The VA Benefits Gap

What the VA doesn't cover — and what it means for your family.

The Gap

$6,000–$12,000

What the average veteran's family pays out of pocket after all VA benefits are applied

What the VA Covers vs. What It Doesn't

✓ Covered (conditionally)

✓Burial allowance: up to $978 (non-service-connected) or $2,000 (service-connected)
✓Plot/interment allowance: up to $978 if not buried in national cemetery
✓Free grave in national cemetery (if eligible and cemetery has space)
✓Free headstone or grave marker
✓Military funeral honors (flag, Taps, honor guard)

✗ NOT Covered by the VA

✗Funeral home service fees ($2,000–$4,000)
✗Embalming and preparation
✗Casket or urn ($1,000–$10,000+)
✗Flowers and arrangements
✗Death certificates (multiple copies needed)
✗Obituary placement
✗Transportation of remains
✗Reception or gathering expenses
✗Monument or marker installation fee (private cemeteries)
✗Vault or grave liner (private cemeteries)

See Your State's Gap

Enter your state and burial type to see exactly how much the VA covers — and exactly how much your family would be responsible for.

Open the Calculator

How Preneed Insurance Fills the Gap

A preneed funeral insurance policy is a life insurance policy designed specifically to pay for funeral expenses. It works alongside VA benefits — not instead of them.

You choose a funeral home, select services and merchandise, and a preneed policy locks in those prices today. At time of need, the policy pays directly to the funeral home — your family owes nothing.

Talk to a Licensed Agent