At death, will it be cremation or burial for you? If you have personal means to cover your expenses, you have a choice to make.

If you are poor, and die in Minnesota, cremation is now your default option.

Recently I helped serve lunch at a funeral. The private and community support for the funeral was generous. It made me wonder about people who die who are not part of such a community.

Cemetary

Burial is part of the social safety net in the United States. The government provides for burial costs of poor people.  And some providers also subsidize or write off costs. These include funeral homes, florists, caters, and others.

The recession has increased the number of poor people in the United States.

‘Indigent burials are on the rise’ according to Your Funeral Guy.

Indigent, according to the Encarta Dictionary, means 'extremely poor' or 'destitute person.'

In Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Minnesota, the 2009 estimate for indigent burials is $1.2 million or $250,000 more than is in the budget. The General Fund will be tapped to cover the overage, according to Kevin Duchschere.

This trend did not go unnoticed.

In May, 2009, as a public cost saving measure, Minnesota state statutes were changed to make cremation the default option over burial. A spouse/family member may request a burial based on personal, cultural, or religious preferences.

The average cost of a burial in the United States is $6,500 according to the National Funeral Directors Association cited by Christopher Solomon.

Cremation averages $1,000 or less if there is no funeral or public viewing.

The Minnesota public policy change raises several questions. I am interested in your reaction and comments.

• What is your state policy for indigent burials?
• How much does your local government spend for burials or internment?
• Is making cremation the default approach a public policy change that you favor? Why or why not?

Photo credit: Roman Milert

Leadership development expert & educator, Donna Rae Scheffert knows how public action by others for others improves lives - she helps people to get involved and provides tools to propel them toward their goals easier, faster, and with more fun. Sing up for your RSS feed at Online-Leadership-Tools and follow Donna Rae on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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