What to Do with Insurance Policies when the Policyholder Dies
When someone dies, their loved ones are often left with a lot of questions about what to do next. One question that often comes up is what to do with insurance policies. Do you keep them? Cancel them? Transfer them to another person? What if a car insurance policyholder dies? Here's an overview of what to do with life insurance policies when the policyholder dies.
Identifying policies
The first step to take when handling insurance policies after someone dies is to identify the type of policy and the associated insurance company the policy is under. What to do with a house insurance policy after the death of the policyholder can differ from how you handle a long-term disability insurance policy or how you handle health insurance after the death of the policyholder, so you'll need to identify what kind of policy you're working with.
There are a few common types of insurance policies you should keep an eye out for, including:
- Auto insurance policies
- Life insurance policies
- Health insurance policies
- Long term disability policies (LTD)
- Home & property insurance policies
Once you know what type of policy it is, you'll need to find out the details about that policy. You can usually do this by finding a hard copy of the policy or by contacting the insurance company. (Even if you don't know the exact type of policy, if you can find the name of the company the policy is with, their support team should be able to help you along the process.)
If you can't find a copy of the policy, don't worry - the insurance company should have records of all their policies and the contact information for the beneficiaries listed on each one.
Handle insurance tasks with our checklist
Contacting the company
No matter the type of insurance policy that's left behind, it's important you get in touch with the insurance company as soon as possible. If you're the executor of the estate, it's also important that you keep up payments on the policies until they're cancelled to avoid any issues.
Some policies can be transferred to others (especially if the decedent had a spouse at the time of death) while other policies need to be terminated or rewritten. (For example, homeowners insurance can be transferred to the spouse after death, but generally can’t be transferred to adult children without the policy being rewritten.) This is why getting in touch with the insurance company as soon as possible is of high importance.
Here are some steps to notify major insurance companies of a policy holder's death.
Aflac Incorporated
Call customer service at 1 (800) 992-3522 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Allstate
Call the assigned agent or 1-800-255-7828 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
American International Group Inc
File a claim online by filling out this form.
You will need the following information:
- The decedent's account number
- The full legal name of the decedent
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Your information (including your name, phone number, email address, and information on your relationship to the decedent)
Amica
Call the customer support department at 800-242-6422 to cancel a home, auto, marine, or umbrella policy. Call 800-234-5433, ext. 89075 to cancel a life insurance policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Anthem
Contact Anthem by chat for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Assurity
Call the Claims Department at 800-869-0355 Ext. 4484 or complete the Notification of Death form.
To expedite the process, Assurity recommends the beneficiary(ies) contact the Claims Department at 800-869-0355 Ext. 4484 for confirmation of designations and to be notified of forms / supporting documentation needed.
Berkshire Hathaway
Call customer service at 1-844-411-2487 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Breeze
Call customer service at (402) 256-5230 or email at hello@meetbreeze.com for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Brighthouse Financial Inc
Call customer service for more information at one of the following phone numbers, depending on the policy type:
- Annuity Contract Servicing: (800) 882-1292
- Life Insurance Policy Servicing:
- Brighthouse SmartCare Hybrid LTC and Brighthouse SimplySelect Term policies: (800) 882-1292
- All Other Life Insurance Products: (800) 638-5000
- Individual Long Term Care Claims: (877) 582-7767
Centene
Call customer service at 314-725-4477 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Geico
Call customer service at (800) 841-1587 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Genworth Financial Inc
Find the policy/contract and fill out the relevant form listed on this page, if you're unable to find the relevant form or company, give them a call at 888.325.5433. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the decedent
- Their Social Security number
- Date of death and date of birth
- Your information (including your full name, phone number, and address)
Guardian Life
File a claim online by filling out this form.
You will likely need the following information:
- The decedent's account number
- The full legal name of the decedent
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Your information (including your name, phone number, email address, and information on your relationship to the decedent)
HCSC
Call customer service at 312-653-6000 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Humana
Call customer service at 800-285-7197 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Lemonade
Call the customer support department at 1 (844) 733-8666 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
Contact their customer service department 1 (800) 290-7933 and notify them that a death has occurred. Ask for information on what steps need to be taken to cancel the policy.
You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Lincoln National Corporation
File a claim online by filling out this form.
You will need the following information:
- The decedent's policy/contract number
- The last 4 of the decedent's Social Security number
- The full legal name of the decedent
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Your information (including your name, phone number, email address, and information on your relationship to the decedent)
MetLife Inc
Call customer service at 1-800-638-5000 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Mutual of Omaha
Call the Claims Department at 800-388-9606 or complete the Notification of Death form.
Nationwide
Call customer service at 1-800-421-3535 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Pacific Life
Call customer service at (800) 800-9534 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Principal Financial Group
Call customer service at 800-986-3343. You will need the following information:
- A certified death certificate
- A completed request for proceeds form
- The original copy of the insurance policy
Progressive
Call customer service at 1-800-776-4737 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Prudential Financial
File a claim online by filling out this form.
You will need the following information:
- The decedent's policy number
- Their Social Security number
- The full legal name of the decedent
- Their date of birth and date of death
- The name of the funeral home and their phone number
If you have any questions after filing a claim, call the Claims Center at 1-855-277-8061.
State Farm
To cancel by phone or in-person, contact your local State Farm agent by phone or visit a branch in person and explain that you'd like to cancel the decedent's policy. You'll likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
File a claim online by filling out this form.
You will need the following information:
- The decedent's account number
- The manner of death
- The full legal name of the decedent
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Your information (including your name, phone number, email address, and information on your relationship to the decedent)
If you have any questions, you can call 888-380-6428.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Call customer service at 920-628-6312 or fill out and submit this form. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the decedent
- Their Social Security number
- Date of death and date of birth
- Your information (including your full name, phone number, and address)
Travelers
Call customer service at 1-800-842-5075 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
UnitedHealth
Call customer service at 314-725-4477 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
USAAA
Call customer service at 210-531-8722 for more information on how to cancel the policy. You will likely need the following information:
- The full name of the person on the account
- Their policy number
- Date of death
- Last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number
