Mutual of Omaha Burial Insurance Review: Living Promise Rates and Guide
We sell Mutual of Omaha Living Promise policies every week, so this review is written from real underwriting experience, not a press release. We cover what the product actually includes, what it costs at every age, who qualifies, and, just as important, who should consider a different carrier. The questions people ask most are simple: What does Mutual of Omaha cost? Is it worth it? How does it compare? We answer all three below. Jump to the rate table, the pros and cons, the carrier comparison, or the FAQ.
The Short Answer
Is Mutual of Omaha Good for Burial Insurance?
For most healthy seniors, yes. If you can answer a short set of health questions, Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level is usually the lowest-cost final expense insurance on the market, and it pays the full death benefit from day one. It is backed by an AM Best A+ (Superior) rating, the strongest among the major burial insurance carriers. That is a genuinely strong combination, and it is why Living Promise is one of the most commonly placed final expense products in the country.
Here is the honest part most reviews skip. Mutual of Omaha asks the strictest health questions of any carrier we represent. If you qualify, you almost certainly get the best rate available. If you do not qualify, that is not a dead end, it simply means a different carrier with more lenient underwriting is a better fit. This Mutual of Omaha burial insurance review covers the Living Promise rates by age, the real pros and cons, a five-carrier price comparison, the truth about their BBB complaints, and exactly who should look elsewhere.
So, is Mutual of Omaha good for burial insurance? It can be the best option on the board, for the right person. Below we get specific about who that is, and who would do better with another carrier we also carry.
At a Glance
Mutual of Omaha at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Company | Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company (mutual company, policyholder-owned) |
| AM Best Rating | A+ (Superior), the strongest among major final expense carriers |
| NAIC Complaint Index | Mutual of Omaha has run below the 1.0 national median in recent years (look up current data at NAIC) |
| BBB Customer Rating | A+ accredited business; Mutual of Omaha customer review average approximately 1.21/5, most complaints relate to Medicare Supplement, not Living Promise |
| Product | Living Promise (Level Benefit + Graded Benefit, both simplified issue) |
| Coverage Amounts | $2,000 – $40,000 |
| Age Eligibility | Level 45–85, Graded 45–80 |
| Waiting Period | None (Level) / 2 years (Graded) |
| Health Questions | Yes, 5–7 yes/no (both Level and Graded); no guaranteed-issue option |
| Medical Exam | No |
| Monthly Cost Example | $33/mo for $10K at age 60 female (SI Level, non-tobacco) |
Mutual of Omaha is a mutual company, which means it is owned by its policyholders rather than by shareholders on a stock exchange. It exists to serve the people who hold its policies, not to deliver quarterly returns to investors. The AM Best A+ (Superior) rating is the strongest financial strength rating among the major final expense carriers, one notch above competitors like Gerber (A), Globe Life (A), and Lincoln Heritage (A). Living Promise is the industry's most commonly placed final expense product, and Asurgo places these policies regularly, so we can speak to both its strengths and its limits from direct experience.
See if you qualify for Living Promise rates
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The Product
How Living Promise Works: Level vs. Graded Benefit
This Mutual of Omaha Living Promise review starts with the single most important thing to understand: Living Promise is one product with two benefit tiers, Level and Graded. Both are simplified issue, which means both ask the same health questions. Your answers decide which tier you land in, and that shapes both your price and how soon your family is fully protected. One point to clear up early: neither tier is guaranteed issue. There is no no-questions, guaranteed-acceptance version of Living Promise, and applicants can be declined.
Level Benefit, Day-1 Coverage
- Requires answering 5 to 7 yes-or-no health questions, with no medical exam, no doctor visit, and no blood work
- If your answers qualify you for Level, you get the full death benefit from day one, with no waiting period
- It offers the lowest premiums available in the final expense market for applicants who qualify
- Best fit for seniors whose health conditions are managed or controlled
- This is Mutual of Omaha's core competitive advantage: the strictest health questions produce the lowest rates for the people who pass them
- Premiums are locked in for life and never increase, and the coverage never expires, because this is permanent whole life insurance
- Available for ages 45 to 85
Graded Benefit, the Step-Down Tier
- Still simplified issue: you answer the same health questions, you are not guaranteed acceptance, and you can still be declined
- Certain conditions move an applicant from Level to Graded rather than to a decline, for example atrial fibrillation, COPD or emphysema, a recent cardiac event, or diabetic complications
- A 2-year graded benefit period applies: if the policyholder passes from non-accidental causes in the first 2 years, beneficiaries receive a return of all premiums paid plus 10% interest, not the full death benefit
- Accidental death is covered in full from day one
- After 2 years, the full death benefit is paid regardless of the cause of death
- Premiums are higher than the Level tier because the carrier takes on more risk
- Available for ages 45 to 80, a slightly tighter range than Level
- Best fit for seniors with a few more health flags who still pass underwriting but do not clear the bar for Level
The Health Questions, What to Expect
Mutual of Omaha's simplified issue questions are among the strictest in the final expense industry. They ask about conditions that some other carriers' questions do not reach. That is a double-edged sword: the strictest questions mean more applicants are declined or moved to Graded, but they are also the reason the premiums are the lowest for everyone who clears Level.
We will not list a carrier's proprietary health questions word for word, but it helps to know the kinds of conditions that typically affect qualification. Common reasons for a Living Promise decline include congestive heart failure, active cancer or cancer treatment within a recent look-back window, a stroke within the last two years, current dialysis or chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that led to an amputation. Conditions such as atrial fibrillation, COPD, or diabetic complications more often move an applicant to the Graded tier rather than a decline. If you live with one of these, it does not mean you cannot get covered. It means Graded, or a different carrier, is the better starting point.
Here is how we frame it for clients: if your answers clear Mutual of Omaha's Level tier, you are almost certainly getting the best rate available, so take it. If they do not, Graded may still place you within the same product, and if neither tier fits, a carrier with more lenient questions is simply a better match. We carry ten others for exactly that reason. If you are managing a specific condition, our guides on life insurance for diabetics, life insurance with COPD, and life insurance with heart disease explain how underwriting usually plays out. You can also learn more about day-one options on our burial insurance with no waiting period guide.
Verified 2026 Rates
Living Promise Rate Table, 2026 Verified Rates
These are Mutual of Omaha Living Promise rates by age, pulled from current Asurgo carrier illustrations with a licensed agent's NPN standing behind them. Most review sites either publish no rates or post them as images you cannot search. Here they are in plain text, for the product seniors actually buy.
$10,000 Living Promise Level Benefit (Simplified Issue, Non-Tobacco)
| Age | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $24/mo | $31/mo |
| 60 | $33/mo | $43/mo |
| 70 | $53/mo | $74/mo |
| 80 | $98/mo | $139/mo |
What the Rates Show
A few clear takeaways come out of this table:
- Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level is typically the lowest-cost simplified issue final expense product on the market.
- The trade-off is the stricter health questions, which are tighter than any other carrier we represent.
- Premiums are locked in for life, so they never increase regardless of your age or any health changes after the policy is issued.
- The coverage never expires, because this is permanent whole life insurance, not a term policy that ends at a certain age.
These are the rates we quote to clients every day. If you qualify, this is what you pay, with no hidden fees and no increases. To estimate how much coverage your family would actually need, use our burial cost calculator.
Get your exact Mutual of Omaha rate
Free quote, no obligation. We confirm your Living Promise price and whether you qualify in one short call.
The Balance Sheet
Mutual of Omaha Burial Insurance, Pros and Cons
No carrier is all good or all bad. Here is a fair accounting of the Mutual of Omaha burial insurance pros and cons, based on placing these policies regularly.
Pros
- Lowest SI rates in the market. If you qualify, Living Promise Level is typically the cheapest simplified issue final expense policy available.
- AM Best A+ (Superior). The strongest financial strength rating among major final expense carriers, one notch above Gerber (A), Globe Life (A), and Lincoln Heritage (A).
- Day-1 full coverage (SI Level). No waiting period and no graded benefit, the full death benefit applies from the first day the policy is in force.
- Coverage up to $40,000. A higher maximum than most final expense carriers; Gerber caps at $25,000 and many others cap at $35,000.
- Policyholder-owned mutual company. Not publicly traded, it exists to serve policyholders rather than shareholders.
- Fixed premiums. Your rate is locked in for life and never increases.
- Two benefit tiers. If your answers do not clear Level, the Graded benefit may still place you within the same product rather than declining you outright.
Cons
- Strictest underwriting in final expense. The health questions are more restrictive than Aetna, Transamerica, AIG, or Aflac; conditions other carriers accept may trigger a decline here.
- No guaranteed-issue option. Both Living Promise tiers ask health questions, and applicants can be declined; if you cannot answer health questions, you need a true guaranteed-issue carrier such as AIG.
- Must apply through an agent. You cannot buy it directly online; it requires speaking with a licensed agent, which Asurgo handles by phone.
- BBB customer rating is low (~1.21/5). Most complaints relate to Medicare Supplement products, not Living Promise (see the complaints section below), but the number is still worth acknowledging.
- Not available in every state. Living Promise is offered in most states but not New York, and Asurgo is licensed in 48 states (all except Rhode Island and Vermont), so availability depends on where you live.
The Fit Test
Who Is Mutual of Omaha Best For?
Best Fit
- Healthy seniors aged 45 to 85 with no major uncontrolled conditions, you will get the lowest rate in the market
- Seniors with managed conditions, such as high blood pressure controlled with medication, Type 2 diabetes controlled with oral medication, or a history of cancer three or more years in remission, who can pass Mutual of Omaha's health questions
- Anyone who prioritizes the lowest possible monthly premium above all else
- Seniors who want the security of the highest-rated carrier, with an AM Best A+ behind the policy
- Seniors who want permanent coverage that never expires and never increases
Who Should Consider a Different Carrier
- Seniors with complex health histories that Mutual of Omaha's strict questions may not accommodate, such as insulin-dependent diabetes, active cancer, COPD requiring oxygen, dialysis, or a recent heart attack or stroke within two years
- Seniors who have already been declined for Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level, where an independent broker can shop Aetna/Accendo, Transamerica, AIG, or Aflac, whose underwriting questions are more lenient
- Seniors who cannot answer health questions at all, or who have already been declined, because Living Promise is simplified issue in both its Level and Graded tiers; a true guaranteed-issue product from a carrier like AIG is the better starting point
- Seniors managing several conditions at once, where our guide on life insurance with pre-existing conditions explains how coverage usually works
Being declined by Mutual of Omaha does not mean you cannot get coverage. It means a different carrier is a better fit for your health profile, and we carry ten others for exactly that reason. If you are weighing your options across the market, our guide to the best burial insurance for seniors compares the leading carriers side by side.
Not sure if you qualify?
Call and we will check Mutual of Omaha first, then find the best option for your health profile if it is not the right fit.
The Comparison No One Publishes
Mutual of Omaha vs. Other Carriers: Rate Comparison
Most reviews stop at describing one carrier. The more useful question is how Mutual of Omaha's pricing stacks up against the other simplified issue policies many seniors qualify for. This table shows when Mutual of Omaha wins, and when it does not. The figures are Mutual of Omaha burial insurance cost per month next to four other carriers Asurgo also represents.
$10,000 Policy, Monthly Rate Comparison (Female Non-Smoker, Simplified Issue Level)
| Age | Mutual of Omaha | Aflac | Aetna/Accendo | AIG | Transamerica |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $24 | $26 | $27 | $27 | $33 |
| 60 | $33 | $43 | $41 | $36 | $41 |
| 70 | $53 | $56 | $58 | $58 | $65 |
| 80 | $98 | $116 | $101 | $107 | $134 |
What the Comparison Shows
A few things stand out when you line these carriers up:
- Mutual of Omaha is the cheapest at every age bracket for applicants who qualify for its simplified issue.
- The critical variable is who qualifies, because Mutual of Omaha's health questions are the strictest of all five carriers here.
- Aetna/Accendo and AIG are close in price and have more lenient underwriting, so if Mutual of Omaha declines you, these carriers often accept the same applicant.
- Transamerica is the most expensive in this comparison, but it accepts conditions that all the other carriers on this list decline.
This is the value of an independent broker. We start with Mutual of Omaha because it offers the best rate. If its underwriting does not fit your health profile, we move to the next best option in the same appointment, with no extra work and no additional cost. That is exactly why we carry eleven carriers instead of one. The cheapest rate for you depends on your health, not just your age.
Two specific comparisons come up often. Mutual of Omaha vs. Colonial Penn burial insurance: Colonial Penn is best known for its guaranteed issue whole life with a 2-year wait, while Mutual of Omaha leads with a simplified issue product that pays from day one and costs less for applicants who qualify. For a healthy senior, that is usually a meaningful difference in both price and protection, and our Colonial Penn review plus our head-to-head Mutual of Omaha vs Colonial Penn comparison walk through that matchup with full rate tables. Mutual of Omaha guaranteed issue whole life: this is a common search, but it rests on a misunderstanding. Living Promise is simplified issue, so both the Level and Graded tiers require health questions and can be declined. If you need a true no-questions guaranteed-issue policy, that points to a different product, and AIG's guaranteed issue is the comparison worth running.
Complaints & Financial Strength
BBB Rating and Customer Complaints
A fair review has to look at the numbers, not just the marketing. If you have been searching Mutual of Omaha burial insurance complaints, here is what the public data actually says, with the context that makes it make sense.
BBB Customer Rating: ~1.21/5
Mutual of Omaha is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ business rating, but its customer review average sits at roughly 1.21 out of 5. Those are two different measures: the A+ is the BBB's own grade for how the company handles complaints, while the star average reflects volunteered customer reviews, which skew negative across essentially every large insurer. The context that matters is this: Mutual of Omaha is a massive, diversified company selling Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, long-term care, dental, disability, annuities, and life insurance. The large majority of its BBB complaints relate to Medicare Supplement claims processing, not to Living Promise final expense.
AM Best: A+ (Superior)
The AM Best A+ (Superior) rating means the company's claims-paying ability is not in question. Mutual of Omaha has the financial resources and a track record stretching back to 1909 of paying claims. You can confirm a carrier's current rating directly at AM Best.
NAIC Complaint Index
Mutual of Omaha's life complaint index has run below the 1.0 national median in recent years. The index works on a simple scale: 1.0 is the national median, a number above 1.0 means more complaints than expected for a company that size, and a number below 1.0 means fewer. You can look up any carrier's current complaint history through the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search.
In our experience placing Mutual of Omaha Living Promise policies, claims are processed smoothly. The product is straightforward whole life, with fewer moving parts than Medicare Supplement, which is where most complaints originate. We have not personally experienced claim denials on the Living Promise policies we have placed. The BBB score looks alarming at face value, but when you separate Living Promise from Mutual of Omaha's other product lines the picture changes significantly. That said, we believe you should know about the complaints before you buy, not after.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Mutual of Omaha burial insurance cost?
Mutual of Omaha Living Promise rates depend on age, gender, tobacco use, and which benefit tier you qualify for. For a 60-year-old non-tobacco female, Level benefit coverage costs $33 per month for $10,000. A 70-year-old female pays $53 per month for the same coverage. See the full rate table above for rates at every age.
Is Mutual of Omaha good for final expense insurance?
Yes, for applicants who qualify for their simplified issue product. Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level offers the lowest premiums in the final expense market, day-one full coverage, and the backing of an AM Best A+ rated carrier. The trade-off is stricter health questions than other carriers. If you have complex health conditions, another carrier with more lenient underwriting may be a better fit.
What is the waiting period for Mutual of Omaha burial insurance?
It depends on which benefit you qualify for. Living Promise Level has no waiting period, and the full death benefit is payable from day one. Living Promise Graded has a 2-year waiting period. If the policyholder passes from non-accidental causes within 2 years, beneficiaries receive premiums paid plus interest. Accidental death is covered from day one on both. Both tiers are simplified issue and require health questions.
What is the difference between level and graded benefit?
Both tiers use the same health questions, and your answers decide which one you receive. Level benefit means your full death benefit is payable from day one. Graded benefit applies when certain health conditions place you in the graded tier, and it has a 2-year waiting period before the full benefit is payable. Level premiums are lower because those applicants present less risk. Neither tier is guaranteed issue.
Does Mutual of Omaha require a medical exam for burial insurance?
No. Living Promise requires no medical exam, blood work, or doctor visit. Both the Level and Graded tiers are simplified issue, which means you answer 5 to 7 yes-or-no health questions over the phone, and your answers determine which tier you receive. Living Promise does not offer a no-questions guaranteed-issue option. The entire application can be completed in a single phone call with a licensed agent.
What is the maximum coverage for Mutual of Omaha burial insurance?
Mutual of Omaha Living Promise offers coverage from $2,000 to $40,000. This is higher than many competitors. Gerber caps coverage at $25,000 and several other final expense carriers cap at $35,000. For most families, $10,000 to $25,000 covers funeral and burial costs. Use our burial cost calculator to estimate how much coverage you actually need.
Is Mutual of Omaha a good life insurance company?
Mutual of Omaha holds an AM Best A+ (Superior) financial strength rating, the strongest among major final expense carriers. They are a mutual company founded in 1909 and policyholder-owned, not publicly traded. Their BBB customer rating is approximately 1.21 out of 5, but most complaints relate to Medicare Supplement products, not Living Promise final expense policies.
How does Mutual of Omaha compare to other final expense companies?
Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Level typically offers the lowest simplified issue premiums in the market. The trade-off is stricter health questions. In our comparison of five on-panel carriers, MoO is the cheapest at every age for applicants who qualify. If MoO's underwriting does not fit your health profile, carriers like Aetna and AIG offer competitive rates with more lenient questions.
Other Carrier Reviews
Get a Mutual of Omaha Quote
We sell Mutual of Omaha Living Promise policies every day. If you qualify for their simplified issue, you are getting the best rate in the final expense market, from a carrier with an AM Best A+ rating and over a century of claims-paying history. If Mutual of Omaha's strict underwriting questions do not fit your health profile, we carry ten other carriers and will find the one that does, on the same call, with the same agent, at no extra cost. Asurgo is an independent brokerage licensed in 48 states. We are compensated by carriers including Mutual of Omaha via commission at policy issue, and this does not change your premium.
Get a Mutual of Omaha Quote Or call (855) 380-9555 · Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm ET
Nicholas Norminton, Licensed Insurance Specialist
Nicholas is a nationally licensed insurance specialist who has personally helped thousands of clients secure life insurance coverage. He built Asurgo into a trusted, tech-forward brokerage serving clients in 48 states with access to 25+ carriers. He places Mutual of Omaha Living Promise policies regularly and reviews carrier products based on firsthand underwriting experience.
Sources
NAIC Consumer Insurance Search (complaint index data) · AM Best (financial strength rating). Mutual of Omaha Living Promise rate figures are from current Asurgo carrier illustrations, 2026.