NEWS
2021 Update: Expanding Focus for FCSC.
We have always held a commitment to funeral consumer education and support. As an expansion of that commitment, We have made a decision to shift away from our past focus on Contract Providers.
Contracting with a limited number of providers does not serve the consumer as well as having information about all providers. Pricing and ownership information are now available HERE as a pricing spreadsheet, and we are also available to talk through options with you by phone or email.
We are most grateful for the excellent service provided to our members over the years by:
Bohlender Funeral Home in Ft. Collins, Cappadona Funeral Home in Colorado Springs, Stork Family Mortuary in Lakewood, and M.P. Murphy & Associates Funeral Directors in Boulder.
Legislative News
Senate Bill 21-015. The Bill which concerns a stipend for veterans service organizations that provides funeral services for honorably discharged veterans was approved and the Governor signed it on May 27, 2021.
Senate Bill (SB 21-006) was introduced 2-16-21 under the title of "Human Remains Natural Reduction Soil". This bill would allow for human composting, and is also known as "Recompose". On March 17, SB 21-006 was introduced in the House and assigned to the energy and environment committee. This Bill has not been passed yet, so it has not reached the governor's office. This bill was signed by the Governor on May 10.
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HB 21-1169 concerning the prohibition of discrimination against a potential organ transplant recipient based solely on the person's disability. The bill prohibits a health-care provider, hospital, or other entity involved in making a decision regarding a person's eligibility to receive an anatomical gift, organ transplant, or any related treatment or services from discriminating against that person solely on the basis of a disability; signed by the Governor on May 6, 2021.
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Neptune Society information:
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Here is some interesting information brought to our attention by FCSC's President Sue Mackey:
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The word "Society" above does not fit the typical dictionary definition, so may be misleading to your expectations.
The name Neptune Society® is a registered trademark owned by Service Corporation International (SCI), the largest cemetery and funeral provider in the world.
SCI is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and contributes heavily to Texas elected officials.
The Neptune Society® sells a direct cremation as a prepaid funeral contract; tied to another contract for a "memento package"; plus another optional contract for "away from home" body transportation to facilitate cremation. Click the link below for more information:
The following info is from a March 2017 CBS article about the pricing practices at funeral homes. The Funeral Consumer Alliance and the Consumer Federation of American did a survey of pricing practices at 138 funeral homes across the country. Thirty-five of these are owned by the Service Corporation International (SCI). Though not legally required, funeral homes have been asked to post their price lists on line. SCI has refused to do this. The survey revealed that SCI’s pricing can be as much as 72% higher than that of independent funeral homes. Josh Slocum is quoted as saying “One of the most critical ways families can control their costs is by shopping around, just as they would for any other product, but it’s difficult to do that for funerals.” Today it was noted that SCI owns between 1200 and 1500 funeral homes. Any home which uses "Dignity Memorial" is an SCI home.
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ARTICLE: With Funeral Home Rules Due for an Update, There's a Push for Online Prices. - Federal regulations that took effect 35 years ago don’t require them — a disadvantage for people who are shopping when....
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Notes from the Newsletter of FCA
(our parent organization), concerning three
national surveys over the past two years:
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* Only 1 in 4 funeral homes posted their detailed General Price List online.
* 16 percent of funeral homes failed to acknowledge/refused to respond to email and phone requests for prices.
* 22 percent advertised a price for direct cremation that did not include the price of the actual cremation.
* No SCI funeral home websites have disclosed any prices. FCA has determined this is a national, company-wide policy.
* SCI's prices in each of 10 surveyed cities far exceeded prices at independent funeral homes.
* The median price for direct cremation at an SCI funeral home was 72 percent higher than at an independent.
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For more info from Funeral Consumers Alliance, go to:
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Concerning Durable Powers of Attorney, a word of caution:
Durable Powers of Attorney may, on occasion, lose their power. Financial (Statutory) Powers of Attorney are sometimes abused by adult children who want access to their parent's funds, or by criminals who forge these documents for the same reason. Because of this potential abuse, financial institutions (banks, brokerage firms) may balk at recognizing this durable power of attorney and deny access to the funds in question.
Experts recommend that the adult children who have this durable power of attorney check with the financial institutions involved to determine if this document will be accepted, and, if not, adjust or add to the document as necessary.
For example, some institutions may ask the account holder (the person giving the power of attorney) to sign separate powers of attorney drafted by their lawyers to allow for easier and smoother administration.
Updated and Revised from Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA):
• Should You Prepay Your Funeral
• Cremation Explained
• Veterans Funeral and Burial Benefits
• Death Away from Home
• Common Funeral Myths
• Four-Step Funeral Planning
• Ten Tips for Saving Funeral Dollars
• Green Burial
• Embalming Explained
They're all available in two forms.
• Click here for articles formatted for online reading
• Click here for tri-fold formatted brochures suitable for printing
Looking for publications on other topics? Drop them a line at fca@funerals.org
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