What to do when a EMC Life account holder dies
Contact EMC Life — 7-step process, 11 required documents, and claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days from receipt of all required documentation. delays may occur if documentation is incomplete, if the death certificate shows a pending rather than final cause of death, if the policy is within the two-year contestability period (death within two years of the policy or rider effective or reinstatement date), or if the circumstances of death require further investigation.
Customer Service
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailhelp@emcnl.com
Fax1-800-439-9526
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9202, Des Moines, IA 50306
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Service
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailhelp@emcnl.com
Fax1-800-439-9526
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9202, Des Moines, IA 50306
WebsiteLearn more→
Claims
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailclaims@emcnl.com
Fax515-237-2282
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197
Claims (select option 4)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact EMC Life's Claims at 1-800-232-5818 to start the claims process. Insurance proceeds are paid directly to the named beneficiary and do not go through probate. How quickly the claim is processed depends on the policy type, documentation, and cause of death.
Death claims at EMC Life can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
The death claim process at EMC Life works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Locate the EMC National Life policy documents and note the policy number
2
Obtain a certified death certificate showing the final cause of death (EMC National Life rejects certificates with a pending cause of death)
3
Open the claim through one of these channels:
- Online: complete the Start a Claim form at https://www.emcnationallife.com/ContactClaims.aspx and select "Death Claim" as the claim type
- By phone: call 800-232-5818 and select option 4 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT)
- By email: write help@emcnl.com with the policy number to request claim forms
4
A claims representative opens the claim and sends the claim form along with a letter identifying the documentation required for your specific claim
5
Choose your submission channel using EMC National Life's $100,000 rule (stated in its Claims process for life policy proceeds FAQ, https://content.emclweb.com/EMCNL/pdfs/LifeAnswers.pdf):
- If total death benefit proceeds across ALL policies are LESS than $100,000: you may email or fax the claim documentation, including a COPY of the death certificate. Email claims@emcnl.com (or the assigned claims team member) or fax 515-237-2282
- If total death benefit proceeds are $100,000 OR MORE: an original certified death certificate is required and the documentation must be sent by MAIL to EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197
- The letter that accompanies your claim form states which category your claim falls into
6
Assemble the claim package:
- Completed claim form (one per beneficiary), signed
- Certified death certificate with the final cause of death
- Social Security number or Taxpayer ID Number for each beneficiary, estate, or trust — the claim cannot be processed without it
- If a trust is the beneficiary: trust documents and trustee identification, plus the trust's TIN
- If a beneficiary's name has changed: a copy of the marriage certificate or divorce decree (preferred), or a court name-change document for any other reason
- If an Attorney-in-Fact under a power of attorney signs for a beneficiary: the power of attorney document, with the signature showing the fiduciary title
- If a primary beneficiary also died: a COPY of that beneficiary's certified death certificate is acceptable — and if no copy is available, EMC National Life may accept an obituary, funeral program, or a mention in another person's obituary
7
EMC National Life reviews the claim and contacts you if additional information is needed. If the insured died within two years of the policy's effective or reinstatement date, the claim falls in the contestability period and EMC National Life may review medical history to confirm the accuracy of the application
Required Documents
- Completed EMC National Life claim form (sent by the claims team after the claim is opened; no public download)
- Certified death certificate showing the FINAL cause of death — a raised seal or multicolored signature seal plus an officer's signature from the issuing county, city, or state (an original is mandatory when total proceeds are $100,000 or more; a copy is acceptable below that threshold)
- Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number for every beneficiary, estate, or trust receiving proceeds (required for IRS Form 1099-INT interest reporting)
- Government-issued ID for the beneficiary
- Policy number and the deceased's information
- Trust documents, trustee ID, and trust TIN (if a trust is the beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary, letters of administration, or other court appointment (if the estate is the beneficiary or the claim is made by an estate representative)
- Marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court name-change document (if a beneficiary's name differs from the designation on file)
- Power of attorney document (if an Attorney-in-Fact completes the claim form for a beneficiary)
- Copy of a deceased primary beneficiary's death certificate — or, if unavailable, an obituary or funeral program (when a named beneficiary predeceased the insured)
- Signed funeral home assignment request and a copy of the funeral home's final bill showing the outstanding balance (only if proceeds are being assigned to a funeral home)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
EMC National Life uses TWO different addresses and fax numbers, and death claims must go to the claims box, not the general one. CLAIMS: P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197; fax 515-237-2282; claim documents emailed to claims@emcnl.com; phone 800-232-5818 select option 4. GENERAL SERVICE (premiums, policy changes, beneficiary changes): P.O. Box 9202, Des Moines, IA 50306; fax 800-439-9526; help@emcnl.com. The fastest way to open a claim is the Start a Claim form at https://www.emcnationallife.com/ContactClaims.aspx, which accepts death, disability, waiver of premium, and accelerated claims. Submission channel is governed by a $100,000 threshold: total death benefit proceeds under $100,000 across all policies may be emailed or faxed with a copy of the death certificate; $100,000 or more requires an original certified death certificate sent by mail. A certified death certificate with a pending cause of death is not accepted. If a beneficiary is a minor with no guardian named, EMC National Life states that the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) permits disbursement without guardianship papers, subject to state-specific guidelines and limits — a further reason to name a trust or custodian rather than a minor child directly. If a beneficiary signed a funeral home assignment before the claim is settled, EMC National Life is obligated to honor it and pay the funeral home from the proceeds; a collateral assignment may also have been made before the insured's death. Death benefits are generally not subject to income tax, but interest EMC National Life pays on the proceeds may be, and is reported on Form 1099-INT. For group (Workplace Term Life / Workplace Whole Life) claims, the employer's HR department may need to initiate the claim or provide employment verification. Accelerated (living) benefit claims follow a separate process documented at https://content.emclweb.com/EMCNL/pdfs/AcceleratedAnswers.pdf and require a HIPAA authorization and medical information alongside the claim form.
Prepare your letter of instruction to EMC Life
EMC Life asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist EMC Life requires.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at EMC Life: Claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days from receipt of all required documentation. Delays may occur if documentation is incomplete, if the death certificate shows a pending rather than final cause of death, if the policy is within the two-year contestability period (death within two years of the policy or rider effective or reinstatement date), or if the circumstances of death require further investigation. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
EMC Life requires several documents to process a claim, including Completed EMC National Life claim form (sent by the claims team after the claim is opened; no public download), Certified death certificate showing the FINAL cause of death — a raised seal or multicolored signature seal plus an officer's signature from the issuing county, city, or state (an original is mandatory when total proceeds are $100,000 or more; a copy is acceptable below that threshold), and Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number for every beneficiary, estate, or trust receiving proceeds (required for IRS Form 1099-INT interest reporting), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
An ILIT is a legal arrangement where a trust owns a life insurance policy, removing the death benefit from the grantor's taxable estate. EMC National Life individual life insurance policies can be assigned to an ILIT through an assignment of ownership form. The trust can own the policy from inception, or an existing policy can be transferred to the trust, subject to a three-year lookback rule under IRC Section 2035. Once transferred, the grantor permanently relinquishes all incidents of ownership. EMC National Life does not set up ILITs; work with an estate attorney to establish one.
Open the claim at emcnationallife.com/ContactClaims.aspx (select "Death Claim"), or call 800-232-5818 and select option 4 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT). A claims representative sends you the claim form and a letter listing what your claim requires. Send the completed package to the CLAIMS address — EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197 — not the general P.O. Box 9202 company address. How you may submit depends on size: if the total death benefit across all of the deceased's policies is under $100,000, you may email the documents to claims@emcnl.com or fax them to 515-237-2282 with a copy of the death certificate; at $100,000 or more, EMC National Life requires an original certified death certificate sent by mail. The certificate must show the final cause of death — one marked pending will be rejected.
Not today. EMC Insurance Companies announced a definitive agreement in December 2025 to sell its ownership interest in EMC National Life (trade name EMC Life) to Avocet Partners, and EMC Life is expected to change its name at or shortly after the deal closes. As of July 2026 the transaction has not closed — it still requires regulatory approvals and the demutualization of EMC National Life Mutual Holding Company, and the new name has not been announced. EMC National Life continues to underwrite and administer its own policies, and death claims still route to 800-232-5818 (option 4) and P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197. An in-force policy is a contract with the insurer, so a change of owner or company name does not reduce or cancel the death benefit; keep the original policy number with your estate records, since that is what identifies the policy no matter what the company is called.
Individual life policies (Accelerated Term 2.0, Life Promises Term, Youth Plus Term, Easy Life, Youth Whole Life, IWL Innovator) can be OWNED by a trust — an ILIT via assignment of ownership. EMC National Life annuities (Bonus SPDA, Accumulator FPDA, and the Single Premium Immediate Annuity) can name a revocable living trust as beneficiary so the death benefit passes to the trust and bypasses probate, and annuity ownership can also be transferred to a trust, though a tax advisor should review the implications first. Workplace Term Life and Workplace Whole Life CANNOT be retitled to a trust — the master group policy is owned by the employer — but an employee can name a trust as the beneficiary of the certificate of coverage. In every case EMC National Life needs the full legal trust name, the date the trust was established, and the trust's EIN, because it cannot pay a claim to a trust without a Taxpayer ID Number. Group claims may also require the employer's HR department to initiate the claim or verify employment. Request the forms at 800-232-5818 or help@emcnl.com.
EMC Life's Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-232-5818, email at claims@emcnl.com, and fax at 515-237-2282 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple EMC Life policies, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Claims can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from EMC Life primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailhelp@emcnl.com
Fax1-800-439-9526
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9202, Des Moines, IA 50306
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Service
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailhelp@emcnl.com
Fax1-800-439-9526
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9202, Des Moines, IA 50306
WebsiteLearn more→
Claims
Phone1-800-232-5818
Emailclaims@emcnl.com
Fax515-237-2282
Mailing Address
EMC National Life Company, P.O. Box 9197, Des Moines, IA 50306-9197
Claims (select option 4)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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