Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)

What you get

Life insurance for the spouse and dependent children of a service member with full-time SGLI. The member pays for spouse coverage; child coverage is free.

How FSGLI covers a spouse

1. 1A service member with full-time SGLIThe service member is on active duty, or in the National Guard or Ready Reserve, and covered by full-time SGLI.
2. 2Automatic for a civilian spouse, elected for a military spouseA civilian spouse is covered automatically. A spouse who also serves, married on or after January 2, 2013, is not covered automatically; the member signs up in SOES. When the member elects within 240 days of the marriage, or of the spouse entering service, no proof of good health is needed; after that, the member applies with proof of the spouse's good health.
3. 3An amount capped by the member's own SGLISpouse coverage goes up to a set maximum and cannot be more than the member's own SGLI. The member can reduce, decline, or cancel it in SOES; raising it again later needs proof of the spouse's good health. The premium comes out of the member's pay when the spouse is in DEERS; if not, the member still owes the premiums and any back premiums.
4. 4Converting within 120 daysWithin 120 days of the member's separation, a divorce, the member's death, or the member's written choice to end spouse or SGLI coverage, the spouse can convert to a permanent individual policy, such as whole life, with a participating company. The spouse then pays the premiums. The new policy cannot be term, variable, or universal life insurance.

Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.24(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.2(g) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.23(a) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance Handbook (opens in new tab); SGL-133 (opens in new tab)

Who is the coverage for?

• Spouse coverage

  FSGLI covers the spouse of a service member who has full-time SGLI, whether the spouse is a civilian, on active duty, in the Reserve or Guard, or retired. The service member pays the premium, which rises with the spouse's age.

  Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.23(a) (opens in new tab)

• Dependent child coverage

  Each dependent child of a service member with full-time SGLI is covered automatically and at no cost, until 18. Coverage can continue for a full-time student between 18 and 22, or, in some cases with no end date, for a child who became permanently and totally disabled before 18 and cannot self-support. It cannot be declined, reduced, or converted to an individual policy.

  1. 1A parent with full-time SGLIChild coverage comes with the service member's full-time SGLI. It ends 120 days after the member separates, dies, or declines SGLI, or 120 days after the child no longer counts as a dependent.

  Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance Handbook (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab)

What to gather, and what it shows VA

The service member manages FSGLI through the service branch and SOES, and conversion papers go to the insurer. BeneVets does not ask for any of them.

Steps, in order

1. Get free help from a VSO

   Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.

   Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)

2. Check family coverage in SOES

   The service member signs in to milConnect with a CAC or DS Logon, selects Manage my SGLI, and reviews spouse coverage in SOES.

   Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab)

3. Keep DEERS current

   Make sure the spouse is in DEERS, so the spouse premium comes out of the member's pay. Without it, the member still owes the premiums and any back premiums.

   Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab)

4. Both spouses serve? The member signs up

   If the spouse also serves and the couple married on or after January 2, 2013, the member elects spouse coverage in SOES. Electing within 240 days of the marriage means no proof of good health.

   Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.24(a) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab)

5. Reduce or decline spouse coverage

   The member can reduce, decline, or cancel spouse coverage in SOES. Child coverage stays in place and cannot be declined.

   Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); VA Life Insurance: SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 9.23(a) (opens in new tab)

6. Convert spouse coverage within 120 days

   After a separation, divorce, death, or the member ending coverage, the spouse picks a company from the participating list, applies at its local sales office, and gives the agent the LES, the conversion notice from OSGLI, and proof of the event.

   Source: VA.gov: Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) (opens in new tab); SGL-133 (opens in new tab)

Good to know