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The NGAUS Insurance Trust provides critical disability income protection for dual-status technicians and Title 5 civilian employees, ensuring financial stability when illness or injury prevents them from working.
Established following Executive Order 10996 (1962) and the National Guard Technician Act (1968) to address gaps in technician benefits, the program has evolved into a one-of-a-kind comprehensive and accessible safety net.
The program now offers guaranteed-acceptance coverage for newly hired employees and one year of free disability insurance for those who enroll within their first 31 days of employment. Also available to Technicians is guaranteed acceptance for group life insurance coverage up to $50,000 if applied for during the first 31 days of employment.
Administered by AGIA and underwritten by New York Life, the program currently covers approximately 4,500 Guardsmen nationwide.
The plan replaces an average of 60% of monthly income and provides both basic and supplemental benefits, with eligibility extending to technicians and Title 5 employees under age 65.
Benefit periods vary, with coverage generally covering up to three years for illness and up to 10 years for injuries. Coverage applies to a wide range of disabling conditions, including cancer, heart disease and common service-related musculoskeletal injuries.
It also includes maternity leave, two months of benefits for medically retired technicians, and automatic suspension of premiums during federal mobilizations. Payroll deduction makes continued participation easy and automatic.
Premiums were also suspended during the recent government shutdown, but the coverage continued.
“The insurance program provides a layer of security for technicians and their families,” said Luke Guthrie, director of NGAUS Insurance Trust. “We hope you never have to use the insurance, but in the unlikely case that you do, we are proud of the financial protection that it provides.”
About 10 years ago, the Insurance Trust saw a major spike in disability claims over two years. Many of the claims were from technicians coming off multiple deployments who then experienced back, shoulder and knee issues that prevented them from working.
NGAUS encourages adjutants general and HR officers to consistently inform newly hired technicians and Title 5 civilians so they can take full advantage of this long-standing and impactful benefit.
—By Michael Metz
