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VA does not cover some funeral costs, consultant says

Kellie Richardson has been working in the funeral business for about 17 years. She said the Department of Veterans Affairs does not compensate families for funeral arrangements.

 A local funeral consultant is educating families on how to plan for funeral arrangements. She says many families believe the Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the costs of a veteran’s funeral but this is not always the case.

Kellie Richardson has been working in the funeral business for about 17 years.

“I see a lot of heartache every day with veterans’ families who just, for decades, thought that [their] dad’s funeral would be paid for, and it’s not,” Richardson said.

She said the VA will sometimes send families partial reimbursement checks if the veteran was buried in a non-veteran cemetery but that depends on the individual case.

"It takes several months to make that happen, so for veterans that do qualify, that's great, but it's not something to count on when the time comes. Everything has to be paid for in advance,” she said.

The VA provides free burial at veterans cemeteries but does not cover some funeral costs, such as flowers or a casket.

She said if families know this ahead of time, they may be able to better plan for a loved one’s death.

Richardson also works with non-veteran families. She said she finds that many of them also aren’t well-prepared.

In just one week of consulting, she said only one of the several families she met with was prepared for their loved one’s death.

“One of the other families I met with, they’re headed for probate [over a] big family fight. And the other family is losing their dad’s house,” she said.

She said both issues could have been prevented with more planning beforehand.

Making a will, setting up a trust and having life insurance are just some ways she said could lessen a burden in an already difficult situation.

Richardson teaches classes on preparing for funeral arrangements at VA centers in the area.

She’s also written a book, "Final Arrangements 101," on how everyday families can prepare to help a loved one transition.

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