Posted on May 9, 2022
Few eligible families have sought federal payment of COVID funeral expenses
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/05/09/ [login to see] /fema-covid-funerals
On a humid August afternoon in 2020, two caskets – one silver, one white – sat by holes in the ground at a small, graveside service in the town of Travelers Rest, S.C.
The family had just lost a mom and dad, both to COVID.
"They died five days apart," says Allison Leaver, who now lives in Maryland with her husband and kids.
When Leaver's parents died that summer, it was a crushing tragedy. And there was no life insurance or burial policy to help with the expense.
"We just figured we were just going to have to put that on our credit cards and pay it off, and that's how we were going to deal with that," the public school teacher says with a laugh of resignation.
On a humid August afternoon in 2020, two caskets – one silver, one white – sat by holes in the ground at a small, graveside service in the town of Travelers Rest, S.C.
The family had just lost a mom and dad, both to COVID.
"They died five days apart," says Allison Leaver, who now lives in Maryland with her husband and kids.
When Leaver's parents died that summer, it was a crushing tragedy. And there was no life insurance or burial policy to help with the expense.
"We just figured we were just going to have to put that on our credit cards and pay it off, and that's how we were going to deal with that," the public school teacher says with a laugh of resignation.
Few eligible families have sought federal payment of COVID funeral expenses
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Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."For those who don't know
NPR analyzed FEMA's data compared to official COVID fatalities through March 15, 2022. Washington, D.C., led the nation with applications for 77% of deaths. States clustered in the South had the highest participation rate in the program, with North Carolina approaching applications for two-thirds of deaths. Other states remain well below a 50% participation rate. In Oregon and Washington, less than one in three deaths resulted in an application.
It's generally not a question of eligibility. There are no income limits, and life insurance does not preclude participation. And there is still no deadline. One of the few disqualifiers (detailed here) is if a funeral was pre-paid.
"We need people to continue helping us get the word out," Rothenberg says. "We know we have more work to do."
FEMA is launching an outreach campaign to promote the program since there's plenty of money left. The agency is focusing on the populous states of California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, and efforts are targeting vulnerable populations.
The government is also leaning on community groups connected to those who most need to know about the money.
COVID Survivors for Change, founded by Chris Kocher, has been helping people navigate the process, including through a Facebook webinar."...
..."For those who don't know
NPR analyzed FEMA's data compared to official COVID fatalities through March 15, 2022. Washington, D.C., led the nation with applications for 77% of deaths. States clustered in the South had the highest participation rate in the program, with North Carolina approaching applications for two-thirds of deaths. Other states remain well below a 50% participation rate. In Oregon and Washington, less than one in three deaths resulted in an application.
It's generally not a question of eligibility. There are no income limits, and life insurance does not preclude participation. And there is still no deadline. One of the few disqualifiers (detailed here) is if a funeral was pre-paid.
"We need people to continue helping us get the word out," Rothenberg says. "We know we have more work to do."
FEMA is launching an outreach campaign to promote the program since there's plenty of money left. The agency is focusing on the populous states of California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, and efforts are targeting vulnerable populations.
The government is also leaning on community groups connected to those who most need to know about the money.
COVID Survivors for Change, founded by Chris Kocher, has been helping people navigate the process, including through a Facebook webinar."...
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