SGLI life insurance program to expand;
spouses, children will be covered
By Jan Wesner Childs,
Seoul bureau
YONGSAN GARRISON — Servicemembers’ spouses and children automatically will be
enrolled in the military’s life insurance program beginning Nov. 1.
Spouses are eligible for up to $100,000 under the Servicemembers’ Group Life
Insurance plan, said George Poole, chief of planning and oversight for the Veteran’s
Administration Insurance Service in Virginia. Children are covered for $10,000.
SGLI is a voluntary group life insurance program administered by the Veteran’s
Administration for active-duty troops and reservists. Members must pay for the coverage,
and premiums are deducted each month.
Premiums will range from 90 cents to $55 a month depending on the spouse’s age and
amount of coverage. The monthly premium for the full $100,000 coverage for spouses younger
than age 34 is $9.
There is no charge for coverage for children.
Poole said coverage will be automatic and premiums will be deducted from
servicemembers’ paychecks starting Nov. 1. Anyone who doesn’t want the extra
insurance must request through their unit personnel office that it be canceled.
Army Spc. Calvin Davis, assigned to the 121st General Hospital at Yongsan Garrison in
Seoul, hadn’t heard about the plan but said it sounds like a good idea.
"Most of the military is about family, and I think they need something for the
spouse," Davis said. "And that’s pretty cheap. My wife has outside
insurance and we pay more than that."
There are several civilian companies, including USAA and the Army and Air Force Mutual
Aid Association, that sell life insurance specifically for spouses of servicemembers.
Those companies offer several plans and pricing options, including policies that can be
used as collateral for a loan, or that can be traded in for their cash value. Some of the
policies expire after a certain amount of time, or the level of coverage goes down as the
policyholder ages.
The SGLI coverage remains the same and cannot be cashed in, but Poole said it can be
transferred to a private insurer if for some reason the policyholder no longer qualifies
for the benefit.
Poole said some 1 million spouses are expected to be covered under the plan.
The SGLI spouse coverage was passed by Congress earlier this year as part of an
extended benefits package, and was signed into law by President Bush in June.
Poole said the plan will help the military stay competitive with private insurance
programs offering coverage for servicemembers and spouses.
Spc. Charlene Williams, records clerk at the 516th Personnel Service Battalion on
Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, said she expects the program to be popular.
"Definitely," Williams said. "People are always interested in getting
more insurance."
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