An interesting but very little know insurance, available at Dominican consulates and embassies worldwide, offers coverage for corpse airlift and burial expenses in the Dominican Republic plus a small sum for the family. Known as CieloRD (HeavenRD), the government-backed insurance plan began back in 2014, and has signed up some 17,000 Dominicans residing in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and South America. Most of the clients are in the USA or Canada (46%), and 38% are in Europe. General Insurance sells the policy. They have a BBB rating with Feller Rate.
As reported in Diario Libre, the insurance premiums are US$50 in the United States and Canada, and €50 for those persons who are less than 65 years old and €60 for those over 65. This covers a return to the Dominican Republic, burial anywhere in the country, the funeral service itself, or burial in the country of residence, as well as a US$1,000 payment (or €1,000) to the family. According to choicemutual.com, where you can observe similar plans, the fees range from US$98 to US$271 for a 55-year old female, and the payout is US$5,000.
According to plan promotions, over 600 Dominican die overseas each year. From 2016 to July 2020 more than 300 Dominicans were covered by this plan and two-thirds of the families opted for a return to the country. Given the fact that there are an estimated two million Dominicans residing overseas, as part of the Dominican Diaspora, such an insurance plan seems to make sense.
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Diario Libre
16 August 2020