Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Coverage Periods

traumatic servicemembers' group life insurance Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) is a rider added to Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) for all personnel of the United States armed forces.   While its name implies it is life insurance, it is really a disability rider on your military life insurance policy.  If you aren’t familiar with TSGLI, you can read our previous article giving an overview of this important monetary benefit that many veterans and servicemembers don’t realize may apply to them.

Unless you have waived SGLI coverage, you also have TSGLI coverage.  Most servicemembers have not waived coverage.  Even though YOU are covered, you still need to make sure your particular situation is covered.  In this article, we will talk about the two types of TSGLI coverage – full time and part time.

Who Is Covered by Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance?

Everyone who is a member of the uniformed services with SGLI are automatically covered by TSGLI.  If you had an injury between October 7, 2001 and November 30, 2005, you are covered by TSGLI even if you did not have SGLI coverage at the time of your traumatic injury.

Family members who are covered under Family SGLI are not covered under TSGLI.

What Are the Coverage Periods for Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Protection?

For the most part, you are covered under TSGLI for the same time periods as you are under SGLI.  The exception to this rule is that TSGLI coverage terminates at midnight on the date you separate from service, whereas SGLI continues for at least 120 days after separation from service.  During your service you can be classified as either Full Time or Part Time for TSGLI purposes, which will also affect specific moments of coverage.

Servicemembers Covered Under Full Time Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Protection Program

If you are covered under full time SGLI, you are also covered under full time TSGLI.  That means you are covered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  There are no gaps in your coverage from the time your coverage starts until such time you are separated from service.  So, if you have a traumatic injury, there is no question about where you were or what you were doing.  You are covered no matter what so long as you meet other qualifying criteria.  To be covered under full time TSGLI coverage, you must:

  • perform active duty or active duty for training under a call or orders that specifies 31 days or more, OR
  • be a Ready Reservist who is assigned to a unit where you are scheduled to drill at least 12 times per year.  It makes no difference whether you are drilling for pay or for retirement points.
Servicemembers Covered Under Part Time Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Protection Program

This one’s a little different than full time coverage.  As the name implies, it only applies part of the time rather than 24/7/365 coverage.  Part time TSGLI coverage means your policy applies to traumatic injuries that occur on actual days of duty and while traveling directly to and from your scheduled duty.  So, if something happens to you on the way to your base where you drill, you are still eligible for TSGLI benefits.  You are subject to part time TSGSLI coverage if:

  • you are a Ready Reservist under a call or order that is for less than 31 days, OR
  • you are a Ready Reservist who is not scheduled for drill at least 12 times during the year.

Your status as full time or part time can change depending on your circumstances.  You can become eligible for full time TSGLI coverage if you meet those criteria for a period of time and then drop back down to part time TSGLI status.

Coverage Doesn’t Mean You Necessarily Qualify for Payments Under the Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Program

You still have to prove you meet the other elements of a successful TSGLI claim.  There is too much on those topics to cover here.  Check back in the future as we continue to educate veterans and their families on  these types of claims.  In the meantime, if you have any questions about your TSGLI claim, whether you have yet to apply or have already been denied, feel free to contact us for a free consultation.  If you are looking at TSGLI, you probably also qualify for VA disability benefits, which we also handle.  You can click on the “Need Help” tab on this page or reach us by phone or email.

Travis Studdard is an attorney who focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims.  He regularly writes about issues that are important to veterans and their families.

You can subscribe to his Veterans Disability channel on YouTube.

I can't express enough how great it was to work with Perkins Studdard. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional and keep you aware of everything happening with your case. Very friendly from the front office to Mr. Perkins. I would HIGHLY recommend Perkins Studdard!James Strickland
I recommend Travis for an Veteran that has been dealing with constant denial with claims. He also , cover cost for my nexus letter when I ran into financial troubles , that helped me win my case.edwin Cook
I highly recommend Travis Studdard to represent anyone looking to help with VA claims. The VA is very difficult to deal with when attempting to get benefits from service connected injuries, at least that's my experience. Travis and his team knows the VA system and the legal procedures to help you get what you deserve. Travis was kind and passionate with me throughout this process and therefore, I highly recommend this law firm to represent DAV's.Terry Hembree
Such an awesome team. They spoke to me like a person and helped me through every decision with knowledge.Kevin Collett
Highly recommend this firm. Did exactly what they said they were going to and fairly timely. The VA is sometimes extremely difficult to navigate but this took all the leg work away from me and got me the result I thought was fair.Andrew Boone
Amazing staff, very informed along with excellent communication. Within just a few weeks of work, Mr Studdard was able to make things happen that normally take years! Highly recommendJacob Sylvester
Perkins Studdard LLC is the place you need to be if you have a Workers Comp case going on! Mr. Jason Perkins and his staff get the results that you need. They work with you and fight for you.Coming from another lawyer my husband and I were really surprised and appreciated the communication and honesty and understanding throughout the entire process. My husband loves the videos because they held so much information and helped him understand what what was going on. Thank you so much for representing us!!!Deborah Tompkins
I highly recommend Jason Perkins and the Team at Perkins and Studdard. Jason did a wonderful job on my case and actually got me better results than what I was hoping for. He was always so patient with me and made sure I was understanding every process in my case. He never seemed to mind me asking questions and always gave me straightforward answers. My phone calls to him or his staff were promptly answered or returned and everyone was always so helpful, personable, and respectful. He kept me updated on all the details of my case and sent helpful videos for me to review that were very informative.Dru Vaughn
Helped me when I needed after getting hurt at work. Thank you for everything!The Knight Family
I could not have asked for a better lawyer to represent my worker comp. case. Any questions I had during the process was always answered in a timely manner. Mr. Perkins really cared about insuring that I wasn't being taken advantage of during this process and helped us reach a settlement that I feel comfortable with. I would recommend this firm to my parents or children.syndel Laber

Related Posts

Contrast:

Font Size: