VGLI Premium Estimator
Estimate your premium, see every published rate, and understand the deadlines, coverage increases, and VALife option — everything about Veterans' Group Life Insurance in one place, so you don't have to leave to figure it out.
Premium rates effective July 1, 2025
Your SGLI doesn’t have to end when your service does
When you leave the military, your Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) stops. VGLI lets you convert it into renewable term life you keep for the rest of your life — and if you act in time, no medical exam and no health questions. Use the estimator below, then read exactly how the coverage works, what it costs as you age, and how it stacks up against a private policy.
$500,000
Maximum coverage
No exam
If you apply in time
For life
Renewable term
The one deadline that decides everything
VGLI is defined by a single clock that starts the day you separate. Where you fall on it changes whether you can get coverage at all — and whether you have to prove you’re healthy.
No health questions
Apply within 240 days of separation and your coverage is guaranteed — no medical exam, no health history, no chance of being turned down.
Prove good health
You can still apply, but now you must answer health questions and show proof of good health — a condition can raise your cost or block approval.
The door closes
Once you pass 1 year and 120 days from separation, you generally cannot get VGLI at all. This is the deadline nobody warns you about.
Bottom line: apply within 240 days of separating. It is the difference between guaranteed coverage and no coverage.
What that 240-day window is actually worth
The deadline isn’t red tape — it’s the line between a family that collects a six-figure payout and one that collects nothing. VGLI’s guaranteed acceptance has a real dollar value, and it only exists while the window is open.
A worked example
A 45-year-old carrying $400,000 of VGLI pays the $1.90 per $10,000 rate for the 45–49 bracket:
That roughly $912 a year locks in a $400,000 death benefit for your family — with no medical exam and no way to be turned down — but only if you apply inside the 240-day window.
Apply on time: coverage is guaranteed
Miss it: you may be uninsurable
Estimate your monthly premium
Your premium depends on just two things: your age and how much coverage you carry. Adjust them below to see what VGLI would cost you today.
Your coverage
Premiums increase as you move into older age brackets.
Choose coverage from $10,000 up to $500,000 in $10,000 increments.
How your premium is built
Enter your age and pick a coverage amount and we’ll break the math down line by line — the rate for your bracket, how many $10,000 units you carry, and your monthly premium.
Estimated monthly premium
Free & no obligation — talk through VGLI vs. your other options.
Every VGLI rate, by age bracket
These are the full published VGLI premium rates — the cost per $10,000 of coverage, per month, for every age bracket. Choose a coverage amount above and a third column will show what that coverage costs in every bracket.
| Age bracket | Rate / $10,000 / mo |
|---|---|
| 29 and under | $0.60 |
| 30 - 34 | $0.80 |
| 35 - 39 | $1.00 |
| 40 - 44 | $1.40 |
| 45 - 49 | $1.90 |
| 50 - 54 | $2.90 |
| 55 - 59 | $5.00 |
| 60 - 64 | $8.50 |
| 65 - 69 | $13.80 |
| 70 - 74 | $21.50 |
| 75 - 79 | $38.50 |
| 80 and over | $44.00 |
Rates per $10,000 of coverage, per month. Verify current rates at VA.
How the same coverage grows more expensive
This is the honest catch with VGLI: the premium climbs every five years as you age. Choose a coverage amount in the estimator above and this chart will show how the same coverage costs more as you move through the age brackets.
VGLI never charges more for a health condition, so it can be the best deal available if your health would make private insurance costly. If you’re healthy, a level-premium term policy locked in now may cost far less over 20–30 years.
VGLI vs. a commercial term policy
Neither is automatically better — it comes down to your health and how long you need coverage. Here’s the honest trade-off.
VGLI
Guaranteed, no-exam coverage from VA
- Guaranteed acceptance if you apply within 240 days — no medical exam, ever
- A smart safety net if you have health conditions that make private coverage costly or impossible
- Portable and renewable for life — it never expires as long as you pay
- Coverage can grow to $500,000 with no new health proof
- Premiums climb every 5 years as you enter a new age bracket — cheap at 40, expensive at 70
- Term-style coverage: it builds no cash value
- A healthy veteran can often beat these rates with a level-premium private policy
Commercial term life
A private level-premium policy
- Level premiums — you can lock one rate for 10, 20, or 30 years
- Often cheaper than VGLI if you are healthy and a non-smoker
- Larger coverage amounts and permanent (whole/universal) options are available
- Requires medical underwriting — a health condition can raise the price or get you declined
- No guaranteed-acceptance window tied to your separation date
Coverage can increase — no new health proof
If you started below the maximum, you don’t have to stay there. Once you’ve held VGLI for a year, you can add $25,000 in coverage every five years until age 60 — up to the $500,000 cap — without answering a single health question.
$25,000
Added per increase
Every 5 yrs
Until you turn 60
$500,000
Maximum you can reach
Note: when VA raised the VGLI maximum to $500,000, existing policyholders were not automatically bumped up — you have to request each increase. Manage your policy at VA.
VALife: guaranteed whole life for rated veterans
Missed the VGLI window, or want permanent coverage that builds value? Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) is guaranteed-acceptance whole life for any veteran with a service-connected disability rating — even 0%. No medical exam, no health questions.
- Up to $40,000 in coverage, in $10,000 increments
- Open to any rating from 0% to 100% — guaranteed acceptance
- Apply anytime if you’re age 80 or under; special rules apply at 81+
- Premiums lock in at your enrollment age and never rise
- 2-year waiting period for full coverage; die during it and beneficiaries get premiums paid back plus interest
- Builds cash value after 2 years (no policy loans)
How to apply — and keep it working for you
The order matters, and the first step runs on that 240-day clock.
1Within 240 days
Apply while the door is open
Apply within 240 days of separating and VGLI asks no health questions — your coverage is guaranteed regardless of your medical history.
2Pick your amount
Choose your coverage
You can carry up to the SGLI amount you had at separation, in $10,000 increments, to a maximum of $500,000.
3Name beneficiaries
Say who gets paid
List your beneficiaries and keep them current after marriages, divorces, and births — VGLI pays exactly who you name.
4Every 5 years to 60
Build coverage over time
Once enrolled, you can add $25,000 every five years until age 60 — up to the $500,000 cap — with no proof of good health.
VGLI questions, answered
How do I apply for VGLI?
Apply online through VA.gov, or submit the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Election and Certificate (SGLV 8714) to OSGLI, the office Prudential runs for VA. VA mails a VGLI invitation after you separate, but do not wait for it — the clock starts on your separation date, not when the letter arrives.
What happens if I miss the 240-day window?
You can still apply for up to 1 year and 120 days after separation, but you must answer health questions and prove you are in good health. After 1 year and 120 days, you generally cannot get VGLI at all — which is why applying early matters so much.
Can I increase my coverage later?
Yes. Starting one year after you enroll, you can add $25,000 in coverage every five years until you turn 60, with no proof of good health, up to the $500,000 maximum. Existing policyholders were not automatically raised to $500,000 — you have to request the increase.
Why do my premiums keep going up?
VGLI premiums are based only on your age and coverage amount, with no medical exam. As you move into each new five-year age bracket, the rate per $10,000 rises. That is the trade-off for guaranteed, no-questions coverage.
Can I convert VGLI to a permanent policy?
Yes. At any time you can convert VGLI to a permanent (whole life) policy with a participating commercial insurer, at standard rates, without proving good health. You can also convert SGLI directly to a commercial policy within 240 days of separating.
Who can be my beneficiary?
Anyone you choose — a spouse, children, other relatives, a trust, or your estate. You can name more than one beneficiary and set the percentage each receives, and you can change them at any time.
Not sure which coverage fits?
We don’t sell life insurance — so we’ll give it to you straight. Talk through whether VGLI, a private policy, or VALife makes sense for your health and budget. And if the real goal is getting the service-connected rating that unlocks VALife, that’s our specialty.
About this benefit
Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) converts your Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) into renewable term coverage you keep for life after you leave the military. Apply within 240 days of separation and there are no health questions — your acceptance is guaranteed no matter your medical history.
Premiums are set only by your age and coverage amount, with no medical exam, so they step up every five years as you enter a new age bracket. You can carry up to $500,000, grow your coverage by $25,000 every five years to age 60 with no new health proof, and later convert to a permanent policy. Veterans with a service-connected rating also have VALife, guaranteed whole-life coverage covered in full above.
How to use it
- 1The estimator starts empty — enter your current age and choose the coverage you want to carry.
- 2Review your estimated monthly and annual premium, then check the full rate table for every age bracket.
- 3Use the growth chart to see how the same coverage costs more as you age, and weigh VGLI against a private policy.
- 4Apply within 240 days of separation to skip the health questions entirely.
What it covers
- Premium rate for your exact age bracket, at any coverage from $10,000 to $500,000
- The full published VGLI rate table and how premiums grow with age
- The application deadlines — the 240-day no-questions window and the final cutoff
- Coverage increases, VGLI vs. commercial term, and the VALife option for rated veterans
Official VA links
Work with our accredited claims agents
Ready to turn this estimate into a claim? Let a specialist handle it.
Calculators are a starting point. Our VA-accredited claims agents can review your situation, make sure you’re not leaving benefits on the table, and file or appeal your claim for you — your first case evaluation is free, with no obligation.
These are planning estimates based on VA’s published VGLI rate tables (effective July 1, 2025). Your actual premium depends on your age at enrollment and the coverage you choose, and rates change over time. VGLI is administered for VA by OSGLI — confirm current rates and deadlines before you apply. VA Benefits Calculators is not affiliated with the VA — the VA makes all final decisions about eligibility and payment amounts. Always confirm details at va.gov.