Carol Costello was on CNN this morning talking about the new ad campaign to push marriage. I thought I was drinking decaf instead of regular coffee and just didn't hear her right. After all, Congress couldn't be so stupid to waste our money on something like this instead of actually doing something that would support marriage by taking care of people already married. With all the news reports coming out about our troops and veterans suffering from PTSD, there had to be a lot of money invested in saving their families and their marriages, so I started looking for something I might have missed. I missed a lot but not in a good way. All of this made me want to grab some of these members of Congress and have them spend one week in the house of a PTSD veteran.
To get a really good idea, we need to begin with this.
What Is TSGLI?
http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/TSGLI/TSGLIFAQ.htm#YOR
The Traumatic Injury Protection Under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) program is a rider to Servicemember’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI). The TSGLI rider provides for payment to service members who are severely injured (on or off duty) as the result of a traumatic event and suffer a loss that qualifies for payment under TSGLI.
Who are TSGLI Payments Designed to Help?
TSGLI payments are designed to help traumatically injured service members and their families with financial burdens associated with recovering from a severe injury. TSGLI payments range from $25,000 to $100,000 based on the qualifying loss suffered.
Sounds good but it isn't. While TBI is covered, PTSD is not. How they could exclude Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from Traumatic Injury Protection is anyone's guess. The real issue here is, it leaves us wondering if they excluded PTSD because they knew how huge of a population of servicemen and women it would strike.
Honestly, when a warrior has PTSD, there is no part of their life not affected by PTSD. Their physical health is affected. PTSD research showed heart problems from the stress, sleep studies showed far reaching health issues, deep depression usually leads to poor eating habits and the list goes on. Relationships are affected, in the home, the work place and in public. Short term memory loss, mood swings and draining nightmares affect job performance. Then there is the issue of a veteran not being able to tolerate working inside, preferring to find jobs where they can be alone, outside and usually on the road. It hits the entire family as well but Congress didn't take any of this into consideration. Why not? Is it to save money as we suspected or is it because even the Congress does not take PTSD seriously enough?
Do the program changes include covering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
No, by law TSGLI does not cover mental or physical illnesses or diseases. This has not changed.
The TSGLI program is modeled after the dismemberment portion of commercial Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) policies, expanded to take into account the unique circumstances of military service. AD&D policies typically do not cover illnesses, diseases or minor injuries.
TSGLI Schedule of Losses
Download Adobe pdf version
For losses listed in Part I, multiple injuries resulting from a single traumatic event may be combined with each other and treated as one loss for purposes of a single payment (except where noted otherwise), however, the total payment amount MAY NOT exceed $100,000.
For losses listed in Part II, payment amounts MAY NOT be combined with payment amounts in Part I - only the higher amount will be paid. The total payment amount MAY NOT exceed $100,000 for multiple injuries resulting from a single traumatic event.
Part I
Loss Payment
Amount
1. Sight: Total and permanent loss of sight OR loss of sight that has lasted 120 days
For each eye view TSGLI standard for loss of sight $50,000
2. Hearing: Total and permanent loss of hearing
For one ear
For both ears
view TSGLI standard for loss of hearing $25,000 $100,000
3. Speech: Total and permanent loss of speech view TSGLI standard for loss of speech $50,000
4. Quadriplegia: complete paralysis of all four limbs view TSGLI standard for paralysis $100,000
5. Hemiplegia: complete paralysis of the upper and lower limbs on one side of the body view TSGLI standard for paralysis $100,000
6. Paraplegia: complete paralysis of both lower limbs view TSGLI standard for paralysis $100,000
7. Uniplegia: complete paralysis of one limb*
*Note: Payment for uniplegia of arm cannot be combined with loss 9, 10 or 14 for the same arm. Payment for uniplegia of leg cannot be combined with loss 11, 12, 13 or 15 for the same leg. view TSGLI standard for paralysis $50,000
8. Burns: 2nd degree or worse burns to at least 20% of the body including the face OR, at least 20% of the face view TSGLI standard for burns $100,000
9. Amputation of hand: Amputation at or above the wrist For each hand*
*Note: Payment for loss 9 cannot be combined with payment for loss 10 for the same hand. view TSGLI standard for amputation of hand $50,000
10. Amputation of 4 fingers on 1 hand OR thumb alone: Amputation at or above the metacarpophalangeal joint For each hand view TSGLI standard for amputation of fingers/thumb $50,000
11. Amputation of foot: Amputation at or above the ankle For each foot*
*Note: Payment for loss 11 cannot be combined with payments for losses 12 or 13 for the same foot. view TSGLI standard for amputation of foot $50,000
12. Amputation of all toes including the big toe on 1 foot: Amputation at or above the metatarsophalangeal joint For each foot *Note: Payment for loss 12 cannot be combined with payments for loss 13 for the same foot. view TSGLI standard for amputation of toes $50,000
13. Amputation of big toe only, OR other 4 toes on 1 foot: Amputation at or above the metatarsophalangeal joint For each foot view TSGLI standard for amputation of toes $25,000
14. Limb salvage of arm: Salvage of arm in place of amputation For each arm*
*Note: Payment for loss 14 cannot be combined with payments for losses 9 or 10 for the same arm. view TSGLI standard for limb salvage $50,000
15. Limb salvage of leg: Salvage of leg in place of amputation For each leg*
*Note: Payment for loss 15 cannot be combined with payments for losses 11, 12 or 13 for the same leg. view TSGLI standard for limb salvage $50,000
16. Facial Reconstruction – reconstructive surgery to correct traumatic avulsions of the face or jaw that cause discontinuity defects. Jaw – surgery to correct discontinuity loss of the upper or lower jaw $75,000 Nose – surgery to correct discontinuity loss of 50% or more of the cartilaginous nose $50,000
Lips – surgery to correct discontinuity loss of 50% or more of the upper or lower lip
For one lip $50,000 For both lips $75,000
Eyes – surgery to correct discontinuity loss of 30% or more of the periorbita
For each eye $25,000
Facial Tissue – surgery to correct discontinuity loss of the tissue in 50% or more of any of the following facial subunits: forehead, temple, zygomatic, mandibular, infraorbital or chin.
For each facial subunit $25,000
Note 1: Injuries listed under facial reconstruction may be combined with each other, but the maximum benefit for facial reconstruction may not exceed $75,000.
Note 2: Any injury or combination of injuries under facial reconstruction may also be combined with other injuries listed in Part I and treated as one loss, provided that all injuries are the result of a single traumatic event. However, the total payment amount may not exceed $100,000. view TSGLI standard for facial reconstruction
17. Coma from traumatic injury AND/OR Traumatic Brain Injury resulting in inability to perform at least 2 Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
at 15th consecutive day of coma or ADL loss
at 30th consecutive day of coma or ADL loss
at 60th consecutive day of coma or ADL loss
at 90th consecutive day of coma or ADL loss
view TSGLI standard for coma/TBI
$25,000
an additional $25,000
an additional $25,000
an additional $25,000
18. Hospitalization due to traumatic brain injury
at 15th consecutive day of hospitalization
Note 1: Payment for hospitalization replaces the first payment period in loss 17.
Note 2: Duration of hospitalization includes dates on which member is transported from the injury site to a facility described in § 9.20(e)(6)(xiii), admitted to the facility, transferred between facilities, and discharged from the facility.
view TSGLI standard for hospitalization due to TBI $25,000
Part II
Loss Payment
Amount
19. Traumatic injury resulting in inability to perform at least 2 Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
at 30th consecutive day of ADL loss
at 60th consecutive day of ADL loss
at 90th consecutive day of ADL loss
at 120th consecutive day of ADL loss
view TSGLI standard for loss of ADL $25,000
an additional $25,000
an additional $25,000
an additional $25,000
20. Hospitalization due to traumatic injury
at 15th consecutive day of hospitalization
Note 1: Payment for hospitalization replaces the first payment period in loss 19.
Note 2: Duration of hospitalization includes dates on which member is transported from the injury site to a facility described in § 9.20(e)(6)(xiii), admitted to the facility, transferred between facilities, and discharged from the facility.
view TSGLI standard for hospitalization due to traumatic injury $25,000
Reviewed/Updated Date: December 29, 2008
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Oh yes but it can't be just about money. If it only came down to money then why on earth would Congress pull a stunt like this when there are so many marriages falling apart because of PTSD and the stress it adds when a veteran has to fight for their wound to be treated and compensated for?
Marriage programs to get a boost from feds
Congress to spend $750 million to promote marriage, better fathers
updated 5:12 a.m. ET, Fri., July. 21, 2006
WASHINGTON - Ron McLain has no qualms about the federal government getting involved in marriage. Indeed, he’s counting on it.
McLain has applied for a $550,000 federal grant to hire counselors for Marriage Mentoring Ministries Inc., a tiny business in Fresno County, Calif., that helps couples before and after they exchange wedding vows. He also has a bid in for a $250,000 grant to teach men to become better fathers.
“The market is obviously very ripe for this with the divorce rate as high as it is, and obviously couples want a good marriage,” said McLain, who oversees the organization along with his wife, Joan. They specialize in training couples to mentor other couples, with many of the classes taking place at local churches.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13964621/
Soon you'll see ads on TV to promote marriage because of this stunt the GOP lead Congress pulled off in 2006.
Government ad campaign touts marriage
Published: Feb. 18, 2009 at 1:56 PM
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A $5 million ad campaign paid for by the U.S. government is touting the benefits of marriage for people in their 20s, a government adviser said.
The campaign is the work of the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, USA Today reports. In addition to a Web site, TwoofUs.org, the campaign includes on-line ads, a YouTube video, spots on radio talk shows, and ads on buses and subways.
"We're not telling people 'Get married' but 'Don't underestimate the benefits of marriage,' " said Paul Amato, a sociologist at Penn State who advises the resource center. click link for more of this
In a perfect world with all the news coverage of veterans and troops killing themselves, families falling apart, you'd think the Congress would have invested a lot more money and effort in heading off most of the damage done when they decided to send men and women into Iraq and Afghanistan after they already had far reaching problems with Gulf War veterans, Vietnam veterans and their families falling apart.
This is not rocket science. It's common sense which apparently the members of Congress have been unable to use. If we treat the veterans with PTSD early, it saves money, aside from saving their lives, their families, cutting down on the homeless veterans population, maintaining careers in the military or in the civilian world after, reduces healthcare costs for veterans and their families, but it doesn't stop there. It also saves the insurance industry money from preventing illnesses caused by untreated PTSD, reduces costs associated with taking care of family members and secondary PTSD, reduces auto insurance rates because it will help cut down on the number of suicide deaths by auto crashes along with accidents caused by self-medicating veterans using alcohol and drugs.
Promoting marriage? How about they take care of the PTSD veterans and save their lives and their marriages at the same time?
When they offer Traumatic Injury Protection Under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance that excludes the number one wound, this is one more insult to the injury. While it sounds good to spend taxpayer money to tell the American people to get married, they really come up short on actually supporting the people not only already married but the men and women serving this country with their lives and their families. Congress must stop treating the troops and veterans as if they are some kind of sub-class of social group looking for handouts instead of a debt we owe them.
