§1981 — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

Summary

Lets people who gave up certain government life insurance policies for cash while on active duty after April 24, 1951 and before January 1, 1957 get the same kind of permanent coverage back. If they were eligible on December 31, 1958 to reinstate or replace the policy under section 623 of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, they can apply in writing while on continuous active duty that began before January 1, 1959 or within 120 days after leaving. They can get permanent-plan insurance up to the amount they surrendered without a medical exam, or they can reinstate the old policy by paying the required reserve and the current month’s premium. If the person was on a five-year level premium term plan that expired while on active duty after April 25, 1951 or within 120 days after leaving and before January 1, 1957, and was eligible on December 31, 1958 under section 623, they can apply under the same timing rules, pay premiums, and show satisfactory evidence of good health to get the same amount of five-year term insurance at the premium rate for their current age. If total disability began before the application date, premium waivers and disability income benefits cannot be denied, and the United States will pay those costs and reimburse the insurance funds.

Title 38, §1981

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person who surrendered a policy of National Service Life Insurance or United States Government life insurance on a permanent plan for its cash value while in the active service after April 24, 1951, and before January 1, 1957, who was entitled on December 31, 1958, to reinstate or replace such insurance under section 623 of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, may, upon application in writing made while on continuous active duty which began before January 1, 1959, or within one hundred and twenty days after separation therefrom, be granted, without medical examination, permanent plan insurance on the same plan not in excess of the amount surrendered for cash, or may reinstate such surrendered insurance upon payment of the required reserve and the premium for the current month. Waiver of premiums and total disability income benefits otherwise authorized under this chapter shall not be denied in any case of issue or reinstatement of insurance on a permanent plan under this section or the prior corresponding provision of law in which it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary that total disability of the applicant began before the date of application. The cost of the premiums waived and total disability income benefits paid by virtue of the preceding sentence and the excess mortality cost in any case where the insurance matures by death from such total disability shall be borne by the United States and the Secretary shall transfer from time to time from the National Service Life Insurance appropriation to the National Service Life Insurance Fund and from the military and naval insurance appropriation to the United States Government Life Insurance Fund such sums as may be necessary to reimburse the funds for such costs.

(b)Any person who had United States Government life insurance or National Service Life Insurance on the five-year level premium term plan, the term of which expired while such person was in the active service after April 25, 1951, or within one hundred and twenty days after separation from such active service, and in either case before January 1, 1957, who was entitled on December 31, 1958, to replace such insurance under section 623 of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, shall, upon application made while on continuous active duty which began before January 1, 1959, or within one hundred and twenty days after separation therefrom, payment of premiums and evidence of good health satisfactory to the Secretary, be granted an equivalent amount of insurance on the five-year level premium term plan at the premium rate for such person’s then attained age.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 623 of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is section 623 of act Oct. 8, 1940, ch. 757, title VI, pt. I, as added Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 837, title V, § 501(a)(4), 70 Stat. 880, which enacted section 824 of former Title 38, Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans’ Relief, and which was repealed and the provisions thereof reenacted as this section by Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1105.

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 781 of this title as this section and substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. 1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–576 substituted “such person” for “he” and “such person’s” for “his”.

§1981 Replacement of Surrendered and Expired Insurance