Uniformed Services Benefit Association

Last updated
Uniformed Services Benefit Association
Company type nonprofit organization
Industry Insurance
Financial services
Founded1959
Headquarters Overland Park, Kansas
Products Life insurance
Cancer care insurance
Hospital indemnity insurance
TRICARE & CHAMPVA supplemental insurance plans
Website www.usba.com

The Uniformed Services Benefit Association (USBA) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, [1] providing affordable group life insurance plans and other financial services specifically designed for active duty and retired military members and their families, as well as honorably discharged veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and federal civilian employees. [2]

Contents

History

USBA was founded in 1959 to meet the needs of active duty military personnel, who at that time wanted to supplement their SGLI $10,000 benefit and had difficulty finding adequate life insurance coverage that would cover combat-related deaths. USBA was one of the first to eliminate the so-called “war clause” from all of its coverage. [3]

Over the years USBA expanded to offer those same insurance products and services to active reserves, National Guard, Federal Employees, honorably discharged veterans, and others. [4]

Board of directors

USBA is governed by a Board of Directors [5] elected annually by the membership. The Board is composed of active and retired military members and Federal employees. Board members typically serve a three year term. [6]

The Board of Directors meets semi-annually at USBA headquarters (Fall and Spring). The Board's duties are performed on a voluntary basis. Board members do not receive a salary. [7]

Member eligibility

USBA membership is open to active duty servicemembers, retired military, honorably discharged veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, federal civilian employees and their families. There are no membership dues.

Lines of business

Life insurance

USBA offers group term life, whole life and blended life insurance plans [8] underwritten by New York Life Insurance Company which has the highest financial strength ratings possible from all four major independent credit rating agencies: Standard and Poor's (AA+), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Fitch Ratings (AAA) and A. M. Best (A++). [9] USBA's group life insurance plans are often used to supplement Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI), or to replace SGLI benefits lost after separating from the military, instead of Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI). [10]

TRICARE and CHAMPVA Supplemental Insurance Plans

USBA offers the following supplemental insurance plans which help cover out-of-pocket expenses such as cost shares and copayments.

Plans are administered by Association & Society Insurance Corporation (ASI) [11] and underwritten by Monumental Life Insurance Company (Cedar Rapids, IA), Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company, Harrison, NY, Transamerica companies.

Cancer Care Insurance

USBA's Cancer Care insurance, underwritten by Monumental Life Insurance Company (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), helps protect against the high cost of cancer treatment by covering expenses like hospital confinement, radiation and chemotherapy, ambulance rides, transportation, extended care facilities and more. [12]

Hospital Indemnity Insurance

USBA's Hospital Indemnity insurance offers guaranteed acceptance for eligible members and pays tax free (according to current IRS rulings) benefits to cover hospital and doctor bills, as well as regular bills that pile up during a hospital stay. [13]

Affinity Partners and Special Member Benefits

USBA members have access to additional special offers from Affinity Partners such as group auto insurance discounts from MetLife Auto & Home, ID Theft Assist, Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+) travel emergency assistance services, Life Line Screening, Hertz rental car discounts, and Long Term Care Insurance. [14]

USBA provides a free online Military Jobs Resource Center for its members and non-members to assist military personnel with their transition from the service into civilian jobs. [15] Transitioners can search for job openings, find transition advice, and get resume assistance from the nation's largest military placement agency, Orion International, [16] and download helpful job search white papers. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Department of Veterans Affairs</span> Department of the United States government

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country. Non-healthcare benefits include disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance. The VA also provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members at 135 national cemeteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military discharge</span> Release from military service

A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and then fully and satisfactorily completed their term of service. Other types of discharge are based on factors such as the quality of their service, whether their service had to be ended prematurely due to humanitarian or medical reasons, whether they had been found to have drug or alcohol dependency issues and whether they were complying with treatment and counseling, and whether they had demerits or punishments for infractions or were convicted of any crimes. These factors affect whether they will be asked or allowed to re-enlist and whether they qualify for benefits after their discharge.

Humana Inc. is a for-profit American health insurance company based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2023, the company ranked 42 on the Fortune 500 list, which made it the highest ranked company based in Kentucky. It is the fourth largest health insurance provider in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Health Administration</span> Health service for former United States military personnel

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the healthcare program of the VA through a nationalized healthcare service in the United States, providing healthcare and healthcare-adjacent services to veterans through the administration and operation of 146 VA Medical Centers (VAMC) with integrated outpatient clinics, 772 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), and 134 VA Community Living Centers Programs. It is the largest division in the department, and second largest in the entire federal government, employing over 350,000 employees. All VA hospitals, clinics and medical centers are owned by and operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and all of the staff employed in VA hospitals are federal employees. Because of this, veterans that qualify for VHA healthcare do not pay premiums or deductibles for their healthcare but may have to make copayments depending on the medical procedure. VHA is not a part of the US Department of Defense Military Health System.

The Transamerica Corporation is an American holding company for various life insurance companies and investment firms operating primarily in the United States, offering life and supplemental health insurance, investments, and retirement services. The company has major offices located in Baltimore, Maryland; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Denver, Colorado; Canton, Massachusetts; Harrison, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; Plano, Texas; St. Paul, Minnesota and St. Petersburg, Florida. Additional affiliated offices are located throughout the United States. In 1999, it became an independent subsidiary of multinational company Aegon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Employee benefits</span> Non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to normal wages or salaries

Employee benefits and benefits in kind, also called fringe benefits, perquisites, or perks, include various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. Instances where an employee exchanges (cash) wages for some other form of benefit is generally referred to as a "salary packaging" or "salary exchange" arrangement. In most countries, most kinds of employee benefits are taxable to at least some degree. Examples of these benefits include: housing furnished or not, with or without free utilities; group insurance ; disability income protection; retirement benefits; daycare; tuition reimbursement; sick leave; vacation ; social security; profit sharing; employer student loan contributions; conveyancing; long service leave; domestic help (servants); and other specialized benefits.

An employee assistance program generally offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services for employees. EAP counselors may also work in a consultative role with managers and supervisors to address employee and organizational challenges and needs. Many corporations, academic institution and/or government agencies are active in helping organizations prevent and cope with workplace violence, trauma, and other emergency response situations. There is a variety of support programs offered for employees. Even though EAPs are mainly aimed at work-related issues, there are a variety of programs that can assist with problems outside of the workplace. EAPs have grown in popularity over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Benefits Administration</span> Component of U.S. Department Veterans Affairs

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is responsible for administering the department's programs that provide financial and other forms of assistance to veterans, their dependents, and survivors. Major benefits include Veterans' compensation, Veterans' pension, survivors' benefits, rehabilitation and employment assistance, education assistance, home loan guaranties, and life insurance coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tricare</span> U.S. Department of Defense health care program

Tricare is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for U.S Armed Forces military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, including some members of the Reserve Component. Tricare is the civilian care component of the Military Health System, although historically it also included health care delivered in military medical treatment facilities.

Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is a life insurance program available to all active duty and reserve members of the uniformed services of the United States. Supervised by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the program is administered by the Prudential Insurance Company of America.

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions) is a not-for-profit service insurance corporation based in Madison, Wisconsin. WPS offers health insurance plans for groups and individuals and benefit plan administration for businesses. WPS also provides insurance claims processing services under various U.S. government contracts and has a subsidiary corporation, EPIC Specialty Benefits, offering dental and other nonmedical benefits.

Disability Insurance, often called DI or disability income insurance, or income protection, is a form of insurance that insures the beneficiary's earned income against the risk that a disability creates a barrier for completion of core work functions. For example, the worker may be unable to maintain composure in the case of psychological disorders or sustain an injury, illness or condition that causes physical impairment or incapacity to work. DI encompasses paid sick leave, short-term disability benefits (STD), and long-term disability benefits (LTD). The same concept is instantiated in some countries as income protection insurance.

Military psychiatry covers special aspects of psychiatry and mental disorders within the military context. The aim of military psychiatry is to keep as many serving personnel as possible fit for duty and to treat those disabled by psychiatric conditions. Military psychiatry encompasses counseling individuals and families on a variety of life issues, often from the standpoint of life strategy counseling, as well as counseling for mental health issues, substance abuse prevention and substance abuse treatment; and where called for, medical treatment for biologically based mental illness, among other elements.

In the United States, health insurance helps pay for medical expenses through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits". In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.

The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, also known as the Dole-Shalala Commission, was established on March 6, 2007, when U.S. President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13426. The Commission was established to examine and recommend improvements to the effectiveness and quality of transition from returning to military service or civilian society, health care, benefits, outreach to service members, and awareness among service members of healthcare and benefits programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Health System</span> Health care system for the U.S. military

The Military Health System (MHS) is a form of nationalized health care operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.

TruStage Financial Group, Inc., formerly known as CUNA Mutual Group, is a mutual insurance company that provides financial services to cooperatives, credit unions, their members, and other customers worldwide. TruStage Financial Group sells commercial and consumer insurance and protection products. TruStage Financial Group provides retirement plan services to small businesses and credit union employees. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company also provides auto, home, life and loan protection products to credit union members through its TruStage brand.

Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is a computerized database for United States Service members, military retirees, 100% VA Disabled Veterans, dependents, DoD active Contractors, and others worldwide who are entitled to Public Key Infrastructure and TRICARE eligibility.

The Empowering Patients First Act is legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Price, first introduced as H.R. 3400 in the 111th Congress. The bill was initially intended to be a Republican alternative to the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, but has since been positioned as a potential replacement to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The bill was introduced in the 112th Congress as H.R. 3000, and in the 113th Congress as H.R. 2300. As of October 2014, the bill has 58 cosponsors. An identical version of the bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator John McCain as S. 1851.

Disability benefits are a form of financial assistance designed to support individuals who are unable to work due to a chronic illness, disease or injury. Disability benefits are typically provided through various sources, including government programs, group disability insurance provided by employers or associations or private insurance policies typically purchased through a licensed insurance agent or broker, or directly from an insurance company.

References

  1. "USBA Moves National Headquarters to Overland Park, Kansas". PR Web.
  2. "USBA Military Life Insurance: About Us".
  3. "What makes USBA different?".
  4. "About USBA, President's Letter".
  5. "USBA Board Members".
  6. "About USBA, Our Board of Directors".
  7. "USBA Member Briefing Newsletter, Fall 2011" (PDF).
  8. "USBA: Life Insurance Overview".
  9. "What the rating agencies say". newyorklife.com.
  10. "Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) - Life Insurance".
  11. "ATTENTION ALL TRICARE/CHAMPUS ELIGIBLES". www.asicorporation.com. Archived from the original on 2000-03-02.
  12. "USBA Cancer Care Insurance Plan". Archived from the original on 2017-01-29.
  13. "USBA: Health Insurance Plans Overview".
  14. "USBA Member Special Offers".
  15. "Military Association Offers Free Online Job Postings". PR Web.
  16. "Careers for Transitioning Military and Veterans".
  17. "USBA Military Jobs Center".