Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 175, § 187E

A company which upon the death of an individual residing in the commonwealth owes his estate an aggregate sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars under any policy or policies of life, endowment, or accident or health insurance, or any annuity or pure endowment contract or contracts, may, at any time not less than sixty days thereafter, upon satisfactory proof, pay such sum to his surviving spouse, or, if none, to one or more of his heirs under section three of chapter one hundred and ninety; provided, that at the time of such payment no written claim for such sum has been received at the company's home office from any executor, administrator or special administrator of the estate of such individual. Any payment made under any such policy or contract under authority of this section to a person eighteen years of age or older shall constitute a full discharge of the company from all liability thereunder.