Americans rethink their End-of-Life plans amidst the pandemic

A new report shows a dramatic change in views with regards to death preparations

RENO, Nev. (KYMA, KECY) - Just before the pandemic, Choice Mutual Insurance conducted a survey of 1,500 Americans. The survey covered a wide range of end-of-life questions including burials, cremations and donating one's body.

But when the pandemic hit, the company decided to re-do the survey to see if the recent outbreak changed anyone's views. The results were beyond surprising with many of those surveyed changing their end-of-life plans.

The report shows that many have chosen to be cremated as opposed to a traditional burial. One major turnaround was with regards to donating one's body to science, originally only 4% of those surveyed said they would donate their bodies; that number jumped to 11%.

Another choice that has exploded in popularity is natural burials, where the body would be buried without being embalmed, nor a casket.

Anthony Martin the founder and CEO of Choice Mutual Insurance says most people rely on life insurance to pay for their end-of-life needs. However, many are opting to get funeral-focused policies that go directly to those services.

Martin says that some choose to save money on their own by way of a savings account. This can be difficult because according to Martin, it can be treated as an emergency fund instead of an end-of-life-only fund.

So, Martin says that whichever way a person decides to prepare, they need to have something in writing to provide their families with their wishes.