Posted on 01/10/2005 7:31:50 AM PST by larryjohnson
I have heard several discussions between IMUS and guests on his show about the poor insurance available to our Service men and women who are KIA. Do you think it is enough?
The following SGLI FAQ is provided for your information: http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/SGLI/sgli%20faq.htm (Changed:3:27 PM on Monday, April 12, 2004)
$350K seems adequate to me, and the premium is certainly not horribly high.
Just checked my husband's SGLI...the monthly deduction was $16.25 for the $250K coverage he has.
Considering my husband is airborne infantry currently deployed in Iraq, that montly premium for that amount of coverage is likely much lower than he would pay with a private insurance company (if he were even allowed coverage).
I don't really have any complaints about it. IMUS needs to pay a little more attention to his own problems.
Wow, my SGLI was only $100K when I was in.
The SGLI is more than adequate for the average service member.
I was annoyed when some in the media tried to make an issue out it. It is the responsibility of the individuals in the military to take steps to provide for their families and the military helps them to do just that.
"Same here, and a carton of smokes & a case of beer cost $9.50 at the exchange."
Ahh, the good old days. :)
Thank your husband for his service and for your biting comments.
Heck, that was for 1 night of liberty. :)
Heck, it was $10,000 when I was in!
I paid $20 a month for $100k for almost 15 years until they upped the ante and charged us less. After retiring, I learned that you can't touch $250K for less than 3 times the amount the gov't charges. It's subsidized by the taxpayers, that's why the amount is what it is.
Folks, if you don't know, the taxpayer who doles out his or her dollars are directly reponsible for the benefits the military members have. Unfortunately, it has to go through all the pols in Washington to get down to the troops. To pay for pork projects, they have to skim off some of the benies we would get. That's why pay raises stay around 3-4%, insurance stays around $250k, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I always appreciated what was there and what I have now as a result of my service.
IMHO, one can do more productive things than listen to IMUS.
It’s a pretty good deal. If the service member feels the need for more, the civilian world will be more than happy to take up the slack.
My daughter, in Mosul as I type, told me she was maxing out her life coverage. I told her to save her money since she has no depedendents, but she thought it was too good of a deal. Still don't get the reasoning, but it does sound like a very reasonable deal for someone with a family to take care of. She also told me she had started a Roth ira. Making contributions with tax free dollars into a retirement fund that will be tax free when she reaches retirement in 45 years. Plus gov contributes 10% of her contributions. That is a very good deal.
I was in the service and I could not decline. I had a $200,000.00 policy for $16.00 a month. I could have chosen the $100,000.00 policy for $8.00 per month but as far as I know, it was mandatory. I didn't mind. I was a reservist. $16.00 out of my check was nothing. And I've kept the policy now that I'm out for the same price!! It's a very good deal. I don't know what the hell Imus is complaining about.
Also, we had to go over this paperwork once a year in case we were mobilized and we would have gone over it again if we ever were so if these soldiers don't have enough insurance, it's their own fault. Death and dismemberment is always a possiblity when you raise your hand and sign up.
It isn't the cost of SGLI while a serviceman is active duty, it is the cost of VGLI after a serviceman retires that is abhorent. I declined VGLI when I retired because I was able to procure a less expensive form of term life insurance than I was able to get through Veteran's Group Life Insurance.
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