Life insurance is always something that is considered a necessary evil by those who take out the policy because it is an acknowledgment that they will expire one day, sooner or later, and demonstrates their awareness that all life, including theirs, is finite. However, it is also an acknowledgment that they wish to take care of their family or other loved ones who they feel responsible for or who may have provided them love during all or different points of their lives. For some, life insurance can be a way to soothe already frayed nerves about the future knowing that their loved ones or family will not have to deal with a severe financial shock to the system while making decisions about final medical care, funeral arrangements or other last rites, or next steps which necessarily involve painful days ahead. We also handle all denied SGLI claims ,all denied FEGLI claims.
For those who served our nation, there is a special life insurance policy for veterans designed to benefit their families, a Veterans Group Life Insurance policy, known under the acronym VGLI. Once those veterans are laid to rest, thinking that their VGLI policy will take care of their families or loved ones, there are sometimes complications that come as a severe shock to those who were depending on that money to pay the mortgage, utilities, groceries, medical bills, and other essentials of life that only the person who passed away’s income could provide for. After filing a timely claim with the insurance company and providing all necessary documents and even some above and beyond, a denied VGLI life insurance claim notice comes in the mail, ruining the hope of a family for the money they desperately needed and causing more undue emotional, financial, and even familial strain. Below, you’ll find the steps you can take to address your denied VGLI life insurance claim, so you and your family can rest easy just as your loved one intended.
Who is eligible for Veterans Group Life Insurance?
Veterans Group Life Insurance is generally available to those who have served our nation in either the federal armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines) or state armed forces (National Guard or Reserves). Any veteran of the four branches of service can sign up within a year and 120 days of leaving the military and those who sign up within 240 days of leaving don’t have to prove they are in good health. Those who wait 241 days or more will have to provide proof of good health.
For those who served our nation in a state’s armed forces, the requirements are a bit more onerous. Usually, a state service member would have to have previously had Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) while they were a servicemember and were injured or continued to have SGLI while they were in the federal armed forces or are within a year and 120 days of being covered under the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL).
How much money can I obtain for my family or loved ones under a Veterans Group Life Insurance policy?
The amount of money that a policy holder wants for their family or loved ones can be a personal decision based on a variety of factors such as lifestyle, ability to pay premiums, and belief in how much money will be needed for those who will stay behind after the policy holder passes. For some, as little as $10,000, the minimum amount, is enough so that funeral expenses and other final expenses can be covered without being a burden. For others, the maximum amount, $400,000, is what they either want or need to help ensure their loved ones are financially secure after their passing. Premiums for both of these amounts of money are very different based on age and thus the total amount of money on a VGLI life insurance policy may have to be decreased over time as the monthly premium on $400,000 at age 29 is $32 a month while at age 75, it skyrockets to $1,840. For many veterans, these choices – and the ability to pay these premiums – changes over time.
Why can a Veterans Group Life Insurance Claim be denied?
There are a variety of reasons that a VGLI life insurance claim can be denied through no fault of the beneficiaries applying that our office can help you with. No matter the reason stated for denied VGLI life insurance claim, we can work with you to fight the denial and get the life insurance payout you deserve. Below are a few common reasons for a denied VGLI life insurance claim and how we can help you combat them.
- Policy cancellation: a denied VGLI life insurance claim may be predicated on the fact that the policy was cancelled before the person who it covered died. We can work with you and fight the insurance company by providing documents demonstrating there was never any cancellation or, if there was, that it may have been done in error.
- Misrepresentation when applying for VGLI life insurance: sometimes, a denied VGLI life insurance claim will be based on the fact that the insurance company claims there was a misrepresentation on the original or subsequent VGLI applications. Our attorneys will work with you to prove there was no misrepresentation at the time of the application in question and help get documents, such as doctor’s or other reports, to refute what the insurance company alleges.
Not eligible for VGLI life insurance as detailed above, there are strict requirements for those who wish to obtain a VGLI life insurance policy, including how long from military separation one can file, among other things. Some of these denied VGLI life insurance claims are done based on the smallest of technicalities or a misunderstanding by the person processing the claim. Our skilled team of lawyers can work to help ensure that your interests are represented and that a denied VGLI life insurance claim on the basis of a technicality is vigorously combatted with facts such as dates of service, eligibility at time of enrollment, and other relevant facts.
What if my VGLI life insurance claim was denied due to being divorced from the policy holder?
Sometimes, during a divorce, assets and proceeds are distributed and decreed in such a way as to require the policy holder to list a person (child or former spouse) as a beneficiary to the policy for a certain amount or the entire amount of the policy as a condition of the divorce. It is not inconceivable that a denied VGLI life insurance claim would come as the result of the insurance company looking at the beneficiary’s status, especially in the case of a former spouse, and conclude that the policy holder could not have meant that going forward following the divorce. Working with you, our office will provide the court records and any other documentation necessary to help validate your claim and get your denied VGLI life insurance claim reversed so you can get the funds you were promised.
What do I do if I have questions about a denied Veterans Group Life Insurance claim?
No matter whether you’re a current policy holder looking to prevent your children or former spouse from being the subject of a denial or actually on the receiving end of that denial yourself, our office is equipped to help you today. Our attorneys have dealt with denied VGLI life insurance claims and we know how to fight back so beneficiaries get what the policy holder intended them to. Call us now and set up a free consultation so we can fight for you!