Does Medicare Cover Funeral Costs and Final Expenses?

Funeral costs and final expenses have the potential to become a significant strain on your family after you die.

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial in 2021 was $7,848. That price does not include cemetery charges, monument charges and other potential bills such as for an obituary.

Cost associated with a funeral are not considered medical expenses, which means they are not covered under Medicare. Medicare will, however, cover mental health services, including grief counseling.

For other, non-medical fees, a few limited options are available through government programs. With proper planning, you can help ease the burden of financial obligations your loved ones may face after you die.

Your loved ones could potentially use a Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) to help cover funeral costs. An MSA is a Medicare Advantage plan that sets up a bank account for you to use to cover your health expenses. It is only available in some states and has a high deductible.

Anything left in the account when you die becomes part of your estate and could go back to your family or beneficiary and be used toward your final expenses. The funds may not cover everything because funerals can be costly. Depending on how quickly your family moves forward with burial services, the money might not be available in time.

Social Security may provide a death payment that can be used toward funeral expenses, but it is unlikely to be a substantial amount. Your surviving spouse or child will receive a lump-sum payment of $255 if they meet certain requirements.

In most cases, your spouse will receive the death payment if you are living together when you die. If you are not living together at the time of your death, your spouse can still be eligible for the payment so long as they receive certain Social Security benefits on your record.

If you are not survived by a spouse, the money can go to your child or children if they are eligible for benefits on your record in the month of your death.

According to AARP, this benefit should be automatically paid out once the death is reported to the Social Security Administration. But since funeral services often take place very quickly, there is a chance this money won’t arrive in time.

If your spouse or child is eligible but not receiving benefits when you die, they must apply for the death payment within two years of the date of death.

Other options are available to help cover funeral expenses. Depending on your situation, you may decide to purchase final expense insurance, set aside funds in a bank account or use benefits from a government program, such as VA benefits.

Final expense insurance is permanent life insurance that includes a death benefit to cover funeral expenses. You may be able to obtain this type of policy, also known as burial insurance, without having to undergo a medical examination or answer health-related questions, making it a good option for seniors.

A burial fund is money that is specifically set aside to pay for burial or funeral expenses. You can typically save up to $1,500 to go towards your burial. In some states, you can directly contract with a funeral home to prepay for your burial.

A payable on death, or POD, account is a bank account that will automatically transfer to the named beneficiary after your death. It will supersede any wishes in your last will and testament, so make sure your POD account and will don’t conflict.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could help pay for your burial if you are a veteran. If the death is not service-related, your family could receive a $300 burial allowance as well as $807 for a plot. Surviving loved ones can receive $2,000 for a service-related death. Veterans can also receive a gravesite and headstone in a national VA cemetery for free.

You will need to report a Medicare beneficiary’s death — whether they had been receiving Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage.

Receiving benefits meant for someone who has died is considered fraud, and you should notify Social Security of a death as soon as possible.

Have the deceased person’s Social Security number ready and call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report the death.

The funeral home you use can often handle contacting Medicare and Social Security to report the death if you give them the Social Security number.

A death must also be reported to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board if the deceased person had been receiving benefits. A RRB representative can be reached at 1-877-772-5772.