Life Insurance for Veterans: VGLI, VALife & Private Options

Leaving military service means leaving behind Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) — and figuring out what comes next can be confusing. Veterans generally have more than one path to coverage, and the right one depends on your health, your budget, and what you're trying to protect. This guide walks through the main options — VGLI, VALife, and private life insurance — so you can understand how they work before deciding what to do next.

LifeCoverPath is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. military, or any government agency.

Life Insurance Options Veterans Should Know About

The VA offers several life insurance programs, each built for a different point in a service member's or veteran's life:

SGLI (Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance) — group term coverage available while you're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
FSGLI (Family SGLI) — optional coverage service members can add for a spouse and dependent children.
TSGLI (Traumatic Injury Protection) — short-term financial support after a severe traumatic injury.
VGLI (Veterans' Group Life Insurance) — group term coverage available once you've separated from service, covered in detail below.
VALife (Veterans Affairs Life Insurance) — guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance for veterans with a service-connected disability, also covered below.
S-DVI (Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance) — a legacy program for veterans with service-connected disabilities. S-DVI stopped accepting new applications after December 31, 2022; VALife is now the program for new applicants in that category. If you already hold an S-DVI policy, VA's S-DVI page has current, policy-specific information.

This guide focuses on the two options most veterans compare after leaving service — VGLI and VALife — along with where private life insurance fits in.

What Happens to SGLI When You Leave the Military?

Your SGLI coverage doesn't automatically continue after you separate from service. VA generally gives you a limited window to move to other coverage, and the exact details depend on your specific transition — retirement, separation, or moving to the Reserve or National Guard, among others. The most common next step is applying for VGLI, which is designed specifically to pick up where SGLI leaves off — but real deadlines apply, which is why it's worth reading the VGLI section below before deciding what to do.

For the full, current breakdown of your transition options and their deadlines, see VA's life insurance overview.

What Is VGLI?

VGLI (Veterans' Group Life Insurance) is group term life insurance available to eligible veterans and former service members after they leave the military. It's designed as a continuation of SGLI, not a separate program you have to qualify for from scratch.

Who may be eligible: generally, veterans who had SGLI while serving and are applying within the eligibility window after separating, retiring from the Ready Reserve or National Guard, or a few related situations. Eligibility rules are specific, so confirm your exact situation on VA's VGLI page.

Coverage amount: VGLI offers term coverage from $10,000 up to $500,000. Your initial coverage amount is generally based on the SGLI coverage you had while serving, and you can apply to increase it over time up to the $500,000 maximum.

Premiums: VGLI premiums are based on your age and how much coverage you choose — they generally increase as you get older. Because rates are updated periodically, we're not reproducing a rate table here; VA's VGLI page has current premium information for every age and coverage amount.

Application timing: this is the part most worth paying attention to. You generally need to apply within 1 year and 120 days of leaving service. Within the first 240 days of that window, you can enroll without answering health questions or taking a medical exam. After 240 days — but still within the overall deadline — VA will ask about your health when you apply.

Advantages: no medical exam if you apply within the 240-day window, coverage that's simple to understand, and acceptance that doesn't depend on your health at the time you apply, within that window.

Limitations: it's term insurance — it doesn't build cash value — and premiums rise as you age, which is worth factoring into a longer-term coverage plan.

What Is VALife?

VALife (Veterans Affairs Life Insurance) is guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance for veterans with a service-connected disability. Guaranteed acceptance means VA doesn't ask health questions or require a medical exam — eligibility is based on having a qualifying service-connected disability, not your current health.

Who it's for: veterans age 80 or younger with a qualifying service-connected disability rating (VA accepts any rating, from 0% to 100%) may be eligible. Certain veterans age 81 or older may also qualify under specific VA rules — for example, if they applied for VA disability compensation before turning 81 but didn't receive their rating decision until after. Because eligibility has specific conditions, confirm your exact eligibility on VA's VALife page rather than assuming based on age alone.

Coverage amount: up to $40,000, available in $10,000 increments — so $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, or $40,000.

Structure: VALife is whole life insurance, meaning it's permanent coverage (not term) that can build cash value over time, and premiums are fixed based on your age when you enroll — they don't increase later because of age or health changes.

The two-year waiting period, explained

Full face-value coverage generally begins two years after your enrollment date, as long as required premiums are paid during that time. If the insured veteran dies during that two-year waiting period, VA states that beneficiaries generally receive the premiums that were paid, plus applicable interest — not the full face amount. Once the two-year period has passed, the full coverage amount applies.

If you're a Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI) policyholder: S-DVI stopped accepting new applications after December 31, 2022, and VALife is its replacement program. If you're weighing whether to keep an existing S-DVI policy or move to VALife, the transition rules are specific to your situation and have changed over time — VA's S-DVI page is the right place for current, accurate guidance rather than general information like this.

VGLI vs. VALife

Here's how the two programs compare, side by side. Neither is universally better — they're built for different situations.

	VGLI	VALife
Type of insurance	Group term life insurance	Guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance
Who may qualify	Veterans/former service members who had SGLI, applying within the eligibility window after separation	Veterans age 80 or younger with a qualifying service-connected disability rating (certain veterans 81+ may also qualify)
Health questions	None if you apply within 240 days of separation; health review required after that window	None — acceptance is guaranteed based on disability status, not health
Coverage amount	$10,000 to $500,000	Up to $40,000, in $10,000 increments
Premium structure	Based on age and coverage amount; can rise significantly at older ages	Fixed at your age when you enroll
Waiting period	None	Full face value generally begins after 2 years of paid premiums; earlier death generally returns premiums paid plus interest
Permanent vs. term	Term — no cash value	Permanent (whole life) — can build cash value
Current official source	VA's VGLI page	VA's VALife page

For exact eligibility rules and current rates, always confirm directly with VA — the table above is a starting point, not a substitute for VA's own program pages.

What About Private Life Insurance for Veterans?

VA is explicit that veterans can apply for private life insurance at any time, separate from VGLI or VALife. VA notes that people sometimes look into private coverage when they're in good health and find more favorable rates with a private company, want a type of policy VA doesn't offer, or want more coverage than VGLI's $500,000 maximum or VALife's $40,000 maximum. See VA's guidance on private insurance.

Private insurance isn't automatically better or worse than VA coverage — it's a different set of tradeoffs. Private policies typically involve medical underwriting (health questions, sometimes an exam), and pricing and eligibility vary by insurance company. Some veterans find private coverage costs less than they expect if they're in good health; others find VA's guaranteed-acceptance or no-health-review options more valuable specifically because those questions don't apply to them.

The right starting point is usually understanding how much coverage you actually need — which the section below and LifeCoverPath's calculator can help with — before comparing specific costs across VA and private options.

Can You Have VGLI and Private Life Insurance?

Yes. VA is explicit on this point: you can apply for both VGLI and a private life insurance policy — they're not mutually exclusive. This can make sense if you want more total coverage than VGLI alone provides, or if you simply want to compare your options side by side before committing. See VA's guidance for veterans with preexisting conditions, which addresses this directly.

If you're doing this, timing matters. See the "Veterans With Health Conditions" section below — it's specifically about protecting your VGLI eligibility while you're also exploring private coverage. For a deeper side-by-side look at how VGLI and private coverage compare — including when each may make more sense — see our full comparison: VGLI vs. Private Life Insurance.

How Much Life Insurance Might Your Family Need?

There's no single formula that fits everyone, and simple rules of thumb (like "10 times your income") can be a reasonable starting point but often miss what actually matters for your situation. Some of the factors worth thinking through:

Income replacement — how much of your income would your family need replaced, and for how long?
Mortgage and other debts — balances that would still need to be paid if you weren't there to pay them.
Dependents — children, a spouse, or other family members who rely on you financially.
Education goals — if you're hoping to help fund a child's education.
Final expenses — funeral, burial, and related costs.
Existing savings and coverage — SGLI, VGLI, VALife, employer coverage, or savings you already have that would offset what's needed elsewhere.
Survivor income and resources — what your family could realistically draw on, including any survivor benefits.

Weighing all of this by hand is a lot. LifeCoverPath's calculator walks you through these factors and gives you a personalized, educational estimate — not an insurance quote — in a couple of minutes. For a closer look at these factors and how they fit together, see How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?.

See what this might mean for your own coverage.

Answer a few questions and get a free, personalized coverage-needs estimate in about 2 minutes.

Calculate My Coverage Need

If your main concern is final expenses specifically — funeral and burial costs rather than income replacement — LifeCoverPath's Final Expense planner is built around that instead.

Veterans With Health Conditions

If you have a health condition, timing your VGLI application matters more than almost anything else in this guide.

Don't wait on a private insurance decision before applying for VGLI

VA's own guidance is direct: if you apply for VGLI within 240 days of separating from service, VA won't consider your health when deciding your eligibility. Miss that window, and VA will ask about your health when you apply — which could mean a higher rate or, in some cases, being turned down.

This matters specifically if you're also considering private insurance. VA recommends applying for VGLI right away, even if you're also planning to apply for private coverage — because if you wait for a private insurer's decision first and that decision is delayed or unfavorable, you could miss the 240-day window and lose the no-health-review option entirely. Applying for VGLI doesn't lock you into anything or prevent you from also pursuing private coverage, so there's little downside to applying early and keeping your options open.

In short: don't wait on a private insurance decision before applying for VGLI. You can pursue both at the same time.

See VA's full guidance for veterans with preexisting conditions for more detail. For more on weighing VGLI against private coverage without risking your VGLI timing, see VGLI vs. Private Life Insurance: What Veterans Should Know.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing Coverage

How much coverage does my family actually need, based on income, debts, and dependents?
Am I still within my VGLI eligibility window — specifically, the 240-day no-health-review period?
Do I have a service-connected disability that could make me eligible for VALife?
Would I qualify for more favorable rates through a private insurer, or would health questions work against me?
Do I want term coverage, permanent coverage, or a combination?
What coverage do I already have — through VGLI, VALife, an employer, or existing savings — that should factor into the total?
Am I comparing programs based on my actual eligibility, not just general assumptions about age or health?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is VGLI the same as SGLI?

No. SGLI is the group term coverage available while you're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve. VGLI is the separate group term program available to eligible veterans after they leave service — it's designed to pick up where SGLI leaves off, but you have to apply for it separately, within a specific window. For a closer look at SGLI itself, including how it compares to private coverage while you're still serving, see SGLI vs. Private Life Insurance.

Does VGLI get more expensive as I get older?

Yes. VGLI premiums are based on your age and the amount of coverage you choose, and rates generally increase at older ages. VA's VGLI page has current rate information.

Can I have VGLI and private life insurance at the same time?

Yes. VA explicitly allows applying for both. Many veterans use this to get more total coverage than VGLI alone provides, or to compare their options.

What is VALife?

VALife is VA's guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance program for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability. It doesn't require health questions or a medical exam, offers up to $40,000 in coverage, and has a two-year waiting period before full face-value coverage applies.

Can disabled veterans get life insurance?

Yes. VALife is specifically designed for veterans with a service-connected disability rating, and acceptance is guaranteed regardless of health status — eligibility is based on having a qualifying disability rating, not on passing a health review.

Does VA offer whole life insurance?

Yes, through VALife. VGLI, by comparison, is term insurance, not whole life.

How much life insurance should a veteran have?

There's no universal number — it depends on your income, debts, dependents, existing coverage, and goals. LifeCoverPath's calculator can help you work through those factors and get a personalized, educational estimate.

Is LifeCoverPath part of the VA?

No. LifeCoverPath is an independent educational resource operated by VetLife LLC as part of its Veteran Life Insurance business. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. military, or any government agency.

Official Veteran Life Insurance Resources

For current rates, eligibility rules, and applications, always go directly to VA's own resources:

This page is educational information, not individualized insurance, financial, tax, or legal advice, and it's not a substitute for VA's own guidance about your specific eligibility. See LifeCoverPath's Disclaimer for more on how to use the estimates and information on this site.

Life Insurance for Veterans: Understanding Your Options