Why Massachusetts Residents Need Final Expense Coverage
Funerals cost more than many families expect. The U.S. median for a funeral with a viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023, and that figure leaves out the cemetery plot, headstone and flowers (NFDA, 2023). A funeral with a viewing and cremation had a median of $6,280.
Final expense insurance, also called burial insurance, is a small whole life insurance policy meant to cover those costs. The money goes to your beneficiary, who can use it for the funeral, medical bills or anything else.
Who Can Get Coverage in Massachusetts?
Each policy has its own issue ages and rules. Most final expense policies skip the medical exam. Simplified issue policies ask health questions and may check prescription records, so some people are turned down or offered a different plan.
Guaranteed issue policies ask no health questions. In exchange, they usually pay a limited benefit, often your premiums back plus some interest, if death from natural causes happens in the first two years. See guaranteed issue life insurance explained.
What Does It Cost in Massachusetts?
Your premium depends on your age, sex, health answers, tobacco use, coverage amount and the type of policy. Guaranteed issue costs more than a policy that asks health questions. Read how much final expense insurance costs for the details.
How to Check an Agent in Massachusetts
Agents who sell life insurance in Massachusetts must hold a Massachusetts license. You can find the Massachusetts insurance department through the NAIC directory of state insurance departments, look up a license, or file a complaint.
When you plan a funeral, the federal FTC Funeral Rule lets you get prices by phone, get a written price list, and buy only the goods and services you want.