Most Americans don’t have access to Medicaid funeral assistance, though four states do offer burial or cremation expense assistance for citizens and consider Medicaid enrollment in eligibility. These include:

  • Colorado
  • Indiana
  • Wisconsin 
  • Wyoming

Medicaid was established to provide medical assistance for eligible groups, including seniors, people with disabilities, and children requiring long-term care. While it’s a federal program, each state directs its own Medicaid program, so eligibility and assistance vary and change frequently with legislation.

This makes it difficult to track which states provide funeral assistance for Medicaid recipients, so double-check current laws with your state’s website. Otherwise, explore which states offer state-level assistance and Medicaid benefits for funeral, burial, or cremation costs below. 

Medicaid Death Benefits By State

A color-coded U.S. map indicated which states have Medicaid benefits, state benefits, both, or neither.

State legislators determine Medicaid fund allocation, so state programs can change frequently and vary drastically. This can make it tough to determine what benefits are available when you need them, so we created this guide for state funeral assistance for Medicaid recipients and residents. 

This chart is a helpful tool for finding potential benefits, but you should always confirm programs with your state’s website or Department of Human Services since laws are updated frequently. 

StateMedicaid Funeral Assistance (2023)State Funeral Assistance (2023)
AlabamaNoNo
AlaskaNoYes — General Relief Assistance
ArizonaNoNo
ArkansasNoNo
CaliforniaNoNo
ColoradoYesYes — Burial Assistance Program
ConnecticutNoYes — Department of Social Services
DelawareNoNo
FloridaNoNo
GeorgiaNoNo
HawaiiNoYes — MedQuest
IdahoNoNo
IllinoisNoYes — Funeral and Burial Benefits
IndianaYesNo
IowaNoNo
KansasNoNo
KentuckyNoNo
LouisianaNoNo
MaineNoYes — General Assistance
MarylandNoYes — Burial Assistance
MassachusettsNoYes — Funeral and Burial Payment Assistance
MichiganNoYes — Burial Services
MinnesotaNoNo
MississippiNoNo
MissouriNoNo
MontanaNoNo
NebraskaNoNo
NevadaNoNo
New HampshireNoNo
New JerseyNoNo
New MexicoNoYes — Burial Assistance
New YorkNoNo
North CarolinaNoNo
North DakotaNoNo
OhioNoNo
OklahomaNoNo
OregonNoNo
PennsylvaniaNoYes — Burial and Cremation Services Payment
Rhode IslandNoYes — Financial Assistance with Burial Expense
South CarolinaNoNo
South DakotaNoNo
TennesseeNoNo
TexasNoNo
UtahNoNo
VermontNoYes — General Assistance
VirginiaNoNo
WashingtonNoNo
West VirginiaNoYes — Burial Assistance
WisconsinYesNo
WyomingYesYes — Medical Assistance

While most states don’t have state-level assistance for residents, many do mandate burial assistance at the county or city level. Contact your county government to determine what resources are available for your family. 

Typically, the state offers a set dollar amount benefit to cover various end-of-life services, including cremation or burial. Families can apply for this benefit, and the state will pay directly to the service provider. Most states don’t pay out to the family. 

In addition to state and county assistance, all states offer victim compensation for crime victims to cover costs for medical, mental health, or funeral services and wage assistance. State programs are managed independently, so visit your state’s website to learn more. 

 

How To Get Medicaid Funeral Assistance

Illustrations indicate the 5 groups that are eligible for Medicaid benefits in addition to financial need considerations.

Applying for Medicaid funeral assistance follows a different procedure in each state, so you’ll need to contact a local office to confirm eligibility and application details. Below are some initial steps to help you get started.

  1. Visit your state’s website and find the burial assistance program page to confirm eligibility:
  1. Explore available funds, including life insurance policies, savings accounts, Social Security Administration survivor benefits, and other assets. Most state programs assist individuals without other payment options.
  2. Consult your funeral service provider for additional resources and payment information. Many states also pay benefits directly to the provider rather than the family, so arranging services ahead of time is good.
  3. Contact your county health and human services department to learn more about local assistance and state applications.
  4. Apply for assistance via your county or state program process.

A doughnut chart visualizes the stat that 85.8 million people are enrolled in Medicaid in 2023.

 

Other Final Expense Resources

Funerals averaged $9,995 in 2023, while direct burials cost $2,597. That’s a huge expense that can cause financial hardship for many families. If your state or county doesn’t provide burial assistance, below are some additional resources to help cover final expense costs:

National Resources

Local Resources

  • Religious organizations
  • City and county governments
  • Victim’s assistance 

Personal Finance Resources

 

Get Peace Of Mind With Final Expense Insurance

Funeral services and burials are costly, but there are resources available to assist families during this difficult time. Some states provide county-level aid or offer Medicaid funeral assistance, and several federal and local nonprofits are available for grief and financial support. 

Families can also plan ahead with a burial insurance policy to cover funeral costs. These life insurance policies are available at almost any age without a medical exam so that you can give your family a final gift of peace of mind.

If you need burial insurance on Medicaid, be sure to work with an experienced insurance agent who can ensure the policy doesn’t interfere with Medicaid eligibility rules.

Choice Mutual often cites third-party websites to provide context and verification for specific claims made in our work. We only link to authoritative websites that provide accurate information. You can learn more about our editorial standards, which guide our mission of delivering factual and impartial content.

  1. victim compensation. https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/publications/factshts/compandassist/fs_000306.html
  2. Colorado. https://cdhs.colorado.gov/benefits-assistance/cash-assistance/adult-financial-programs
  3. Indiana. https://www.in.gov/fssa/dfr/about-dfr/about-the-burial-assistance-program/
  4. Wisconsin. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/em/wfcap.htm
  5. Social Security Administration survivor benefits. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/
  6. Social Security death payment. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html
  7. FEMA Disaster Relief. https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual
  8. Final Farewell. http://www.finalfarewell.org/