FEMA announced that they would be reimbursing families of people who died of Covid from January 1 to December 31, 2020 up to $9,000 toward a funeral bill. You may visit the FEMA Funeral Assistance and call  844-684-6333.

Necessary Documents for Reimbursement

  1. Your identification as the next-of-kin (copy of driver’s license, passport, etc)
  2. A paid funeral bill along with your cancelled check or credit card statement showing the payment
  3. A certified copy of the death certificate showing the cause of death as Covid

What do I do if the cause of death is not listed as Covid?

The last item has been cause for some concern for a number of reasons. First and foremost many hospitals and nursing homes were not listing Covid as a cause of death. If Covid is not listed as a cause you are not eligible for this reimbursement. If you feel that the person did die of Covid and the facility made an error you should contact the facility and ask them to correct the cause of death. This is something that must unfortunately come from the family and not from the funeral director.
If the death occurred outside of New York City the death certificate that you have should state the cause of death.
If the death occurred within the City of New York and the death certificate was issued by the Medical Examiner’s office the certificate should also state the cause of death.

How to get a death certificate with cause of death from the City of New York

However, if the death occurred in a hospital or nursing home within the City of New York the cause of death is kept confidential due to HIPPA requirements. The City is allowing special orders for certified copies which will include the cause of death. I would suggest you start the process if you are eligible for this reimbursement as the City is sure to get overwhelmed with requests.
You must do the following:
  1. Print the attached Death Certificate Application and fill it out completely
  2. Sign where indicated and have notarized
  3. Mail the Application along with a copy of your identification (driver’s license) and a check made payable to “NYC Department of Health” for $15 per certified copy to the address on the top of the application
It will most likely take the City 6-8 weeks to process the application and send out the certified copy to you.
In the meantime you should check the FEMA website link FEMA to check periodically to see if they post any updates on submitting claims.

Contact Us with Any Questions

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email joe@bronxfuneralhome.com.

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