Perhaps it was because Kerri Raissian’s father spent time in two hospitals and a nursing clinic during his last 12 days of life. Or because he only spent a few hours in the emergency room before he died. In any case, Covid-19 was not mentioned on his death certificate. Raissian has spent the last month trying to change that.
Thousands of dollars are at stake in a program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is intended to ease the financial burden of families who have lost loved ones in the pandemic. The government will reimburse up to $9,000 in funeral expenses for people who have died from the coronavirus, provided there is proper documentation.
“I understand the need for FEMA to guard against fraud, which is what this death certificate criterion is all about,” says Raissian, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut, who has spent hours on the phone trying to get her father’s medical files. and speak with the doctor who certified his death.
But the strict requirements and chaos surrounding so many deaths pose a problem: “This policy practically guarantees that many people who are entitled to these benefits will not receive them.”
More than 900,000 Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in the United States, but less than half have been the subject of complaints, according to FEMA data. About 273 thousand candidates were paid, totaling US$ 1.78 billion (R$ 9.2 billion), until the last Monday (14).
As there is no deadline to apply, eligible families can still apply for help. But this can mean the need for documents that are not always easy to obtain.
It hasn’t been easy for Raissian, who is trying to recoup some of the $13,000 he spent to bury his father, Max McGaughey, 86. He died shortly after Christmas, less than two weeks after his death. being admitted to a Texas hospital with Covid. McGaughey was discharged to a specialist nursing unit, but was rushed to the hospital when his oxygen levels dropped. He died of a heart attack hours later.
But Covid was not named on the death certificate, an oversight his daughter is trying to correct by getting proper documentation from doctors at the first hospital and the nursing unit. The certificate can then be updated by the Texas Department of Health Services. “It’s bureaucratic and prevents the end of grief, but we also really need death benefits.”
The average cost of a funeral was nearly $8,000 in 2021, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors. It is a financial burden, particularly for low-income families, the hardest hit by the pandemic, or those facing the expense much sooner than expected.
Ellen Wynn McBrayer, president of Jones-Wynn Funeral Home and Crematorium near Atlanta, helped a woman with two young children plan the funeral for her husband, who died of Covid. The reimbursement program made the sudden expenses easy. “A young family doesn’t really plan for the end of life,” she says. “They might have a headstone to visit at their father’s grave. It was a blessing in the midst of the storm.”
FEMA said nearly 415,000 people had requested funeral assistance. Approximately 97% of those who provided all documentation had been approved by February 2nd. Jaclyn Rothenberg, director of public affairs, acknowledged that some families faced obstacles, but said the government agency was responsible for doing its due diligence.
“We are always looking for ways to improve our process and make it easier for candidates, especially during these difficult times.” FEMA also hired a company to better communicate what the program is and how it works.
Applicants can facilitate the process by having all necessary documentation ready when they apply, which starts with a phone call to FEMA. To file an application, the person must be “a U.S. citizen, foreign citizen, or qualified alien.” The deceased person does not need to meet these requirements, but must have died in the US or one of its territories.
To qualify, expenses must have been incurred after January 20, 2020. All expenses for a deceased individual must be included on the same form, FEMA said. If multiple people have paid the expenses, you must file the claim, but include documentation of expenses for all contributors. One co-applicant is allowed. Refunds are limited to $35,500 if the person has lost multiple loved ones.
Death certificates issued after May 16, 2020 must list Covid as the direct or indirect cause. For coronavirus deaths before that — when there were fewer tests, at the beginning of the pandemic — there is more flexibility: applicants can provide a signed statement explaining the connection by the original death certificate or the coroner where the person died.
The program will not reimburse bills paid with assistance from another source, such as prepaid funeral contracts or burial and funeral insurance. But applicants may still be eligible for FEMA help if those sources do not cover all costs.
Dealing with paperwork in the midst of emotional trauma is difficult, but keeping clear records can make the application process easier. Wynn McBrayer said survivors intending to apply for the program should be careful to use their full legal name on receipts to match what will be used in the application. “It’s a blessing if you can find a blessing in the rubble.”
