Evening star., 1945-05-29
Congress Given Score of Bills
On Veterans Life Insurance
No. ; of a Series.

On Veterans ii
No. ; OF a Series.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
The huge sheaf OF veterans bills
pending in Congress includes more
than a score dealing with National
Service life insurance, the form Of
protection granted those serving in
the present war.
The most comprehensive of these
would grant total disability benefits
and otherwise parallel United States
Government life insurance, the
name given to policies into which
veterans of the World War were al
lowed to convert their war risk in
surance. This bill, introduced In
both houses, Is backed by the Amer
ican Legion, the Disabled American
Veterans and the Veterans of For
eign Wars. The House Veterans
Committee is expected to hold hear
ings on it soon.
The House recently passed and
sent to the Senate bill extending
for three years policies issued to SOL
diers and sailors under the National
Service Life Insurance Act of 1910.
The House Veterans Committee
considered this legislation urgent,
since the five-year-level policies is
sued under the act will begin expir-
ing October of this year unless
the insured servicemen meanwhile
have converted them into perma-
nent insurance.
The bill would extend the original
insurance automatically, thus giving
present policyholders until 1948 to
convert. AS introduced by Repre-
sentative Rogers, Republican, of
Massachusetts,, the measure granted
f1ve-year extension, but the COM
mittee cut this to three years.
Many Outside United States.
In the committees report to the
House. Chairman Rankin pointed
out 1t was proposed to continue
during the three-year extension the
premium rates in effect during the
original f1ve-year period. He ex-
planned that many of those who
are carrying five-year-level premium
term policies are outside the conti-
mental limits of the United States
and are unable to apply for conver-
sion OF insurance and would be un-
able to authorize increased allot-
ments to meet increased premium
rates even If legislation were enact
ed to authorize renewal or extension
OF five-year-term policies"
The committee held that under
the circumstances an automatic ex-
tension for an additional period of
three years at the same premium
rates as have been established for
the f1ve-year-level premium term
policies appears to be the only prac-
tical solution of the problem
There are many other pending
bills which would increase benefits
or change the structure of policies
in various ways.
Like the war risk insurance of thu
last war. the present National Serv.
Ice life insurance is not compulsory
AT least the law makes it optiona
whether a service man or woman
takes out a policy. Veterans Of
1918 will recall that, to all in.
tents, the Government insurance Of
that day was compulsory. But thai
was War Department policy, not
law. Company commanders, under
instructions, used to have the papers
prepared and tell their men where
to sign-for their own good. In
this war, similarly, pressure is
brought. Commanders try to see
that their men have some insurance
at least.
| When the National Service life
insurance bill became a law, Octo-
ber 8, 1910, the country was not al
war, although a large Army soon
began training for defense. Nc
particular effort was made at FIRST
to sign up trainees.
Many Lacked Insurance.
Then came Pearl Harbor with Its
heavy casualty list. Most of those
killed carried no Government in.
surance-some no protection of any
kind. Congress provided 5000 fol
the dependents of every man killed
at Pearl Harbor or In the Philip.
pines. Also, on December 20, 1941
Congress extended National Servic,
insurance without requiring a med.
ical examination.
Provision was made for waivins
premium payments in the case o.
men totally disabled in service a
long as the disability continued
Those taken prisoner had their in.
Surance kept in force automatically
with premiums deducted from th'
pay with which they were creditet
each month.
The act, as amended from time t.
time, allowed an original period o
120 days for any one entering tn,
service to take out insurance with
out a special physical examination
The policies ranged from 1000 tx
$4,000. After the 120-day period, I
man Cor woman in service) coule
apply, but would have to undergo {
medical test.
There was an instance which i
known at the Veterans Administra.
ton. A recruit on weekend pas
was fatally injured. He was brough
back to camp In dying condition
but conscious. The chaplain, learn
ing that this soldier had no insur
ance, hurriedly made out an appli
cation and he was able to sign hi
name. He died in few hours. Hi
family got $4,000.
In some outfits, in the earlier day.
of training, this episode could hav'
been used as an example to persuad,
the men to take out insurance
Later, when the risks of battl,
loomed for so many of them, Their
was little mead for nerslIa sion The,