but it was not cost effective and only Peed offered $10,000 in coverage. I am wondering why this new VALife program is being offered only to those veterans who have had a disability rating within the last two years. The two-year timeframe leaves a lot of veterans out of the program who either declined previous VA insurance programs or decided to cancel them.
good news, I know a lot of vets who haven’t been able to get solid life insurance so hopefully this will help