Michigan § 500.8180 - Changing beneficiary; limiting scope of beneficiary designations; vested interest of revocable beneficiary; payment of funeral benefits; payment of benefit to personal representative or owner of certificate.

The owner of a benefit contract may change the beneficiary in accordance with the society's laws or rules unless the owner waives this right by specifically requesting in writing that the beneficiary designation be irrevocable. A society, through its laws or rules, may limit the scope of beneficiary designations and shall provide that no revocable beneficiary shall have or obtain any vested interest in the proceeds of a certificate until the certificate has become due and payable in conformity with the provisions of the benefit contract.

A society may make provision for the payment of funeral benefits to the extent of the portion of any payment under a certificate as might reasonably appear to be due to a person equitably entitled to the benefit by reason of having incurred expense occasioned by the burial of the member, if the portion paid does not exceed the sum of $1,000.00.

If at the death of a person insured under a benefit contract there is no lawful beneficiary to whom the proceeds are payable, the amount of the benefit, except to the extent that funeral benefits are paid pursuant to subsection (2), shall be payable to the personal representative of the deceased insured, except that if the owner of the certificate is other than the insured, the proceeds shall be payable to that owner.