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thedrifter
02-02-09, 08:11 AM
Insurance Expands For Combat Vets

By Jennifer Grogan


Published on 2/2/2009 in Home ğMain Photo
Some service members who were severely injured while serving in the current overseas conflicts are now entitled to thousands of dollars due to a change in their insurance coverage.

The problem is, many of them don't know it.

”There are hundreds, and possibly thousands, of soldiers, sailors and Marines out there who now qualify for a payment or who received a payment and are now entitled to a larger award,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District. “But people have left the military and they're not in the system anymore, in terms of their whereabouts. All of the branches are scrambling to notify people.”

Congress created the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection program (TSGLI) in 2005 to provide severely injured service members with a one-time, tax-free payment to help them and their families.

Certain specific injuries were covered - permanent loss of sight, speech or hearing; amputation of a hand or foot; loss of thumb and index finger; paralysis of two or more limbs; burns; coma; or the inability to carry out daily activities due to a traumatic brain injury.

This coverage was made retroactive, allowing payments of between $25,000 and $100,000 to those injured in the theater of operations for the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts since Oct. 7, 2001.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Defense Department, recently reviewed the program and decided this past November to change the eligibility requirements and significantly expand the benefits.

Under the new rules, some people who received less than the full $100,000 may now be eligible for an additional payment and some who were denied payment may now qualify.

”Like so much about this conflict, the system was just not ready to deal with the huge human costs of this war and it needed to be adjusted,” Courtney said.

Additional injuries that are now covered include the complete paralysis of one limb; loss of four toes; loss of the big toe; and facial reconstruction due to the face or jaw having been torn away.

Other categories were expanded, with payments now available to those who lost sight for 120 days or more; lost fingers and toes; went through multiple surgeries to save a limb rather than amputate; or suffered second-degree burns to at least 20 percent of their face or body.

”These are seriously injured veterans who are facing tremendous struggles,” Courtney said. “It's obviously very important that they get all the financial assistance they need to help them transition back to civilian life.”

The program still does not cover post-traumatic stress disorder or mental illnesses, which Courtney said is the next big challenge for the system to address.

Courtney met with a group of local veterans' organizations last month, and none knew about the change to the insurance.

”There's clearly a gap in awareness out there,” he said.

Connecticut service members who have been injured since 2001 should contact the VA to explore their options, said U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. Most service members are enrolled in TSGLI through the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.

”The TSGLI is a well-deserved benefit for those who suffer traumatic injury while serving in defense of our great nation,” Dodd said in a statement.

Linda Schwartz, the state's veterans' affairs commissioner, said veterans needing help with claims or benefits can also contact a caseworker through her office.

”The most important message is, 'you can't do it by yourself,'” she said. “Our wounded warriors think this is just paperwork but it takes years and years of following it. You need folks to help you because these things change everyday.”

The state veterans' information line is 1-866-9CT-VETS.

Ellie