The Funeral Bureau

The Bureau licenses and regulates funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers, apprentice embalmers, cemetery brokers/branch/additional salespersons, cemeteries and crematories. It also registers death certificates and issues permits for burial or disposition of remains.

Most funeral arrangements are made at an arrangement conference with a funeral director. During the meeting, prices will be explained.

Personal Service

A funeral director is a person licensed to arrange and conduct the transport, burial or disposal of human remains. Funeral directors must be registered with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Vital Records. In New York City, funeral directors or their representatives must file death certificates at one of two registration sites (Burial Desks) located in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Many families are opting to pay for their funeral expenses in advance so as not to burden loved ones with that expense upon their deaths. Generally, these plans are handled by a funeral home that is either family-owned or operated by a large corporation known as a consolidator.

The Bureau licenses 13 different licensing categories in the funeral industry including funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers and apprentice embalmers; cemetery brokers/branch/additional, cemetery salespersons, and managers; cremated remains disposers, crematories, and hydrolysis facilities; and privately owned cemeteries. The Bureau also investigates complaints against these licensees.

Preparation

It takes a lot of time and energy to prepare a body for a funeral. Many people are involved, and they need to be informed about what they are doing. This includes the person who is arranging the service, the survivors and anyone else who might need to be informed.

It is important to select a funeral home with which you feel comfortable. Visiting several and talking to the staff may help you make your decision.

All “funeral providers” must comply with the Funeral Rule. This means that they must give the General Price List (GPL) to anyone who asks for it, even if the discussion of prices or arrangements does not take place in their establishment. This includes family members, clergy or friends. It also includes government agents, such as social workers or case managers, who are discussing arrangements for indigent consumers. This does not include discussions by phone or mail. The GPL does not have to be given out during nonbusiness hours if the discussion is about an at-need situation.

Arrangements

When you make advance funeral arrangements, you compare prices and facilities, select merchandise and services, and eliminate the stress and expense of making on-the-spot decisions at a difficult time. Prepaid funerals also relieve your family of the financial burden of paying for your funeral and cemetery expenses.

A funeral home is a business establishment that has the staff, facilities, and equipment to care for the body after death. It may be licensed as a funeral director or mortuary and must be registered with the State.

When you visit the funeral home, you have the right to be provided with a General Price List which identifies the current prices for merchandise and services available. It is against the law for funeral homes to charge more than the prices on their price list. The funeral home must also provide you with an Itemized Statement that clearly outlines the cost of your funeral arrangement, including any merchandise or services you have selected.

Payment

Many people pre-pay for their funerals, both to make sure their final wishes are carried out and to avoid leaving their loved ones with a heavy burden of debt. If you offer pre-need arrangements, you must give consumers a General Price List and Casket Price List and provide an itemized Statement of Goods and Services Selected.

Some providers enter into agreements with government agencies or persons entitled to a government benefit to arrange funerals for them at special prices. You may add these charges to your regular price lists, or you can prepare separate lists for these arrangements. If these fees are non-declinable, you must disclose them as a basic service fee and include any overhead charges that you do not allocate to other goods and services on your GPL.

You do not have to give out a GPL to people who inquire by telephone or mail, but you must show them the price lists when you meet face-to-face with them. This meeting can occur anywhere, such as the family’s home or while you are removing the deceased from a hospital or nursing home.

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