VA Announces Changes to Servicemembers' Group Life...( Traumatic Injury Protection Program E...),Health

Traumatic Injury Protection Program Expands Benefits

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced some severely injured military personnel and veterans will be eligible for improvements to the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program, known as TSGLI.

"TSGLI was created to relieve some of the financial burdens on injured military personnel and their families," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We believe these enhancements to the TSGLI program have made a good program even better."

VA recently completed a comprehensive review of the program, as it marked its first year in operation, to consider whether the program was meeting its intended purpose, whether new injuries or losses should be added, and whether improvements could be made in how the program is administered.

As a result of this review, VA has increased the number of injuries covered as well as liberalized the criteria of other injuries. New injuries covered include the partial amputation of a hand or foot and the degree of injuries based on severe burns.

Another important change to the TSGLI program is the payment of a $25,000 benefit to service members hospitalized for 15 consecutive days as a result of a traumatic injury. This allows payments to begin earlier and financial help to be provided more quickly.

Changes to benefits are retroactive to October 7, 2001, the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, consistent with the original legislation creating TSGLI.

The TSGLI program is designed to provide severely injured service members and their families with short-term financial assistance. Service members who sustained certain severe injuries are entitled to payments ranging between $25,000 and $100,000.

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