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120
Days your $500K SGLI lasts after you separate. Then it's gone.
240
Days to grab VGLI with no health questions. Miss it and your health is on the table.
2 yrs
New VA Life (VALife) waiting period before full coverage kicks in.
~$2K
Most the VA pays toward a burial — not the $25,000 the scammers promise.
Most veterans get sold the wrong policy by people counting on them not to ask questions.
This is the page that asks the questions for you. What the VA actually covers, the people lying to your face right now, and the only three places your coverage can come from — laid out straight, by an agency that works for you instead of the insurer.
Who's Behind This
We're the most professionally blunt team of life insurance professionals on the private market — and we built this page because veterans deserve the truth, not a pitch.
We Protect Veterans is an independent brokerage built around one rule: the veteran is the client, never the carrier. We shop the whole market, answer your application straight, and tell you when the right move is to keep a VA plan instead of buying from us. If that sounds different from how it usually goes, that's the point. Run a quote, ask hard questions, and judge us on the answers.
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VA burial & memorial benefits
FREE
Burial in a VA national cemetery, plus a headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. ***DISCLAIMER: Burial does NOT mean funeral.
$2,000
Service-connected death — maximum burial allowance (deaths on or after Oct 1, 2025).
$1,002
Non-service-connected death — burial allowance, plus up to $1,002 more for a plot/interment allowance.
$441
Headstone/marker allowance when one isn't furnished directly.
Figures are partial reimbursements, change periodically, and depend on eligibility. Confirm current amounts at VA.gov before you rely on them.
The math nobody runs for you
A real funeral runs $8,000–$15,000+. The VA covers a sliver of it.
The allowance is a reimbursement — your family pays first, then files VA Form 21P-530EZ and waits. It doesn't replace lost income, pay off the mortgage, or keep the lights on. That gap is the entire reason life insurance exists. The honest job is to size a policy that closes it — not to pretend the VA already did.
What the VA actually does when a veteran dies
There are real burial benefits. They're worth claiming. But they were never built to replace life insurance — and anyone telling you otherwise is either confused or selling something.
Coverage for Service-Connected Conditions
The right underwriter understands what you've been through. Here's what you need to know about each condition.
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PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is viewed on a spectrum by underwriters. Stabilized PTSD, ongoing therapy, and medication compliance are factors that many veteran-friendly carriers view favorably. The key is working with a broker who knows which carriers have veteran-specific PTSD guidelines.
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Severity and treatment history matter
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Hospitalization history is reviewed
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Many carriers approve at standard rates
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Some carriers offer preferred rates for managed PTSD
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI underwriting depends heavily on severity (mild, moderate, severe), current symptoms, cognitive function, and time since injury. Mild TBI with full recovery is often insurable at near-standard rates. Severe TBI with ongoing complications requires specialized carriers with veteran experience.
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Severity classification is critical
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Neurological stability is a positive factor
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Recent medical records required
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Graded benefit policies available if needed
Burn Pit Exposure
The PACT Act (2022) expanded VA benefits for burn pit exposure, and the insurance industry is adapting. Current underwriting focuses on resulting conditions (respiratory disease, cancer, etc.) rather than exposure itself. Honest brokers stay current with how carriers are treating burn pit-related claims post-PACT Act.
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Exposure location & duration documented
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Resulting conditions underwritten individually
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Respiratory conditions — case by case
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PACT Act registry enrollment is helpful
Agent Orange Exposure
Vietnam-era veterans and others exposed to Agent Orange face underwriting based on resulting conditions — diabetes, ischemic heart disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and others. Many of these conditions are individually insurable with the right carrier. An experienced broker can navigate each condition strategically.
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Diabetes often insurable at table-rated premiums
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Heart disease — depends on current status
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Cancer history — post-treatment options available
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Multi-condition cases require specialist brokers
Service-Connected Disabilities
A 10%, 30%, 70%, or even 100% disability rating does NOT automatically disqualify you from private life insurance. Many veterans with high disability ratings maintain good overall health and can qualify for competitive private market rates. Your VA rating is not an insurance underwriting verdict.
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Rating alone is not disqualifying
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Underlying conditions reviewed individually
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100% P&T veterans have options
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Independent brokers check multiple carriers
Psych Medications & Mental Health Care
Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, & sleep aids are among the most commonly prescribed medications in America. Many top-rated carriers have updated guidelines that no longer penalize medication compliance. Seeking help is a sign of strength — and progressive underwriters recognize that.
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SSRIs often viewed neutrally or favorably
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Stability on medication is a positive factor
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Active therapy participation helps
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No hospitalizations in 2+ years = better rates
Private market benifits
how to protect your family
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INCREASING PREMIUMS
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DAY-ONE COVERAGE
LOWEST RATES
HELP WITH DEATH CLAIMS
LARGE DEATH BENEFITS
PERSONALIZED HELP
ALL A-RATED CARRIERS
NEED A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL TO ISSUE
how not to protect your family
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The scams hunting veterans right now
These are running today — in your DMs, your mailbox, and on TV. Learn the pattern once and they stop working on you.
Threat — Impersonation
"I work with the VA"
Someone DMs or cold-calls claiming to be from the VA, "VA benefits," or a "veterans assistance office," offering to sign you up for a benefit or a policy. The VA does not slide into your DMs to sell you life insurance.
The truth
The VA doesn't sell private policies and doesn't recruit on social media. Anyone blurring that line is using the VA's name to close a sale.
Threat — Impersonation
"I work with the VA"
Someone DMs or cold-calls claiming to be from the VA, "VA benefits," or a "veterans assistance office," offering to sign you up for a benefit or a policy. The VA does not slide into your DMs to sell you life insurance.
The truth
The VA doesn't sell private policies and doesn't recruit on social media. Anyone blurring that line is using the VA's name to close a sale.
Threat — Impersonation
"I work with the VA"
Someone DMs or cold-calls claiming to be from the VA, "VA benefits," or a "veterans assistance office," offering to sign you up for a benefit or a policy. The VA does not slide into your DMs to sell you life insurance.
The truth
The VA doesn't sell private policies and doesn't recruit on social media. Anyone blurring that line is using the VA's name to close a sale.
Threat — Impersonation
"I work with the VA"
Someone DMs or cold-calls claiming to be from the VA, "VA benefits," or a "veterans assistance office," offering to sign you up for a benefit or a policy. The VA does not slide into your DMs to sell you life insurance.
The truth
The VA doesn't sell private policies and doesn't recruit on social media. Anyone blurring that line is using the VA's name to close a sale.
Heart condition or treatment?
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NO
Diagnosed with diabetes?
NO
Tobacco / nicotine use?
NO
Prescribed medications?
NO
Hospitalized in last 5 years?
NO
Application — Health Questions
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This is what a "pray for approval" application looks like. Every answer the same, none of them yours. A policy built on this can be voided right when your family needs it.
"Check no and pray" is how families get denied
The single most common way veterans get burned isn't an obvious scam. It's an agent rushing your application — answering the health questions for you, marking everything "no," and hoping it slips through underwriting.
It feels helpful in the moment. The policy gets approved. Premiums get paid. Then years later the insured passes, the family files the claim — and the insurer pulls the medical records, finds the condition that was never disclosed, and calls it material misrepresentation.
Most policies have a two-year contestability period. Inside it, an insurer can investigate and deny a claim if the application was false. The grieving family doesn't get a payout — they get a refund of premiums and a letter. The agent who "got you approved" is long gone.
Our rule is boring and it's the whole point: we answer the questions honestly, the first time. Honest answers might mean a different carrier or a different rate — but the policy actually pays when it matters. That's the only kind worth selling.
Coverage comes from exactly three places
Every life insurance decision a veteran makes lands in one of these three buckets. Two are legitimate and serve different needs. One you should walk away from. Here's the honest verdict on each.
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01
The VA
SGLI · VGLI · VALife · S-DVI
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Guaranteed-acceptance windows — coverage even with serious health conditions
A genuine safety net if private coverage is off the table
VGLI premiums climb every 5 years and get pricey with age
VALife makes you wait 2 years for full coverage
Caps: SGLI/VGLI up to $500K, VALife up to $40K
Verdict
Use it for what it's built for — fast guaranteed coverage and transition windows. Don't assume it's your cheapest or best long-term option.
02
private market
Find a TRUSTED agency with licensed professionals to ensure you get the best plan.
No built-in waiting period — full coverage from day one once approved
Rates based on your actual health, shopped across many carriers
Every product type: term, whole, IUL, mortgage protection, final expense
Coverage that fits the real number — income, mortgage, kids, debt
Healthy applicants usually beat VGLI's age-banded pricing
Verdict
For most veterans in reasonable health, this is where the right coverage at the right price lives — if you work with a broker shopping the whole market, not one carrier.
03
the convien
Mail · TV · credit-union upsells
Guaranteed-issue "final expense" with 2–3 year graded payouts
High cost per $1,000 — you overpay for tiny coverage
TV offers built around a celebrity, not your needs
Credit-union "coverage" that's really accident-only (AD&D)
Designed for an easy yes, not for your family's actual gap
Verdict
This is the junk drawer of the industry. There's a narrow case for guaranteed-issue if you're uninsurable — but never as a default, and never without comparing Options 01 and 02 first.
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SGLI
While you serve
Automatic term coverage up to $500,000 while on active duty, at a low flat rate. The catch nobody flags loudly enough: it ends 120 days after you separate. After that, you're uncovered unless you've made a move.
VGLI
The transition
Convert SGLI to VGLI term coverage (up to $500K) after separation. Apply within 240 days and there are no health questions — guaranteed acceptance. After 240 days you have to prove good health, and you can be turned down.
Premiums rise in 5-year age bands. For a healthy younger veteran, private term is often dramatically cheaper.
VALife
New · service-connected
Guaranteed-acceptance whole life up to $40,000 for veterans with a service-connected disability rating (0–100%), age 80 or under. No health questions, premiums locked at your enrollment age. A real lifeline for veterans who can't get covered elsewhere.
The 2-year wait: full coverage doesn't start for two years. Die inside that window and your beneficiary gets back only the premiums paid, plus interest — not the $40,000. Worth knowing before you treat it as your sole plan.
The VA's plans, decoded
The tools, and what each one is actually for
No single product is "best." The right one depends on your gap, your budget, and your health. A broker who only sells one of these isn't shopping for you.
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Term Life
Big coverage, low cost, for a set window — usually while you've got a mortgage and kids at home. The workhorse for most families.
Whole Life
Big coverage, low cost, for a set window — usually while you've got a mortgage and kids at home. The workhorse for most families.
IUL
Big coverage, low cost, for a set window — usually while you've got a mortgage and kids at home. The workhorse for most families.
Final Expense
Big coverage, low cost, for a set window — usually while you've got a mortgage and kids at home. The workhorse for most families.
The mailbox-and-TV garbage
These reach you because you're a veteran with a benefit they can name-drop. Recognize them for what they are.
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The "final expense" mailer
Official-looking envelopes, sometimes mimicking government mail, pushing guaranteed-issue policies with a 2–3 year graded death benefit. Pass away early and your family gets premiums back, not the face amount — and you've usually overpaid per dollar of coverage the whole time.
The TV celebrity pitch
A familiar face, an 800 number, "no medical exam, no salesman will call." It's the same overpriced guaranteed-issue product, marketed to whoever's watching daytime TV — designed around a script, not your situation.
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A "life insurance benefit" bundled with your account that turns out to be accidental death (AD&D) — it only pays if you die in an accident, which covers almost nobody. Convenient checkbox, near-worthless coverage.
The credit-union / bank upsell
Our leadership
Quote yourself. Apply on your terms.
No call-center runaround. Run your own numbers and start an honest application whenever you're ready — and reach a real person at We Protect Veterans the second you want one.
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