What is Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)?

11 May What is Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)?

Typically, veterans need insurance after retiring from the military to protect and secure themselves, their families, and their belongings. The FSGLI plays an important role in this situation. In the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program, the FSGLI component provides coverage for family members of service members. This policy covers children and spouses of Servicemembers who are insured under SGLI.

This article will explain what FSGLI is and how it can benefit Veterans’ families and children.

What is Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance?

FSGLI ( Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance) is a group life insurance program that provides coverage for Veterans’ spouses, dependent children, and other family members of service members insured under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Plan.

A service member is automatically enrolled in Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, or SGLI, with $400,000 of coverage upon joining the military. The Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) program offers low-cost life insurance coverage up to $100,000 for their civilian spouses and $10,000 for their dependent children through the SGLI program.

How do I qualify for FSGLI?

The FSGLI program is available to the spouses and dependent children of active duty and retired service members who meet one of the eligibility conditions outlined below. To qualify, the spouse or dependent child must meet one of the following conditions.

• The service member must be on active duty full-time and covered by SGLI or
• Members of the National Guard or Ready Reserve covered by the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program who are on full-time duty

The official website of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) informed dual-military couples that their spouses may be eligible for FSGLI coverage “as spouses of people with SGLI coverage, regardless of your status as an active duty, retired, or civilian employee.”

Who is covered under FSGLI?

As such, the spouses of married military personnel who receive SGLI are automatically eligible to receive FSGLI. As long as the Service member does not decline or decrease the coverage in writing, the spouse is covered maximum. A spouse coverage option is available in increments of $10,000 above the individual coverage, but not to exceed the amount of SGLI coverage that the insured individual has purchased.

How much coverage is offered with FSGLI?

FSGLI provides up to $100,000 in term life insurance coverage for spouses and $10,000 for dependent children with basic full-time SGLI coverage. Generally, members must pay a monthly premium for spouse coverage, whose amount varies depending upon the spouse’s age. Children, however, are automatically covered by the insurance plan.

Depending on your spouse’s age, coverage for a spouse is available in increments of $10,000, with a monthly cost as low as $0.45 to as high as $4.50 per $1,000 of coverage increment.

The SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) allows service members to update their records in the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) or contact their personnel office for information about paying for the premium.

How do I automatically get these benefits?

Condition 1: SGLI is free to service members and spouses who have enrolled in full-time service as a service member’s partner: 

You will be automatically covered under FSGLI by VA. VA will automatically take it out whenever you pay your premium through your service member’s pay.

Condition 2: If you were married after January 2, 2013, or before, if you’re a military spouse:

VA coverage does not come automatically. SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) enrollment must be done online by your service member.

If your service member needs to access SOES, they should:

• Join MilConnect by signing in.
• Go to the Benefits page,
• Here, you can enroll in the Life Insurance SOES- SGLI Online Enrollment System.

As soon as they receive notification that they can begin using SOES, your service member can log in using their CAC or DS Logon.

What are the Premiums for FSGLI?

VA has added some additional insurance coverage features to Premiums for FSGLI. You are required to pay a premium for your Spouse’s insurance coverage, and the premiums increase as your spouse ages. The FSGLI premiums are a separate premium amount from the SGLI premiums. They are based on the amount of coverage desired and the age of the Spouse, as shown in the following table:

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How can FSGLI be terminated for my dependents?

As a spouse or dependent, if you want to reduce, turn down, or cancel your spousal and dependent coverage, you should have your service member submit your changes through the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES).

You can access SOES by following these steps:

• Sign in to
• Navigate to Benefits,
• Update SGLI Online Enrollment System for Life Insurance SOES.
• Make any necessary updates to their coverage and beneficiary information.

As soon as they receive notification that they can begin using SOES, your service member can log in using their CAC or DS Logon.

FSGLI vs. SGLI: How Are They Different?

The Veterans Affairs (VA) offers both the SGLI and FSGLI insurance programs to active military personnel and veterans. They have some similarities in their features.

A federally administered FSGLI program is part of the SGLI family of life insurance benefits available to uniformed service members. The member pays a monthly premium for spousal coverage depending on the spouse’s age. Dependent children are free of charge.

With the FSGLI spouse coverage, you get low-cost, quality protection, especially for younger members. As long as you are a civilian, you do not have to worry about proving your eligibility for coverage, and you will be able to cover your dependent children for free.

On the other hand, SGLI automatically protects all servicemembers up to a maximum of $400,000. The servicemember can decline or elect lesser levels of coverage in increments of $50,000 in writing. After discharge, SGLI coverage remains in effect for 120 days. A member with SGLI is automatically diagnosed with Traumatic SGLI (TSGLI).