Jeff Miller: “Public Law 109-13, the Emergency Supplemental, included provisions which made changes to VA's insurance program for…”

“Public Law 109-13, the Emergency Supplemental, included provisions which made changes to VA's insurance program for active duty servicemembers. However, these changes expire on September 30, 2005. H.R 3200 would: Repeal section 1012 of the Supplemental, the section dealing with the insurance changes, and replace it with the text of H.R. 3200. This will reduce the administrative burden on the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense who are currently promulgating regulations that are to be in effect for one month before the law expires; Make permanent the increase from $250,000 to $400,000 in maximum Servicemembers' Group and Veterans' Group Life Insurance coverage; Make permanent the increments of SGLI coverage from $10,000 to $50,000; and Require the military service Secretary concerned to notify a servicemember's spouse or unmarried servicemember's next-of-kin, in writing, if the servicemember declines SGLI or chooses an amount less than the maximum, and also require the military service Secretary concerned to notify a spouse if someone other than the spouse or child is designated as the policyholders' beneficiary. This language was included in H.R. 2046, which passed the House on May 23: Clarify that spousal notification requirement does not apply to Veterans' Group Life Insurance; and Permit a servicemember to decline Traumatic Injury Protection coverage established by section 1032 of Public Law 109-13.…”