The United States Automobile Association (USAA) was founded by 25 military veterans in 1922 to cover the insurance needs of military veterans. Since then, the agency has become one of the Fortune 500 in the United States. It has also opened its doors to include more members in the coverage. The organization started as an auto insurance company and has grown to cover other areas such as property insurance.
The founding mission of the USAA was to help military families to get quality motor insurance at affordable rates. The fact that it focuses mainly on military families, many think that it is only focused on military families. However, there is more to the organization and for now, let’s learn about the eligibility criteria for USAA insurance coverage.
The Military Families’ Eligibility
All military families, active and retired, have an automatic ticket to get insurance coverage. The families, whether together or separated/divorced, have access to the insurance coverage; however, you must provide divorce papers to prove the separation.
Other military personnel, such as the officers in the commissioning programs such as OCS/OTS, Military Academies, and ROTC, can access the coverage even before deployment. Reserve officers and national guard members can have access to the USAA.
If you are a military member, whether active or retired, you can only retain the cover as long as you honorably leave the military. If you are discharged dishonorably, the coverage will not be issued even if you are close. The dishonorable dismissal from the force can also lead to losing insurance coverage. When you lose coverage, you can also affect those affiliated with you, such as close and distant family.
Non-Military Personnel Who are Eligible for Coverage
Many people consider the USAA military insurance; however, it offers services beyond the military personnel and services. One of the questions people struggle with is, am I eligible for USAA insurance? Yes, there is coverage for those not directly involved in the military.
Immediate families of retired and active military veterans can have access. The immediate family, including in-laws, wife, divorcee, and children, can access the insurance coverage. Widows and widowers have access to the coverage; however, if they remarry, the range is not applicable.
If you have parents, cousins, and uncles who served in the military, especially the World War II and the Vietnam war, you are eligible for coverage as long as you can show the proof.
For a child or close family members to get the cover, your parents or relatives must have accessed the coverage while they were alive. Suppose your father or grandparents died before joining the USAA; you will not have access to the coverage. You cannot access or qualify for the cover if your parents are deceased without the coverage. That is why you must provide evidence of coverage before accessing the cover.
The Age Factor
Eligible candidates include adult children of parents with USAA or those who have served USAA car and property coverage. The child must be 18 years and above to access the coverage. However, you can include children under 18 in the policy coverage as beneficiaries. You can also access the cover if your guardian has the coverage or is an eligible member of the force. They do not have to be directly your parents. This makes it easier for those adopted to military families and have a certificate of adoption to access the coverage
Can Parents Access Cover From Their Military Children?
If you have coverage or qualify for the coverage, your parents will not automatically qualify for the coverage. The membership eligibility cannot be passed to parents, nor can it be given to siblings. Your wife and children will access the coverage as long as they have the evidence. The critical tip to understand is that membership passes downwards but not upwards. For example, a daughter-in-law is eligible for coverage but not a father or mother-in-law.
If you marry a girl with a military connection, you qualify for coverage even when not directly related or coming from a military family. You are eligible by extension as an in-law and married.
Other Eligibility Requirements
The other eligibility criteria include conditions needed for additional insurance coverage. One is that you must be a citizen of the United States. You may be affiliated with a military grandparent or an ex-military member. Still, you must prove you are a citizen of the United States by providing your social security members. If you are directly related to a veteran, but your citizenship belongs to another country, you may not qualify for the coverage.
Other misconduct, such as reckless driving, may affect your accessibility to auto insurance. In the era of digital technologies, nowadays, cars are fitted with AI technology to determine your driving behavior before you get the premium quotation. If you have many records of causing accidents and reckless driving, your risk ratings may sometimes be too high; hence, the company will choose whether to reject the risk coverage or raise your premiums.
You must also provide the relevant documentation to qualify for the cover. Failing to provide critical information will lead to the dismissal of your coverage. Other factors such as cases or accusations of terrorism financing can affect your ability to access the coverage.
Conclusion
The eligibility criteria for the USAA qualification is to ensure only the right people access the coverage and the organization maintains its mission. Once you meet all these criteria, you need to sign up through their website to access the services. Before you subscribe, you need to double-check to ensure you meet all the requirements, including those required for other insurance coverage.
