Final expense insurance · Pennsylvania
Final Expense Insurance in Pennsylvania
Direct cremation in Pennsylvania: $2,462 median — 23% above the national average.
Pennsylvania has the highest basic services fee of the eleven states we cover: $2,562, 17% above the national median, and it is the one charge on a funeral bill that nobody can decline. Direct cremation, at $2,462, is 23% above national too. Final expense insurance covers those costs with a small whole life policy, usually $5,000 to $25,000, that pays cash directly to your family.
Funeral costsWhat a funeral costs in Pennsylvania
Medians from 24 Pennsylvania funeral home price lists collected in 2026, beside the national median for each charge ($1,995 cremation, $2,800 burial, $2,195 basic services fee). Funeral-home charges only.
Pennsylvania’s non-declinable fee is the story. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, everything on a funeral home’s price list is optional except the basic services fee, and in Pennsylvania that fee’s median of $2,562 is the highest in our set and 17% above the national $2,195. Cremation at $2,462 is 23% above national; burial at $2,998 is 7% above. A Pennsylvania family cannot shop its way below that floor, so the coverage amount should assume it.
Cemetery costs are separate on every one of these figures. A plot, a vault or grave liner, the opening and closing of the grave and a headstone are billed by the cemetery, not the funeral home, and add $2,000–$5,000 or more. For the full itemized picture, including the FTC rules that protect you when you sit down with a funeral director, see how much a funeral costs.
Final expense rates by age
Final expense rates are set by age, gender, tobacco use and health — not by state. A 70-year-old in Pennsylvania is quoted from the same tables as a 70-year-old anywhere else. The figures below are market averages for $10,000 of simplified-issue coverage, non-tobacco; they are a benchmark, not a quote.
Monthly premium for $10,000 of coverage, non-tobacco, simplified issue
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $30 | $38 |
| 55 | $36 | $46 |
| 60 | $42 | $53 |
| 65 | $50 | $66 |
| 70 | $64 | $84 |
| 75 | $87 | $113 |
| 80 | $125 | $164 |
| 85 | $155 | $203 |
Tobacco use typically adds 25 to 30%. Guaranteed acceptance plans, which ask no health questions, run roughly 40 to 80% more and carry a two-year waiting period before the full benefit applies.
See rates for $20,000 and $30,000 of coverage →Estimate your own monthly range →See which health conditions affect approval →
Some of the carriers we represent
We are appointed with these and other final expense carriers. Availability varies by state.
How much coverage Pennsylvania families typically need
- Immediate burial (Pennsylvania median)$2,998
- Cemetery costs (plot, vault or grave liner, opening and closing, headstone)$2,000 – $5,000
- Before any service$4,998 – $7,998
- Funeral-home charges (national)$6,415
- Cemetery costs (plot, vault or grave liner, opening and closing, headstone)$2,000 – $5,000
- With the same cemetery costs on top$8,415 – $11,415
Pennsylvania families should size toward the top of each band. The basic services fee alone is $2,562 before anything else is chosen, and burial with cemetery costs runs close to $8,000 at the upper end. A full service with a viewing points to $15,000; even cremation with a gathering is more comfortably covered by $10,000 here than in a below-average state.
Then add any outstanding medical bills, small debts and a margin for your family’s immediate expenses. A licensed agent will work through the number with you on the call; the estimator shows what a given amount costs per month at your age.
A real person calls you back.Licensed agents in our Greenwood Village, Colorado office — not a call center, not a robot.
Pennsylvania insurance regulation
Pennsylvania Insurance Department
Final expense policies sold in Pennsylvania are regulated by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, whose Consumer Help Center lets you ask a question or file a complaint and whose consumer services portal tracks the answer. Ask your agent for their Pennsylvania license number before you apply.
Common questions
How much does a funeral cost in Pennsylvania?
From 24 Pennsylvania funeral home price lists collected in 2026, the median direct cremation is $2,462 and the median immediate burial $2,998, both above the national medians of $1,995 and $2,800. The basic services fee, $2,562, is the highest of the eleven states we cover. Cemetery costs add $2,000–$5,000 or more on top.
What is the basic services fee, and why does it matter in Pennsylvania?
It is the one charge on a funeral bill you cannot decline: it covers the funeral director’s time, planning, permits and coordination. Nationally the median is $2,195; in Pennsylvania it is $2,562, 17% higher. Every other line on the price list is a choice, so this fee sets the floor of any Pennsylvania funeral.
How much final expense coverage does a Pennsylvania family need?
An immediate burial at Pennsylvania’s $2,998 median plus $2,000–$5,000 of cemetery costs is $4,998–$7,998. A full traditional funeral with a viewing and cemetery costs comes to $8,415–$11,415, and Pennsylvania’s above-average fees argue for the top of that range. Most Pennsylvania families land between $10,000 and $15,000, leaning toward $15,000.
Are final expense premiums higher in Pennsylvania?
No — and that surprises people, because Pennsylvania’s funeral bills are. Premiums are set by age, gender, tobacco use and health, so a 70-year-old in Pittsburgh pays the same as a 70-year-old in Phoenix for the same $10,000. What Pennsylvania changes is how much you buy: with the non-declinable basic services fee alone at $2,562, plan on the higher end of the coverage bands on this page.
Who regulates final expense insurance in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department, whose Consumer Help Center on its website takes questions and complaints about agents and insurers. Ask your agent for their Pennsylvania license number.
Prefer we call you? Here is what happens next.
A real person calls you back.Licensed agents in our Greenwood Village, Colorado office.
A licensed agent calls you back
During business hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 7, Saturday 9 to 5, Mountain Time.
We focus on what you actually need
Tell us whether you need help with Final Expense insurance, Medicare or another health coverage question. Your agent reviews the options that apply to your situation.
You decide what fits
We explain the important differences and next steps. If an option makes sense, we can help you move forward. There is no fee for speaking with us.
Sources
- Analysis of more than 1,000 funeral home General Price Lists collected across 50 states, 2026 — state and national medians for direct cremation, immediate burial and the basic services fee (24 Pennsylvania price lists)
- Final expense rate figures: published market averages for simplified-issue final expense whole life, 2026 — the same table as final expense insurance rates by age
- Pennsylvania Insurance Department — state insurance regulator
Last updated: September 2026