In the Midst of a Sudden Death, Don’t Forget to Confirm Survivor’s Benefits Are Paid

It’s difficult to process the continual rising death toll of COVID-19. Many of these deaths are unexpected and are happening to people with no known pre-existing conditions or even healthy seniors.

When a death occurs, there are many things that surviving family members need to handle, from the funeral and burial arrangements to notifying others. That first week or so comes with an overwhelming number of tasks that can leave little time for grief and closure.

Following the funeral, other tasks need to be handled, such as going through your loved one’s items, canceling accounts, reviewing a will or trust, and much, much more. This is all made even more difficult right now because of the impact of the virus and the “new normal” we are faced with.

When the time is right though, you will want to make sure your loved one’s life insurance policy is reviewed, regardless of who the beneficiaries are. We have seen many situations before the pandemic where insurance companies denied paying survivor’s benefits for one reason or another. It is possible that COVID-19 may further complicate matters as insurance companies might be faced with an increase in claims across many of their products.

Our team can help. Anytime a loved one passes, make sure the appropriate people in the family have access to the life insurance policy. File a claim and make sure you receive an answer. Keep detailed records of every conversation with the insurance company. If you aren’t getting the right answers, we can help. Whether a claim has been denied or only a partial payment has been received, your loved one’s policy needs to be reviewed in detail to determine what the beneficiaries are owed.

There is enough suffering and grief to go around. We hope that you don’t find yourself in this position anytime soon. In the meantime, stay healthy and be safe.