S-VGLI gratuitous life insurance

[bud]

Spouses husband passed away. Spouse applied for DIC and received it. Husband passed on the day he received his award letter and was rated 100 percent temp. But passed away because of his service connection. Spouse applied for S-VGLI and was denied because she could not prove he was incompetent at the time of death. Husband could not apply for the life insurance because he was awarded the 100 percent rating the day he passed. The policy would be free for 100 percent disabled vets in the amount of $10,000.00 I believe, if they apply for it within 1 year. Since he could not apply would the spouse have any recourse?

[Berta]

John said:

" I do have an emergency fund, but it is still hard because sudden death can leave the spouse in bad shape."

You are so right!  Three weeks after being discharged from the Buffalo VAMC 21 day Inhouse PTSD program, my husband collapsed in our barn and died as I gave him CPR. SUDDEN Death. Although he had been sufferiing from a stroke, he hd learned how to walk again ( VA told me he never would walk again) and the inhouse program definitely had changed the way he usually dealt with anything, meaning he would have violent outbursts, that raised his HBP, which was one of many things the VA had misdiagnosed.

While he was in Buffalo, I managed to tap our rainy day fund for a nice larger TV ( he had visual problems), and I painted two or three rooms to brighten up the house , and also I purchased a portable phone for emergencies, that I could take with me ,when we were in the barn or anywhere near our house.

I also spent more than usual stocking up the food pantry because he would come with me to the food store but had become violent while I was driving.

His 30% SC check was withdrawn by the VA immediately when they learned of his death

and  fortunately, he had had the older type of veterans life insurance,but 20 years after his discharge he got a letter advising him to obtain private life insurance- the older VLI had a 20 year end date. He did that right away -1988.

His private life insurance proceeds were paid within about 3 weeks- but my point here is that -regardless of monetary problems ( death can become VERY expensive ) a sudden unexpeected death can wreck havoc on a veteran's survivors. 

Their world changes in an instant. They have to be Very careful of the people who come to their home with condolences, or lots of advice on what a survivor should do next- often advice no one should take, and then there are the few people here and there who think they can take advantage of anyone dealing with sudden grief, particularly if the deceased received VA comp. I had a neighbor who received mail from our life Insurance company by mistake and didnt tell us he got it, butt his daughter called me the same week Rod died, to borrow some money. I was appalled and said where do you think I would get money like that to lend. She said her dad had opened Rod's life insurance letter by mistake so she knew I would get his life insurance. I was in such shock over his death , I had not even called the life insurance company yet.

Survivors , as well of a veteran, whether they get a Vet rep or not, should come here for the best advice on any DIC claim they make and on how to filed for accrued benefits by substitution, if the vet had any pending claims when they died.

My dead husband never knew his ratings went up to well over 200% SC and SMC with a favorable EED of 3 years prior to his death for the 100% P & T SC PTSD, but that was a battle in every instance, with my RO.

I am still in shock, 27 years after his death, and part of that continuous shock is that VA admitted to causing his death. Hopefully S 221 will pass and that will save lives.

S 221 grew out of over 20 years of my research that proves the VA will hide their actual malpractice statistics.

VA saves lives every day and I truly believe that ,but like many of th RO adjudicators,  many VA medical professionals are incompetent and many these days do not even fall under the FTCA. because they technically do not work for the VA,they are federal contractors and they have less malpractice liability via fed contractors, than an actual VA medical employee.