Traumatic Injury Benefits Now Payable for Genitourinary Injuries
Press Release
Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02, who introduced legislation in April to study and expand care for servicemembers who suffer from urological trauma, was notified by the Department of Veterans Affairs that servicemembers who suffer severe injuries to these organs are now eligible to receive servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection, or TSGLI.
Wounds to the genitourinary system, which includes the kidneys, reproductive organs, and urinary organs, have been among the most common and debilitating wounds suffered by our service men and women from IED detonations.
"It is important we take care of those who have so bravely served our country," Guthrie said. "These men and women, many of whom are in the prime of their lives, return from combat with life-altering injuries that leave them with life-long physical and emotional scars. This decision is an important step towards making good on our promise to care for those who are wounded defending our freedom."
TSGLI provides a one-time payment to servicemembers sustaining certain severe traumatic injuries resulting in a range of losses, including amputations; limb salvage; paralysis; burns; loss of sight, and other traumatic losses. Genitourinary injuries for male and female servicemembers are being added to the TSGLI schedule of covered losses.
VA also provides health care coverage for genitourinary problems, along with disability compensation for cases of service-related injuries or illnesses involving genitourinary organs.
The first payments for genitourinary losses will be made to eligible servicemembers and Veterans on Dec. 2, 2011. Eligibility for these new losses will be retroactive to injuries incurred on or after Oct. 7, 2001, the beginning of the Global War On Terror.
For more information on all of the TSGLI eligibility requirements, or to apply for a TSGLI payment, servicemembers and Veterans should go to http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/TSGLI/TSGLI.htm or contact their branch of service TSGLI Office (contact information available at above link).
For more information on Congressman Guthrie's legislation, please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.01612
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