Burial Insurance: What You Need to Know

Burial insurance is usually a type of life insurance policy intended to cover costs associated with your death. After you die, burial insurance (sometimes referred to as funeral insurance) pays benefits to your beneficiary who can then use the money for final expenses, including outstanding bills, legal costs, debts, and, of course, your funeral or cremation.

There are occasional instances where burial insurance refers to a “preneed” or “prepaid” plan, which are funds that go directly to a funeral home to cover the costs of a burial. For the purpose of this article, mean the same as preneed or prepaid plans.

Is Burial Insurance Worth It?

You probably already take steps to help your family’s financial well-being, such as maintaining income and a life insurance policy. But what about taking care of your loved ones after you’re gone? When they consider funeral planning, many people only think of setting up a will. But burial insurance (or one of its funeral insurance cousins, preneed insurance) is a way to make sure your family will have the funds they may need to cover your final expenses.

While it’s never fun to talk about—or think about—one’s own mortality, it’s inevitable for all of us. Burial insurance will give your family one less hassle during an already trying time.

Let’s take a look at burial insurance, how it differs from a prepaid funeral or preneed insurance, and what it can do for you and your loved ones.

How Burial Insurance Works

Here are some general guidelines that are true for most burial insurance policies:

• Burial insurance can be issued to people 50+.
• A burial insurance policy cost can vary depending on your current health, the insurance provider, and the type of plan you choose.
• Cash benefits will go directly to the person you select as your beneficiary.
• Premiums can be paid monthly or yearly, whichever is most convenient for you.
• Your burial insurance policy has no expiration date as long as premiums payments are current.
• Your premiums will not increase and the coverage amount is payable until you reach age 100 or 120.

Burial Insurance FAQs

What if I already have a life insurance policy?

Some people purchase burial insurance in addition to an existing life insurance policy. This is simply because they want to dedicate funds to specific needs. They do not want their beneficiaries to dip into monies from a life insurance policy to cover a costly funeral. Given that someone’s death can result in a number of unforeseen expenses, such as medical bills, attorney’s fees, and even taxes, it may be a good idea to have a different set of funds set up to handle each set of responsibilities.

Why wouldn’t I just use my income?

Relying on your income can be a poor overall strategy. Did you know the number one cause for bankruptcies in the U.S. is medical debt?¹ Many people underestimate how a serious illness or disease can hurt their financial standing.

Can I use burial insurance if I already have a plan from my funeral home?

Many people choose to contact a burial insurance company despite having some type of prepaid funeral arrangements through their funeral home. The reasons are the same as for those who choose to purchase burial coverage in addition to a life insurance policy. They often want additional or dedicated coverage for certain expenses. Prepaid funeral plans bought from a funeral home will generally only cover the cost of your funeral. They do not typically include any funds to cover additional costs or debts.

If you have not yet purchased funeral insurance and are contemplating which to choose, a prepaid funeral plan or a burial insurance policy, it could be more valuable to go with the burial/final expense plan. Burial insurance should always be purchased through a licensed insurance agent. Plans bought through funeral homes are often brokered through a funeral service director. There have been instances where policies were misrepresented or changed after the signer passed on. They will sometimes not be honored if the funeral home has switched owners.

Don’t I get free burial as a veteran?

While it’s true that military veterans have automatic burial benefits, the allowance is capped at $2,000 for service-related death and $300 otherwise.² These benefits are also reimbursement-based, which means families may need access to funding to pay the initial bill before they can be reimbursed. Veterans also qualify for free burial and some associated services in National Cemeteries. These benefits will certainly help ease the burden of burial costs, but burial insurance is more flexible and can be applied to several different types of debts. You may contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for more information on this and other VA benefits.

Won’t Medicaid or Social Security cover these expenses?

While specific amounts vary by state, you can apply funds toward an irrevocable funeral trust instead of counted as assets. Social Security provides $255 to a surviving spouse or child to help with funeral expenses.³

I’ve made provisions for final expenses in my will. Isn’t that enough?

A will may not be read until after your funeral. One way to be sure your family knows your wishes—and doesn’t have to come up with funding for them—is with burial insurance.

Average Expenses

The expense of laying a loved one to rest can be a challenge. These costs can present a problem when families may need to pay for a loved one’s funeral service and burial.

Average Funeral Costs

In 2021, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) provided median costs for various funeral types. An average funeral with cremation costs $6,971—if you decide to go with a funeral with a viewing and burial, this price escalates to $7,848.⁴ Fees such as those for flowers, an obituary, cash advance fees, or monument or marker costs aren’t figured into this calculation. Cash advance fees come into play when your funeral provider pays a third-party vendor on your behalf and can include service fees. If you use an online calculator when drawing up your budget, be aware that it may not include all your costs. Some online resources don’t account for a burial plot, or even common expenses like a casket or urn. The expense of a burial plot varies widely, so we haven’t included it in this breakdown. Don’t forget to take your preference into account when estimating your final expenses.

Funeral with Burial:⁵

• Metal Casket: $2,500
• Basic Services Fee: $2,300
• Vault: $1,572
• Embalming: $775
• Facilities/Staff for Ceremony: $515
• Facilities/Staff for Viewing: $450
• Hearse: $325
• Removal or Transfer of Remains: $350
• Misc. Preparation: $275
• Printing for Memorial: $183
• Service Vehicle(s): $150

Funeral with Cremation:⁵

Cremations are more popular than burials.⁴ Some families choose to have viewing and memorial services before cremation occurs. Others have cremation first and use the urn to symbolize their loved one during these services.

• Basic Services Fee: $2,300
• Cremation Casket: $1,310
• Embalming: $775
• Facilities/Staff for Ceremony: $515
• Facilities/Staff for Viewing: $450
• Third-Party Cremation Fee: $368
• Removal or Transfer of Remains: $350
• Urn: $295
• Misc. Preparation: $275
• Printing for Memorial: $183
• Service Vehicle(s): $150

It’s easy to see how these costs can stack up and leave loved ones in a lurch when it’s time to pay for burial expenses. When families can’t afford a funeral service or burial, they may find themselves scrambling for options—taking out loans (and therefore taking on debt), checking into low-cost resources, or borrowing money from friends.

The truth is, it’s unlikely anyone other than yourself will set aside the funds to cover your burial expenses. In fact, less than 4 in 10 people have enough in their savings account to handle a surprise $1,000 expense.⁶ Taking control of this expense now with a burial insurance policy means your family call to the insurance company to access their benefit. Let’s break down the three plan types and how they differ.

Preneed vs. Burial Insurance—What’s the Difference?

If you’ve Googled “funeral insurance,” it probably didn’t take long for bewilderment to set in. The terms “burial insurance” and “preneed insurance” are explained with overlapping, blurred definitions. Don’t worry—we’re here to break it down for you. Since the terms often get muddled, even within the insurance industry, work with a licensed insurance agent who can understand your needs and clearly communicate exactly what you are purchasing.

Preneed Insurance

These plans only cover costs associated with burial and a funeral service. The beneficiary is usually the funeral home. Preneed plans allow you to pay for burial and funeral costs upfront. Your arrangements will be locked in, the benefit amount will stay fixed, and you will not be able to borrow against your funds.

Pros and Cons of Preneed Insurance

• Your loved ones will know they’re giving you the funeral service you wanted.
• You can pay for these policies outright without using a payment plan.
• If you choose this type of insurance, you’ll want to carefully review the preneed contract—or enlist the help of a lawyer. Pay special attention to what goods and services associated with the funeral may not be covered.
• Preneed policies may come along with taxes on income or interest due to any invested funds.
• Because these policies are a contract with a particular funeral home, you may be restricted to that company’s service area.
• The products and services you select when putting together a prepaid plan may not be available at the time of your death.
• Choose your provider carefully.
• The price of products and services you select is not always guaranteed. Check your preneed contract to find out whether your plan guarantees these costs or who will be responsible for paying the difference.
• Prepayment is less adaptable than burial insurance. If your plans change or you move out of the company’s service area, you may no longer be covered.
• The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule requires funeral service providers to equip clients with an itemized list of expenses and entitles consumers to other disclosures. However, some features of prepaid contracts fall under the jurisdiction of the state where they’re sold, so this rule does not apply. Protections surrounding prepaid plans vary from state to state.

Questions to Ask When Considering a Preneed Plan

What does the law require?
Knowing what your state mandates by law and what is optional allows you to make the most informed choices when planning your funeral. For example, some states require embalming, while others leave it up to you. However, some funeral homes may require embalming for services with visitation or viewing. No states require caskets to be used in cremation.

Am I getting the best value?
The FTC recommends shopping around and checking prices for many different vendors so you can compare costs.

Which goods or services can I buy separately?
You aren’t locked in to purchasing everything you need from your preneed provider. You might get a better value selecting other vendors for embalming, a casket, or a memorial service. Caskets, for example, can be the most expensive item included in your funeral expenses.

Are you independent and locally owned?
Appearances can be deceiving. The FTC explains that “many neighborhood funeral homes may appear to be locally owned when in fact, they’re owned by a national corporation.” If you intend to support local business, asking whether the provider is independent and locally owned is the only way to be sure.

What are my package options?
Some funeral providers might have package deals that provide greater value when you get all the services you’ll need in one place. Ask what’s available so you can consider these choices.

Which costs are estimates?
Any of those fees your funeral provider pays for you to third party vendors—cash advance fees, in other words—may be estimates that are subject to change.

What are the restrictions and costs of the cemetery I’ve chosen?
Some cemeteries may require measures that your state doesn’t, such as outer burial containers or perpetual care fees. These considerations can add hundreds of dollars to your final expenses. Be sure you know any restrictions or fees associated with a cemetery before purchasing a plot there. Using a mausoleum or columbarium is likely to have its own associated fees.

May I see the itemized prices for caskets and outer burial containers?
While some funeral homes may list casket prices on their General Price List (GPL), you’re more likely to find this information in a separate document. Be sure to ask for it if you don’t see casket prices listed so you have a general idea of all your options.

Are there optional goods and services we haven’t accounted for?
If your goal is to take stress off your family at the time of your death, you’ll want to be sure everything is handled ahead of time. Optional goods and services may include transportation of your body, fees associated with the graveside service, certain containers, interment, and more.

What if I want to cancel the contract, move, or my provider goes out of business?
Because your contract is with the funeral home and not an insurance company, policies (or the lack thereof) covering these items can vary among providers. Make sure to choose a policy that covers you in the event of these scenarios.

Burial Insurance

Burial insurance covers the cost of services and burial like the other plans that were discussed, but it has a few benefits that differentiate it from preneed or prepaid funeral packages. Burial insurance will kick in to help cover outstanding debts, probate fees, and expenses other than your burial. Unlike with preneed plans, you’ll be able to choose your beneficiary. Burial insurance is a type of life insurance. It may be either a term or a whole life policy, depending on whether you get coverage only during the term of your plan or until the policy ends when you’re 100 or 120.

Burial Insurance Highlights:

• Your policy value accrues with time.
• Older people may pay higher premiums than their younger counterparts.
• You get to select a beneficiary, who is legally authorized to spend the benefit as needed. Most people choose a partner or relative. You can leave instructions for the beneficiary as to how you’d like the funds distributed or to specify details of your funeral service.
• No medical exam is required, and your policy can’t be cancelled if your health changes. People in poor health won’t be declined but instead may be granted graded benefits, which offer only a portion of the policy for the first few years of coverage.
• Extra benefits are available if you die as a result of an accident for an additional cost.
• You don’t need to pay for your entire policy at once. Premium payments can be set up monthly or yearly.
• Burial insurance is adaptable enough to let your loved ones spend the benefit the way they see fit. This allows for coverage of common expenses such as medical bills, probate or legal fees, and other outstanding debts that aren’t covered by burial insurance or preneed policies.
• Burial insurance allows you to allocate funds toward your burial, funeral arrangements, and other expenses without being tied to specific providers, geographic areas, or plans. Because of the amount of time that can pass between choosing and using a policy, final expense insurance makes sure your options stay open.
• Final expense policies can build a tax-deferred dividend value you can borrow against. In addition to protecting your family’s finances, you’re building an accessible line of credit in case of emergency.
• Because burial insurance is so flexible, you can address your wishes without worrying about your plan being based on outdated prices or products. That means many of the questions you’d need to worry about or parts of a contract you’d have to carefully review with preneed or burial insurance just don’t apply. There are a few things you should be aware of when enrolling, though.

Questions to Ask When Considering a Final Expense or Burial Insurance Plan

Who will my beneficiary be?

Remember that while you can instruct your beneficiary on how you’d like funds allocated, the choice is ultimately up to them. In some ways, this freedom is a good thing because circumstances may change after you’ve made your wishes clear. But with great freedom comes great responsibility. You’ll want to choose someone you can trust to make the best decisions with the benefit you leave. For this reason, many people choose a partner or family member—specifically, someone with an insurable interest. That term simply means the beneficiary depends on the insured party’s income or faces some other loss in the case of the insured’s death.

What Is Meant by Cash Value?

When you own a life insurance policy with cash value, your premium payments get allocated 3 ways. A portion goes to the actual cost of the insurance. Another portion goes to the insurance company’s operating costs. And a third portion goes to the policy’s cash value. As you continue to pay your premiums, this cash value grows. This feature affords you the ability to take a partial loan against the policy.

The main advantage of borrowing against your policy is that you can usually do so with no credit check. There’s no application process like when you borrow from a bank or other institution. And these loans typically won’t show up on your credit report. You also aren’t obligated to pay them back on a specific timetable like you would if you used a credit card. Probably the biggest benefit is that often, these loans come with a lower interest rate than a financial institution charges.

Is There a Waiting Period?

Most burial insurance policies with level benefits provide immediate full death benefits from the first day of coverage. Insurance is considered effective once the application is approved and the initial premium is paid. The policy effective date will be displayed on the paperwork. If the policy has a graded benefit, then partial benefits are available at time of issue, with full benefits available after the policy has been in force for a set period of time.

The Benefits of Preneed & Burial Insurance Plans

Benefit	Burial Insurance	Preneed/Prepaid Insurance	Terminal Illness
Expenses covered:	A variety of burial expenses are covered	Burial/funeral costs only	The preneed or burial insurance policy pays out if the terminally ill patient will die within 12 months
Beneficiary:	Your choice	Funeral home	Your choice
Specific arrangements:	Remain flexible, although you give instructions	Locked in at the time you choose	Remain flexible, the policy can still pay out after death
Cost:	Varies	Varies by provider and selection; solely covers funeral costs	Varies
Benefit Amount:	Tax-free savings are built up over time	Once the plan is paid for, the benefit amount remains the same	Tax-free savings are built up over time
Balance May Be Borrowed Against:	Yes	No

Personalize how you’ll be remembered. When you use funeral insurance to manage your final expenses, you’ll have the opportunity to tell your loved ones about the kind of service you want. With burial insurance or final expense insurance, you’ll leave instructions for the named beneficiary. Preneed or prepaid funeral plans will let you set these details with the funeral home. Leaving clear direction on your wishes keeps your family from wondering whether they’ve made the decisions you would have wanted.

Help your family during a vulnerable time. Emotions can run high when people are grieving. Sometimes people spend more than they comfortably can on a funeral service because they want to memorialize their loved one properly. With a funeral insurance plan, you’ll have made these decisions ahead of time, freeing your family from the guilt and heartache that can be associated with putting a dollar amount on the service they’ll give you.

Make these decisions without the stress of a time crunch. When you decide to manage your final expenses on your own, you’re making sure these choices are made thoughtfully, with enough time to consider all your options. If family members are left to make these decisions after your passing, they’re likely to be dealing with other pressures on their time and attention—not to mention the time it takes to grieve the loss of a loved one.

Don’t make your family wait for reimbursement of final expenses. Funeral insurance plans make cash available quickly so your family can manage your final expenses. Other options for handling these costs may include waiting for reimbursement or probate delays.

Still Have Questions? HealthMarkets Can Help

A lot of material has been covered here, so it’s understandable if you feel a bit overwhelmed. The good news is that you don’t have to make these preparations alone. HealthMarkets can help you choose a burial insurance plan plan, at no cost to you. Call a licensed insurance agent today at (800) 827-9990, or find a licensed insurance agent in your area today.