Accelerated VA Death Benefits
Did you know that VA death benefits can be accelerated if there is a terminal illness? VA policy allows servicemembers and families to request “up to 50% of the face value of your coverage in increments of $5,000—paid to you before death.”
You or your spouse may qualify for benefits early if you have SGLI, Family SGLI, or VGLI life insurance and meet the medical requirements listed below.
When planning for this type of need, VA.gov advises, “Only the insured service member or Veteran may apply for accelerated benefits. No one may apply on their behalf. In the case of a terminally ill spouse, only the insured may apply.” We cover some important aspects of this option below.
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What to Know About Accelerated VA Death Benefits
Dealing with any administrative process during serious illness is a challenge. For service members and veterans dealing with terminal illness or other end-of-life care issues, it’s sometimes necessary to request accelerated death benefits to pay for care, put family finances in order, and protect loved ones from financial uncertainty.
Getting accelerated VA death benefits involves coordination between the policyholder, their doctor, and, in some cases, the service member’s military personnel command.
The key is ensuring the correct forms are used and that all sections are completed accurately.
VA Accelerated Death Benefits
The medical diagnosis initiates the entire process. In cases where a beneficiary needs to request accelerated death benefits, the first official step is for the attending physician to provide a written certification that the patient has a terminal illness, and there is a life expectancy of no more than nine months.
This medical documentation is the foundation upon which the entire claim rests. Without it, an application cannot move forward
The application is made using the same document: Form SGLV 8284, Claim for Accelerated Benefits, for service members covered by Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or veterans covered by Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI).
- The service member or veteran starts by filling out their portion of the form, which includes providing personal details, confirming their insurance information, and specifying the amount of money they wish to receive, up to 50 percent of their policy’s face value.
- Once their section is complete, the form must be taken to their physician.
- The physician then fills out the medical certification section, formally attesting to the diagnosis and prognosis.
- They must submit the form to their unit or installation’s personnel office. An official there will verify that the SGLI coverage is active and in good standing, sign off on the form, and then forward it to OSGLI on the service member’s behalf.
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The process for Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) is similar but has important distinctions. This application is used when a military spouse covered by FSGLI becomes terminally ill. The request for the accelerated benefit must be initiated by the uniformed service member, not the ill spouse.
The specific form required is SGLV 8284A, the Family Coverage Accelerated Benefits Option Form. The service member completes the initial section with their information and the details of their spouse’s coverage.
The form is then given to the spouse’s attending physician, who completes the medical certification confirming the terminal diagnosis.
Just as with an SGLI claim, this completed form must then go through the service member’s personnel command for a final certification of coverage before being submitted to OSGLI for a final decision. In all cases, once the fully completed and certified application reaches OSGLI, it is carefully reviewed, and if approved, the benefit is paid directly to the service member or veteran.
How to Apply for Accelerated Benefits
- If you are covered by SGLI or VGLI, fill out a VA Claim for Accelerated Benefits (SGLV 8284).
- Turn in the active duty or Reserve form to your service branch. They will need to fill out part of the form.
- If you’re covered under Family SGLI, fill out the Claim for Accelerated Benefits (SGLV 8284A). Your doctor must fill out another part of it.
- VA pledeges to pay the “remaining amount of the face value of the insurance policy to your designated beneficiary or beneficiaries (the people you’ve picked to get the money from your policy) upon your death. “
- For terminally ill spouses, the VA pays “the rest of the insurance policy to you upon your spouse’s death.“
Veterans should ask their your doctor fill out their part of the benefits form and send to:
The Prudential Insurance Company of America
PO Box 70173
Philadelphia, PA
19176-0173
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About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
