Hartford to Expedite Group Death Benefit Payments

A life insurer will be working with a funeral services firm to pay some group life claims within 48 hours after the death of the insured.

The Simsbury, Conn., life unit of Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG), Hartford, will use call center services from Everest Funeral Package L.L.C., Houston, to run the program.

Beneficiaries of insureds who have employer-sponsored group life coverage from Hartford will be able to submit a certificate of death from a funeral home in place of a government-issued death certificate. That change will speed the payment of death benefits by several weeks, Hartford says.