Using Final Expense Insurance for Out of State Burial & Transport

A final expense death benefit is a cash payout to your beneficiary which can be used for out of state burial and transport. Any end of life expenses can be covered by the death benefit of the burial policy. The flexibility of having cash in hand for your family ensures they can bury you in your home state. It is crucial for you to plan for this now so your family gets the money they need to handle your final wishes. We are going to go over the typical costs, how to use the funds and common pitfalls to watch out for.

Understanding The Cost of Transporting Remains Across State Lines

It is important to understand the costs your family will be looking at when using final expense insurance for out of state burial & transport. There are several options for you to consider when it comes to transporting remains across states. The options are ground transport & air shipping.

Ground Transport (Mortuary Transport or Hearse)

If you plan to only be buried around 400-500 miles away in neighboring states then this is the best option for you. This typically goes per mile usually in both directions. The cost averages between $2 to $5 per mile. This would bring the total estimate between $1,500 to $3,500 depending on the exact miles. Keep in mind with the logistics that there may be refrigeration if the body is not embalmed and the drive is long.

Air Shipping (Commercial Airlines)

This is for longer distances when transporting a body over 500 miles. The typical cost for this is between $1,500 to $5,000 or more. You’ll see this with domestic flights and can reach to $4,500 to $8,000 or more when you include all dual mortuary handling fees. Your family cannot book human remains transportation directly with a commercial airline. A licensed funeral director must handle the cargo booking.

In addition to that most airlines and receiving states strictly require embalming before the air transport if a certain amount of time has passed or for public health. There are also specialized containers required, either a combo shipping container or a hermetically sealed inner case. This can add between $500 to $3,000 extra on the price of transport.

Hidden Fees

Dual Funeral Home Services(Forwarding & Receiving Remains Fee) – This typically costs between $1,000 – $3,000 for forwarding the remains. The receiving of the remains costs between $800 – $2,500.

Permits & Documentation – There are burial & transit permits in addition to multiple certified copies of death certificates. This adds between $100 – $500 depending on state regulations.

You can also check out our article on Does Burial Insurance Work Out of State?

How Final Expense Payouts Handle Out of State Funeral Costs

A final expense policy is a whole life insurance policy that pays a tax free death benefit cash payout. The beauty of this is your beneficiary will directly have the money in hand to use for the costs. This is why using final expense insurance for out of state burial & transport is so valuable.

Having the money in hand to payout as these expenses come up is the ultimate safety net. Your beneficiary can assign the funds to cover the bills from both the originating funeral home and the receiving funeral home. The insurance companies do not care where your family spends this money.

As long as the policy has been active at the time of death your family can use this money anywhere they see fit.

Example:

John received a $20,000 death benefit from his mothers final expense policy when she died. He then used this money to pay $11,000 for his mothers funeral. This left John with $9,000 in tax free money that he then used to put a down payment on his home.

That is the flexibility final expense life insurance death benefits offer.

If you are looking for a family member you can checkout our article on Can I Buy Final Expense Insurance for a Parent out of State?

Step by Step: Coordinating an Out of State Burial with Insurance Funds

• Step 1: Contact the Origin Funeral First: Inform the local mortuary where the passing happened and tell them you intend to transport the body out of state.
• Step 2: File Your Insurance Claim Quickly: Once you have the certificate of death call the final expense carrier immediately to file the claim.
• Step 3: Partner with a Receiving Funeral Director: Speak to both the funeral homes so they can handle the interstate transit permits, death certificates and the final service.
• Step 4: Payment: Use the policy death benefit to cover the dual mortuary fees, transport and burial plots.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Transporting Remains

Now we will list some of the common pitfalls to avoid when handling these logistics.

• Time: Getting the permits, embalming and transport must be done quickly do not wait or sit on this.

• Do Not Rely on Pre-Need Burial Plans: Pre-need plans typically lock in to one single funeral home and charge additional transfer fees. This is why we never recommend pre-need burial plans. Final expense plans compared to this give your family the lump sum of money to do whatever they need to. Instead of pre-funding a burial typically restricted to one funeral home, your family has the cash in hand to pay any expenses and multiple funeral homes.

• Name the Correct Beneficiary: Make sure the person you name on the policy is the right person to handle logistics. If your beneficiary is a responsible person they will be able to use the funds properly.

Conclusion

Using final expense insurance for out of state transport and burial provides you with unrestricted finances and freedom. This allows your family to manage the logistics of both the burial & transportation. Having cash in hand quickly for your beneficiaries will spare them from scrambling and coming out of pocket.

Use our quote tool on this page to look at quotes and secure coverage with us today! Our agents are experts at assisting you to find the best coverage for your situation. Secure your family’s peace of mind today.