Protect those who matter most with VA life insurance

VA life insurance is a benefit that can protect your loved ones with income replacement, end of life costs and financial flexibility. While it’s not always pleasant to think about how you will prepare for your family’s well-being after you’re gone, if you are injured or ill because of your service-connected disability, obtaining life insurance is a vital process. VA offers life insurance options to meet your unique needs as a Veteran.

Service-Disabled Veterans’ Insurance and the Supplemental Program

Service-Disabled Veterans’ Insurance (S-DVI) is a life insurance option for Veterans who receive a service-connected disability rating from VA. Basic coverage insures eligible Veterans for up to $10,000. If you’re totally disabled and have basic S-DVI coverage, you may be eligible for a premium waiver where you, as the policyholder, do not pay premiums for your $10,000 of coverage.

In addition, if a premium waiver is granted, you may also be eligible for up to $30,000 more of additional coverage under the Supplemental S-DVI program. Premiums for Supplemental S-DVI coverage cannot be waived.

S-DVI eligibility

You are eligible for S-DVI if all of following are true:

• You were released from active duty under other than dishonorable conditions on or after April 25, 1951.
• You are rated for a service-connected disability (even if only 0%).
• You are in good health except for any service-connected conditions.
• You apply within 2 years of the date VA notifies you of your grant of a new service-connected disability, or by Dec. 31, 2022, whichever comes first.

Please note, ratings of Individual Unemployability or increases in previously rated conditions are not considered grants of “new” service-connected conditions under S-DVI. You must receive a rating for a new condition not previously rated by VA.

Supplemental S-DVI eligibility

You are eligible for Supplemental S-DVI if all the following are true:

• You have a basic S-DVI.
• Your basic coverage premiums were waived due to total.
• You apply within one year of being notified of the waiver or by Dec. 31, 2022, whichever comes first.
• You are under 65 years of age.

VA makes it convenient to apply for S-DVI using the following forms:

• Apply online: https://www.insurance.va.gov/Sdvi/AreYouEligible/9f08d03c-22a3-4cbf-98c5-893fa09f6753.
• Apply for S-DVI with VA Form 29-4364.
  (https://benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/forms/29-4364.pdf).
• Apply for a total disability waiver of S-DVI premiums with VA Form 29-357.(https://benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/forms/29-357.pdf)
• You will be provided an application for Supplemental S-DVI upon approval for a waiver of premiums as long as you are under age 65, and you become eligible for this coverage prior to Dec. 31, 2022.

S-DVI Sunsetting

To eliminate the deadlines to apply for S-DVI and expand eligibility to Veterans, by law, S-DVI will no longer issue coverage after Dec. 31, 2022. However, Public Law 116-315 also created a new program of insurance, Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALI), for Veterans with service-connected disabilities. VALI opens for enrollment on Jan. 1, 2023. VALI offers guaranteed acceptance whole life coverage up to $40,000 to all service-connected Veterans age 80 and under, without time limits to apply and no medical underwriting. More information on VALI and an opportunity to sign up for our periodic updates can be found at www.va.gov/life-insurance.

The mission of the VA life insurance program is to provide our Nation’s Veterans, service members and military families with insurance products and services. We provide financial security to those who served. Insure the ones you love with VA life insurance.

For more information on VA life insurance, call us at 800-669-8477 or visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/.