Helping Heroes in Times of Need

• Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (TSGLI)helps severely injured Soldiers through their time of need with a one-time payment. The amount varies depending on the injury, but it could be the difference that allows their family to be with them during recovery; helps them with unforeseen expenses; or gives them a financial head start on life after recovery.
• TSGLI is an insurance program. It is bundled with Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and an additional $1 has been added to the Soldier's SGLI premium to  cover TSGLI.
• TSGLI is not meant to serve as an ongoing income replacement like some types of insurance-it's there to help the Soldier through the tough times that occur as the result of a traumatic injury.

Eligible Time Period

Retroactive: 7 October 2001- 30 November 2005

Prospective: 1 December 2005- Forward

• When the original TSGLI law was enacted, Congress directed that TSGLI would be retroactive to October 7, 2001, for members who incur a qualifying loss as a direct result of injuries incurred on or after October 7, 2001, through and including November 30, 2005, in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
  EFFECTIVE: October 1, 2011, Public Law 111-275 removes the OEF/OIF requirement for injuries incurred during the retroactive period.  As a result, TSGLI coverage will be provided retroactively for members who incurred severe losses as a result of traumatic injuries incurred between October 7, 2001 and November 30, 2005, regardless of where the injury occurred, and regardless of whether they had SGLI coverage.
• After 1 December 2005, all Soldiers who are covered by SGLI are eligible for TSGLI coverage, regardless of where their qualifying traumatic injury occurred, however  TSGLI  claims require approval. Some parts of the claim form can only be completed by a healthcare provider. In addition, claim forms must be accompanied by documentation   that supports the healthcare provider's evaluation of the Soldier's injury(ies). If you would like to submit a  claim,  download a Claim Form (December 2011). For specific information about the claims process, please see claim instructions.
• Based on findings from a review conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), more servicemembers may now qualify for Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life  Insurance (TSGLI), because of newly expanded benefits. The purpose of the review was to ascertain whether improvements could be made to the TSGLI program that would allow  more servicemembers to benefit from it. As a result, the TSGLI Schedule of Losses was simplified, making it more usable for each branch of service and allowing for easier interpretation by the general public. Existing TSGLI qualifying loss definitions on the schedule, such as those for burns, sight and amputations were expanded and additional qualifying losses including uniplegia, limb salvage and facial reconstruction, were added. Click to view the updated TSGLI Schedule of Losses.
• As of 26 November 2008 TSGLI has received the implementation guidance from the VA and is currently processing claims that include the expanded benefits. Click here for implementation guidance
• Soldiers who incurred a qualifying traumatic injury may be eligible for TSGLI benefits. For more specific eligibility requirements, including information on retroactive eligibility,  please visit the eligibility section.

Links that can assist you with your TSGLI Claim

To Go Back to the Home Page: Home

To Apply for TSGLI: Instructions

To Determine your Eligibility: Eligibility

To View or Download Documents, Tutorial and Video: Downloads

For Ambassadors: Ambassadors

For Health Care Professionals: Healthcare

For Soldiers and Families: Soldiers and Families

To Contact Us: Contact

To go to the Links Page: Links

For Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs