Final expense
Burial insurance for seniors over 80: what you can still get
Last reviewed November 1, 20265 min readBy the Goodsurance editorial team Reviewed by the Goodsurance editorial team
Yes, many people over 80 can still buy burial insurance, but usually only until about age 85. In our check of four insurers, the plans open after 80 had no health questions and a two-year wait for full coverage. A few plans with health questions also go to 85. None we read sold a new policy past 85. Here is what changes in your 70s, 80s and after 85.
The short answer
Burial insurance (also called final expense insurance) is a small whole life policy meant to pay for a funeral and last bills. When you die, it pays cash to your beneficiary (the person who gets the money). See how final expense insurance works for the basics.
Each insurer sets an issue age: the oldest age at which it will sell you a new policy. Once you are past it, that plan is closed to you, even if you are healthy. Three things change as you age:
- Fewer plans are open. Some stop at 75 or 80.
- The top amount gets smaller. You can buy less coverage.
- A wait is more likely. Past 80, many of the plans still open make you wait two years for full coverage.
This page is only about final expense plans. For term and other permanent policies, see life insurance for seniors.
Final expense by age: 50s and 60s, 70s, 80s, 85 and up
We read four insurers' own websites on November 1, 2026. This is what they said about who can buy. It is a sample, not a full list.
| Your age | What the pages we read showed |
|---|---|
| 50s and 60s | All four had a plan open. Aflac's Level Plan (with health questions) had its highest amounts here. |
| 70s | All four still open. Aflac's Modified Plan stops at 75. Aflac's Level Plan goes to 80, with a lower top amount. |
| 80 to 85 | Aflac's Level Plan and Gerber Life's Guaranteed Life go to age 80. After 80, only Mutual of Omaha's Guaranteed Whole Life and Colonial Penn's Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life were open. Both go to 85, and both have a two-year limited benefit. Outside these four, Foresters says its PlanRight, which asks health questions, is sold up to age 85. |
| Over 85 | None of the four sold a new policy. |
State rules change this. Mutual of Omaha and Gerber Life both cap ages lower in New York (75), and Colonial Penn says its ages apply "in most states."
How choices narrow with age
Based on Mutual of Omaha, Gerber Life, Colonial Penn and Aflac websites, checked November 1, 2026.
Why coverage amounts shrink with age
Many insurers lower the top amount you can buy as you age.
Aflac's website shows this plainly for its Final Expense Level Plan. The lowest amount is $5,000 at every age. The highest amount drops:
- Ages 45 to 55: up to $50,000
- Ages 56 to 65: up to $40,000
- Ages 66 to 75: up to $30,000
- Ages 76 to 80: up to $20,000
Guaranteed plans tend to be small at any age. Mutual of Omaha's Guaranteed Whole Life runs from $2,000 to $25,000, and Gerber Life's Guaranteed Life runs from $5,000 to $25,000. Both were checked November 1, 2026.
Price depends on your age, health, state, tobacco use, the amount and the insurer. To get a real price, you need to speak with a licensed agent or the insurer.
Before you pick an amount, look at what a funeral costs where you live. Our page on how much a funeral costs walks through the main costs line by line.
Why many plans past 80 have a two-year wait
Plans that ask health questions often stop selling at 75 or 80. After that, the plans still open tend to be guaranteed issue: no health questions, but a limited payout in the first two years.
Here is what that means for a family. Mutual of Omaha says that if death in the first two years is not from an accident, its guaranteed plan pays 110% of the premiums paid. A premium is the payment that keeps the policy going. A death by accident pays the full amount. After two years, the full amount is paid for any cause.
At 83 or 84, two years is a real gap. Think about how your family would pay for a funeral if something happened in that time.
Timing can matter too. Say you are 79 and in fair health. Aflac's Level Plan, for example, is sold through age 80. If you qualify, it pays the full amount from day one. After 80, the four insurers we checked offered only guaranteed plans with a wait. That is not a reason to rush. It is a reason to ask about your choices before a birthday closes one off.
Our page on burial insurance with no waiting period explains level, graded and guaranteed plans in detail.
A guaranteed plan bought at 84 pays the full amount for illness only after the policy is two years old. If death comes sooner, the family gets back about what was paid in, not the face amount.
If you are over 85
None of the insurer pages we read sold a new final expense policy after 85. That does not mean no insurer does, but choices are few. Other ways to plan:
- Keep any policy you already have. An old policy may be worth more than any new one you could buy. Do not drop it before you know.
- Check government help. Social Security pays a small one-time amount to some survivors. See the Social Security death benefit. Veterans may have burial benefits through the VA.
- Plan the funeral itself. A preneed plan is bought through a funeral home and pays that home. It works differently from insurance. See preneed vs final expense insurance.
- Set money aside. A savings account with a named payable on death person is another path. Ask your bank how it works.
What to check before you buy
If you are close to an age limit, timing matters. Here is a short list to take to an agent or insurer.
Before you buy after 70
What is the oldest age this plan is sold to, in my state?
Limits can be lower in some states, such as New York.
How do you count my age?
Aflac uses age as of your last birthday. Others may differ, which matters near a cutoff.
Is there a two-year limited benefit? What does it pay?
Many plans open after 80 have one.
Could I qualify for a plan with health questions and no wait?
If you are still under that plan's age limit, it may be worth asking.
Will the premium ever go up, and what if I miss a payment?
A lapsed policy may pay nothing.
Common questions
Quick answers, fast .
Tap any question to expand. Each links to a fuller standalone answer.
Can you get burial insurance at age 80?
Often, yes. In our check, Aflac's Level Plan and Gerber Life's Guaranteed Life were open through 80, and Mutual of Omaha and Colonial Penn guaranteed plans went to 85. Amounts are smaller at this age.
Can you get final expense insurance over 85?
It is hard. None of the four insurer websites we read on November 1, 2026 sold a new policy past 85. If you already have a policy, keep paying it while you look at other ways to plan.
Why is there a waiting period on burial insurance for seniors?
Many plans open after 80 skip health questions. To make that work, the insurer pays only a limited amount for a death from illness in the first two years. Deaths by accident are often paid in full right away.
How much burial insurance can a 75 year old buy?
It depends on the insurer. For example, Aflac's Level Plan goes up to $30,000 at ages 66 to 75. Mutual of Omaha's guaranteed plan goes up to $25,000. Both were checked November 1, 2026.
Is burial insurance the same as life insurance for seniors?
It is one kind. Burial insurance is a small whole life policy meant for funeral costs. Seniors can also look at term or larger permanent policies, which work differently.
References
- Aflac: Final Expense Whole Life InsuranceLevel Plan ages 45 to 80 with top amounts by age band; Modified Plan ages 45 to 75; age as of last birthday. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Mutual of Omaha: Whole life insurance quoteGuaranteed Whole Life ages 45 to 85 (NY 50 to 75), $2,000 to $25,000. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Mutual of Omaha: Life insurance with no medical examTwo-year limited benefit on guaranteed issue: 110% of premiums for non-accidental death. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Gerber Life: Guaranteed Life InsuranceAges 50 to 80 (NY 75), $5,000 to $25,000. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Colonial Penn: Guaranteed Acceptance Whole LifeAges 50 to 85 in most states, two-year limited benefit. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Foresters: PlanRight Whole Life InsuranceSold for ages 50 to 85; uses health questions. Checked November 1, 2026.