NEW PROVISIONS MADE IN REGARD TO WAR INSURANCE

A series of decisions issued by the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury provides more liberal conditions for reinstatement of lapsed or canceled insurance.

The provisions of Treasury Decision No. 47, allowing eighteen months from the date of discharge for reinstatement upon payment of only two months' premiums on the amount of insurance to be reinstated, are retained. That decision is liberalized, however, by a new provision that men out of the service are permitted to reinstate by merely paying the two months' premiums without making a statement as to health at any time within three calendar months following the month of discharge.

After the three months following the date of discharge have elapsed, a statement from the applicant to the effect that he is in as good health as at the date of discharge or at the expiration of the grace period, which ever is the later date, will be required together with a written application for reinstatement and the tender of two months' premiums on the amount of insurance he wishes to reinstate.

In order to give all former service men whose insurance has lapsed or been canceled, a fair chance to reinstate their insurance, including men who have been out of the service eighteen months or more, and who are therefore barred from reinstatement under the former ruling, a special blanket ruling is made which allows all ex-service men to reinstate their insurance before December 31, 1919, provided that each applicant is in as good health as at date of discharge or at expiration of the grace period, which ever is the later date, and so states in his application. Of course it is necessary that he tender the two months' premium on the amount of insurance he wishes to reinstate.

Service men who reinstated their insurance by payment of all back premiums prior to July 25, 1919, when the decision requiring payment of only two months' premiums went into effect, upon written application to the Bureau may have any premiums paid in excess of two applied toward the payment of future premiums. For example, if after a policy had lapsed for six months, a man reinstated and paid six months' premiums instead of two, he may secure credit for four months' premiums.

The provisions for reinstatement do not protect a man until he actually reinstates. If he waits he may not be in as good health as he was at the time of discharge and consequently may not be able to secure reinstatement.