What to do when a Kansas City Life account holder dies
Report the death to Kansas City Life's Life Claims Department at 1-800-821-6164 ext. 6080
Filing a death claim on a Kansas City Life policy begins with notifying the Life Claims Department at 1-800-821-6164 ext. 6080. Life insurance claims are separate from probate—proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries regardless of whether the estate goes through court. The timeline and documentation requirements depend on the policy type and cause of death.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Kansas City Life:
Filing a claim
- Individual Kansas City Life policy or annuity: Life Claims Department, 800-821-6164, ext. 6080
- Old American Insurance Company (final-expense and senior-market policies, ages 50 to 85): 800-733-6242
- Legacy Sunset Life Insurance Company of America policy: claim it at Kansas City Life. The Sunset Life service line is 800-678-6898, ext. 8060
- Group life or AD&D through an employer: the claim starts with the employer, not the beneficiary (see the group step below)
- Call the Life Claims Department at 800-821-6164, ext. 6080, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday
- Or file notice online on the Kansas City Life contact page by choosing the "Policy Claims" subject
- Or email kclclaims@kclife.com
- Kansas City Life then mails the claim forms to the beneficiary of record; there is no individual-life claim form to download
- Mail: Kansas City Life Insurance Company, Life Claims Department, P.O. Box 219282, Kansas City, MO 64121-9282
- Fax: 816-753-1198
- Email: kclclaims@kclife.com
- The claims box and fax differ from policy service (P.O. Box 219272, fax 816-931-3585) and from general Home Office mail (P.O. Box 219139)
- The group policyowner submits the Notice of Claim (Form 305) to Kansas City Life, P.O. Box 219282, Kansas City, MO 64121-9282, or by fax to 816-753-1198
- The Notice of Claim is not the claim form. Kansas City Life sends the claim forms back to the group
- The insured's name and date of birth, the policy number(s), the date of death, and the cause of death (Natural or Accident)
- The claimant's name, address, phone and email
- The claimant's relationship to the insured (Spouse, Child, Grandchild, Niece/Nephew, Parent, Sibling, Policy Owner, or Other)
- Whether the claimant is a beneficiary of the policy
- Policy number(s), and any other Kansas City Life policies the deceased held
- The insured's name, date of birth, date of death, and cause of death (natural or accident)
- The beneficiary's name, address, phone number, and relationship to the insured
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for each beneficiary
- Trust document or certification of trust plus trustee ID and trust EIN, if a trust is the beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration plus the estate EIN, if the estate is the beneficiary
- Guardianship, conservatorship, or custodian papers, if a beneficiary is a minor
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Completed Kansas City Life claim forms, mailed to the beneficiary after notice of death
- Government-issued photo ID for each beneficiary
- Policy number(s), and the insured's date of birth and date of death
- Trust document or certification of trust, trustee ID, and trust EIN, if a trust is the beneficiaryThe trust document shows the trustee. The check is issued to the trustee, not to the trust's beneficiaries.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration and the estate EIN, if the estate is the beneficiary, or no beneficiary survives
- Guardianship, conservatorship, or custodian papers, if a beneficiary is a minor
- Notice of Claim (Form 305), for a group life or AD&D policyThe employer, as group policyowner, submits it. It is not the claim form.
Forms Kansas City Life issues2
- Kansas City Life claim forms
Completed by the beneficiary. Sent by the institution on request.1
- Notice of Claim (Form 305)
Completed by the group policyowner (the employer, association, or union). Available to download.2
What happens to each kind of account1
- Life insurance policy
A policy loan outstanding at the insured's death reduces the proceeds.1
On a survivorship contract (Survivorship VUL or Heritage Survivorship VUL), the first death pays nothing. Notify the Home Office; the contract continues on the surviving insured, and premiums must keep being paid.1
Accounts handled elsewhere4
- Old American Insurance Company
Old American final-expense and senior-market policies (ages 50 to 85)1
Phone: 1-800-733-6242
- Sunset Life service line
Legacy Sunset Life Insurance Company of America policies, retained by Kansas City Life1
Phone: 1-800-678-6898 ext. 8060
- Kansas City Life Group Benefits
Group life and AD&D claims, which the employer starts1
Phone: 1-877-266-6767
Mailing address: 3520 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111
- Critical Illness Team
Group critical illness claims, a separate queue at the claims box (ext. 6090)1
Mailing address: Attn: Critical Illness Team, P.O. Box 219282, Kansas City, MO 64121-9282
What Kansas City Life's agreement and guidance say3
- How proceeds are paid
The owner may have filed an Income Assured Option (Designation of Death Benefit Payout) endorsement, which fixes the payout as a lump sum plus an income stream of five to 30 years. If it was elected, that election governs the payout the beneficiary receives.1
Otherwise the beneficiary selects from the available settlement options; a supplemental contract (Form 277) is used to set up an income payout.1
- Payment to a minor or incapacitated beneficiary
Kansas City Life may not be able to pay a minor directly, because a minor cannot give a proper receipt. The proceeds wait for a court-appointed guardian or conservator of the estate, or a custodian.1
Not in Kansas City Life's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Kansas City Life's Life Claims Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-821-6164 ext. 6080, email at kclclaims@kclife.com, and fax at 1-816-753-1198 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Kansas City Life primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Kansas City Life death claims support
Life Claims Department
Old American Insurance Company claims
Kansas City Life Group Benefits
Critical Illness Team (group critical illness claims)
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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