How to File a Death Claim with New York Life
The Center for Life Insurance Disputes represents the beneficiaries life insurance claims. Denied claims, delayed claims and other life insurance claim disputes — we’re nationally recognized experts in getting life insurance claims paid.
If you need representation to get your New York Life claim paid, contact us for a free consultation.
Here we explain how to file a death claim with New York Life.
Free Claim Consultation: 1-888-428-4868
Here on our website you’ll also find plenty of helpful information, client results and supportive resources.
File a Death Claim with New York Life
- Contact New York Life and inform them of the death. They’ll confirm the policy was active and send you their Claim Form. This will also stop NY Life from billing for premiums.
If they determine the policy was not active on the day the insured died they’ll refuse to provide you with their Claim forms. Just because they say the policy wasn’t active doesn’t mean they’re correct. There are many reasons why the policy may have been active and New York Life doesn’t recognize it initially. Read: Six Reason Your Contestable Life Insurance Policy May Not be Contestable.
- Get an original Final Death Certificate and mail it to New York Life. They will want an original death certificate, not a copy. These can be purchased from the funeral home. If there is an open investigation about the death by Law Enforcement, or if the County Medical Examiner hasn’t finished determining the Cause of Death, the Final Death Certificate won’t be available. Life insurers won’t pay claims without Final Death Certificates.
- New York Life will ask you to return the Policy. We strongly suggest you maintain a copy in the event there’s a dispute over the claim or who is the correct beneficiary. Read: Wrong Beneficiary.
- Submit the Claimant’s Statement. This form asks for information about the beneficiary such as name, address, social security number and the form of payment requested.
The beneficiary must provide a social security or tax payor number. While most death claims are not taxable, an insurer is still responsible for notifying the IRS a claim has been paid.
- Choose the form of payment you want. Depending on the insurance company and the size of the claim, several different payment options are available:
The most common form is a check made out to the beneficiary. Once deposited, most banks will hold funds for 10 days before making them available.
Another option is to be paid with a checking account set up in the name of the beneficiary. The beneficiary is mailed a check book tied to an account immediately funded with the full death claim. There are two benefits to this form of payment: the money is immediately available, and funds in the account earn a much higher interest rate than banks offer.
A third option, rarely chosen, is to receive regular periodic payments until the full claim amount has been paid.
If your claim is approved you’ll receive your payment 7 to 10 days after the final approval.
If your claim is denied you’ll be given a written explanation why it was denied. Usually, the insurer will refund all the premiums that were paid. You can appeal denied death claims, for this we strongly urge you to contact us to be your appeal representative.
Denied life insurance claims are usually from policies that were less than 2 years old when the insured died. For a full explanation of Contestable Life Insurance Investigations please read: Life Insurance Claim Investigation.
Death claims for policies offered through employers are managed by the Group Life Claims Department
Submitting a claim to New York Life for a group life insurance policy is a little different than individual life claims. For a group life claim you’ll need to contact the employer who sponsored the plan and inform them of the death. Ask that they contact the insurer. They’ll have to contact New York Life and confirm the person was employed and the coverage was in effect on the date of death.
You’ll still need a Claim Form, Death Certificate and Claimants Statement, but all information must go thru the employer and New York Life’s Group Life Claims Department.
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New York Life Claims Department phone number 1-800-225-5695
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