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than twice the amount of another funeral home for a cremation, even though both funeral homes used the same off-site facility. A 2015 survey done by the Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America found that costs can vary from $2,580 to $13,800 for a full-service funeral. Get price information over the phone. Under the FTC’s rules, funeral directors are required to give you prices over the phone if you ask for it. Here’s a funeral cost and pricing checklist from the FTC. Only buy what you want. Under the federal funeral rule, you have the right to buy goods and services separately, like a casket, memorial service and burial. You do not have to accept a funeral home’s package that has services you don’t want. Don’t buy a casket. If you plan to have a cremation or use an alternative such as a green burial, you may not need a casket. If you want to hold a viewing, you may be able to rent a casket from the funeral home. Have a friend or family member help you negotiate prices. It’s a good idea to have someone you trust with you to speak on your behalf during a stressful and time-sensitive situation. Purpose This handbook is designed to acquaint funeral directors with the vital registration system in the United States and to provide instructions for completing and filing records of death and fetal death. Emphasis is directed toward the responsibilities of the funeral director in handling these certificates and reports and in obtaining proper authorization for final disposition of a dead body. Background information is included on the importance of these documents for legal and statistical purposes and specific instructions for obtaining the necessary information. The funeral director is responsible for filing an accurate and complete death certificate with the proper registration official, although State laws vary in specific requirements. The current death certificate contains personal information about the decedent, medical certification, the signature of the physician or the medical examiner or coroner, and information dealing with the disposal of the remains. The fetal death report contains information about the fetus and parents, the cause of fetal death, and other medical and health information relating to the pregnancy and delivery. Importance of death registration and fetal death reporting The death certificate is a permanent legal record of the fact of death of an individual. As a permanent legal record, the certificate is extremely important to the decedent’s family. It is also needed for a variety of medical and health-related research efforts. The death certificate provides important information about: the decedent (such as age, sex, race, education, date of death, his or her parents, and, if married, the name of the spouse), the circumstances and cause of death, and final disposition. This information is used in the application for insurance benefits, settlement of pension claims, and transfer of title of real and personal property. The certificate is considered to be prima facie evidence of the fact of death. It can therefore be introduced in court as evidence when a question about the death arises. As a 1 service to the decedent’s family, the funeral director should prepare an accurate death record. This responsibility makes the funeral director the anchor of this country’s death registration system. Statistical data from death certificates are used to identify public health problems and measure the results of programs established to alleviate these problems. These data are a necessary foundation on which to base effective public health programs. Health departments could not perform their duties without such data. Mortality statistics are of considerable value to individual physicians and to medical science because they can be used to identify disease etiologies and evaluate diagnostic techniques. Demographers use mortality statistics in combination with natality statistics to estimate and project population sizes, which are important in forecasting and program planning. Because statistical data derived from death certificates can be no more accurate than the information provided on the certificate, it is very important that all persons concerned with the registration of deaths strive not only for complete registration but also for accuracy and promptness in reporting these events. Furthermore, the usefulness of detailed information is greater than more general information. The fetal death report is recommended as a legally required statistical report designed primarily to collect information for statistical and research purposes. In most States, these reports are not maintained in the official files of the State health department, and certified copies of these reports are rarely issued. However, in a number of States the fetal death record is a legal certificate. The record, whether a certificate or a report, provides valuable health and research data. The information is used to study the causes of poor pregnancy outcome. These data are also essential in planning and evaluating prenatal care services and obstetrical programs. They are also used to examine the consequences of possible environmental and occupational exposures of parents on the fetus. U.S. Standard Certificates and Report The registration of deaths and fetal deaths is a State function supported by individual State laws and regulations. The original records are filed in the
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