Life insurance for veterans
How VGLI, VALife, and private coverage compare after you leave service — deadlines, costs, and how a VA disability rating affects your options.
Veterans & military families
For veterans who want coverage beyond VGLI or VA benefits, or who left service without a plan in place.
Check veteran optionsFree · No obligation · Licensed agents
Guides
VGLI vs. Term Life Insurance: Which Costs Less for Veterans?
VGLI is usually the better deal if your health would make private coverage expensive or hard to get, because it skips health questions if you apply within 240 days of leaving service. If you are healthy and don't use tobacco, a private level-term policy can cost less over 10 to 30 years, because VGLI rates rise every 5 years with your age.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
VALife Explained: Eligibility, Cost, and the 2-Year Wait
VALife is VA's guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance for veterans with a service-connected disability rating, including 0%, who are 80 or younger, with coverage up to $40,000. Full coverage starts 2 years after you apply; if you die before then, VA pays your beneficiaries the premiums you paid plus interest.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
SGLI to VGLI Conversion: Deadlines, Steps, and Options
You can convert SGLI to VGLI within 1 year and 120 days of leaving service, but only applications made within 240 days skip proof of good health. Your SGLI keeps covering you for 120 days after separation, so the smart move is to apply early and have VGLI start the day SGLI ends.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
Life Insurance With a VA Disability Rating or PTSD
Yes, veterans with a VA disability rating, including a rating for PTSD, can get life insurance. Any service-connected rating, even 0%, makes you eligible for VALife guaranteed-acceptance whole life up to $40,000 if you are 80 or younger, and private insurers look at your actual health, not the rating number alone.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
VA Burial Benefits: What the VA Pays and What It Doesn't
For a veteran who died on or after October 1, 2025, the VA lists a non-service-connected burial allowance of up to $1,002 plus up to $1,002 for a plot, and up to $2,000 for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001. Burial in a VA national cemetery, a headstone, and a burial flag are provided at no cost to eligible families, but the VA does not cover most funeral home charges.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
Life Insurance for Veterans Over 60: Your Best Options
Veterans over 60 can choose from VGLI (if they already have it), VALife (if they have a service-connected rating), private term or whole life, and final expense insurance. The best fit depends on your health, how much coverage you need, and how long you need it.
Editorial Team · September 30, 2026
Veterans benefits by state
VA and state veterans cemeteries, state benefits, and where to get help in your state.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Common questions
Do veterans get free life insurance?
No. Service members are covered by SGLI while serving, but after separation coverage continues only if you convert to VGLI, apply for VALife if eligible, or buy private coverage — all of which have premiums.
Check veteran optionsCan I keep my SGLI after I leave the military?
SGLI coverage ends 120 days after separation in most cases. You can convert it to VGLI within 1 year and 120 days of separation, and applying within the first 240 days means no health questions.
Check veteran options