Even though the funeral was not required, the bill came in at nearly $2,000, which is more than Olson originally covered. Her daughter and she learned about a federal program that reimburses families for funeral expenses for COVID-19 victims.
Olson's daughter, Olson, submitted an application to Federal Emergency Management Agency. She received a deposit in June and was able reimburse her mother $1,974.
Olson, 80, from Villa Rica, Georgia, said that if this had not been possible, they would have paid the money themselves. "There was no red tape. It was an easy and well-managed process.
Dec. 6: 226,000 people were able to share in FEMA's nearly $1.5 billion funeral cost reimbursement. This was after January 20, 2020, when the first confirmed case of COVID-19 occurred in the U.S. It's evident that not all families eligible for reimbursement have taken advantage of this funeral benefit.
Olson stated that her son-in law was often on the road, working on air conditioning systems for restaurants, theaters and businesses. He began to feel sick. After several days at home, Olson said that he was admitted to the hospital where he was placed on a ventilator. He died several weeks later.
She said, "He couldn't overcome it."
For reimbursement purposes, death certificates of those who died after May 16, 2020 must show that COVID-19 was the cause.
Death certificates for deaths occurring in the first months of the pandemic (January 20 through May 16, 2020) must be accompanied by a signed statement from the medical examiner, coroner, or other certifying official indicating that COVID-19 was either the cause or a contributing factor to the death.
According to FEMA state-by-state data, the percentage of individuals who were reimbursed varies greatly from one state to another. It ranges from almost 40% in North Carolina and Maryland to less than 15% in Idaho or Oregon.
Although the reimbursement must be paid directly to the individuals, some funeral directors are able to inform grieving families about the benefit.
David Shipper, the owner of Sunset Funeral Home, Cremation Center & Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana put up ads to inform people that assistance was available if they were eligible after the benefit was announced.
"Nine thousand dollars -- that is a lot of money." He said that they wanted to find a way for people to hear about it. "We have stopped advertising a while back, but we still tell people about it when we have a new family that has lost a loved one to COVID."
He said that workers at the home will meet with families to gather paperwork and then contact FEMA by phone. If they have any questions, they will help them walk through the process.
Shipper stated that while many families might not be aware of the benefit, others may choose to avoid the cash because they are hesitant to go back to the grief of the death. Shipper said that the best time to get help is during funeral planning.
Shipper stated that they are more likely to benefit from the offer right away than if they have already spent the money and don’t want to give it back to you again.
Some of the largest shares of FEMA reimbursement money go to the states with the greatest populations.
California and Texas have received more than 21,000 reimbursements from the program. Both states have reported more than 74,000 COVID-19-related deaths. Each state received more than $141 millions in residents' applications.
Vermont has the lowest number of reimbursements, with 123 people receiving a total amount of $704,000.
FEMA covers funeral services, cremation, interment, aswell as costs for caskets or other urns and niches for burial or cremation, markers or headstones and transportation or transfer of remains. It also covers clergy or officiant service and staff.
Federal stimulus funds have been used to fund the program, which is still available. Online applications are not allowed.
FEMA states that it takes less than 30 days to determine whether an individual is eligible after all necessary documents have been received and verified. Direct deposit applicants may be able to receive their money within days after eligibility has been confirmed. Requests for a check may take longer.
According to Ellen Wynn McBrayer of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory, Villa Rica, Georgia, the reimbursement is one way to help ease the financial and emotional burdens that the pandemic has wreaked upon communities all over the country.
She spoke of a woman who lost her husband, mother and one of her children to the virus in six months. The virus also claimed the life of a funeral home worker.
She said, "To have to support a grieving family is hard enough on a regular day, but it's so much harder to see so many people die." COVID has broken many hearts and taken many lives.
