INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the State Sponsored Life Insurance (SSLI) site. The SSLI is made available by the Officer and Enlisted Associations of the Iowa National Guard. Active, drilling, or separated members and dependents are eligible for life insurance coverage through this program. During active Guard membership SSLI complements SGLI. After a member separates from the Guard SSLI should be considered as a replacement for SGLI coverage because of the premium cost.
HISTORY: All States have a State Sponsored Life Insurance program similar to Iowa’s.
The concept of a Guard sponsored life insurance program started in 1964 in South Carolina. Years before SGLI became available to Guard members. Iowa’s program started in 1989. States continue to have their own Guard sponsored programs because SGLI does not provide the complete coverage that is needed and therefore, soldiers and airmen need coverage under the SSLI and SGLI. SSLI continues to pay a claim within 24 hours of notification to the Company, long before SGLI will pay a claim.
TYPE OF COVERAGE: SGLI converts to VGLI when you separate from the military and it becomes a five year, renewable term life insurance policy. This means that every five years the rates will increase the rest of your life and will become very expensive. SSLI continues on as either a term or whole life policy. This means that either the coverage will eventually be discontinued or the premiums and the coverage will remain the same the rest of your life, depending on the program you select.