38 CFR § 9.5 - Payment of proceeds.
Proceeds shall be paid in accordance with provisions set forth in 38 U.S.C. 1970 and the following provisions:
(a) If proceeds are to be paid in installments, the first installment will be payable as of the date of death. The amount of each installment will be computed so as to include interest on the unpaid balance at the then effective rate.
(b) If, following the death of an insured member who has designated both principal and contingent beneficiaries and elected to have payment made in 36 equal monthly installments, the principal beneficiary dies before all 36 installments have been paid, the remaining installments will be paid as they fall due to the contingent beneficiary. At the death of such a contingent beneficiary, and in other instances of a beneficiary's death, where there is no contingent beneficiary, the value of any unpaid installments, discounted to the date of his or her death at the same rate used for inclusion of interest in the computation of installments will be paid, without further accrual of interest, in one sum to the estate of the beneficiary or continent beneficiary last receiving payment.
(c) In instances where payment in installments is made at the election of the beneficiary, upon his or her request, the value of such installments as remain unpaid will be discounted to the date of payment at the same rate used for inclusion of interest in the computation of installments and paid to him or her in one sum.
(d) If a member whose coverage is extended due to total disability converts the group insurance to an individual policy which is effective before he or she ceases to be totally disabled or before the end of 2 years following termination of duty, whichever is earlier, and dies while group insurance would be in effect, except for such conversion, the group insurance will be payable, provided the individual policy is surrendered for a return of premiums and without further claim. When there is no such surrender, any amount of group insurance in excess of the amount of the individual policy will be payable.
(e)
(1) The proceeds payable because of the death of an individual insured under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance or Veterans' Group Life Insurance (“decedent”) shall not be payable to any person described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section. A Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection benefit payable under § 9.20(j)(3) shall not be payable to any person described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.
(2) The persons described in this paragraph are:
(i) A person who is convicted of intentionally and wrongfully killing the decedent or determined in a civil proceeding to have intentionally and wrongfully killed the decedent;
(ii) A person who is convicted of assisting or aiding, or determined in a civil proceeding to have assisted or aided, a person described in paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section; and
(iii) A member of the family of a person described in paragraph (e)(2)(i) or (e)(2)(ii) of this section who is not related to the decedent by blood, legal adoption, or marriage.
(3) The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance or Veterans' Group Life Insurance proceeds or Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection benefit not payable under paragraph (e)(1) of this section to any person described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section is not payable to such persons even though the criminal conviction or civil determination is pending appeal.
(4)
(i) Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance or Veterans' Group Life Insurance proceeds or a Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection benefit not payable under paragraphs (e)(1) and (e)(2) of this section shall be payable to the first person or persons listed in paragraphs (e)(4)(i)(A) through (F) of this section who are surviving on the date of the decedent's death in the following order of precedence:
(A) To the next eligible beneficiary designated by the decedent in a writing received by the appropriate office of the applicable uniformed service before the decedent's death in the uniformed services in the case of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance proceeds or a Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection benefit, or in a writing received by the administrative office defined in § 9.1(b) of this part before the decedent's death in the case of Veterans' Group Life Insurance proceeds;
(B) To the decedent's widow or widower;
(C) To the decedent's child or children, in equal shares, and descendants of deceased children by representation;
(D) To the decedent's parents, in equal shares, or to the survivor of them;
(E) To the duly appointed executor or administrator of the decedent's estate;
(F) To other next of kin of the decedent as determined by the insurer (defined in § 9.1(c) of this part) under the laws of the domicile of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death.
(ii) Payment of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance or Veterans' Group Life Insurance proceeds or a Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection benefit to any person under paragraph (e)(4)(i) of this section shall bar recovery of those proceeds or that benefit by any other person.
(f) If a stillborn child is otherwise eligible to be insured by the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage of more than one member, the child shall be insured by the coverage of the child's insured biological mother.