ASTORIA, Ore. — An Astoria man was found dead in his bed earlier this month. On top of dying alone, he had no death benefit, insurance policy, friends or family willing and able to pay for cremation.
Once the body was discovered and taken to Hughes-Ransom Mortuary & Crematory in Astoria, Funeral Director John R. Alcantara began the process of finding anyone who could pay, at least partially, for services.
No one came forward, leaving the funeral home with the responsibility — and the expense.
“It’s just something that’s a shared responsibility in a community,” Alcantara said. “This is a safety net for people who have nothing.”
Oregon has partially reimbursed funeral homes for indigent cremations and burials since 1993. The state Legislature altered the process in 2015, widening the criteria for a body to be considered indigent.
Still, after peaking at 443 in 2014, the number of indigent cremations and burials statewide gradually decreased to 332 last year. The drop comes as total deaths in Oregon have jumped from 32,771 in 2011 to 36,556 last year.
The figures are a positive for funeral homes, which bear most of the financial burden.
When a body is discovered, law enforcement attempts to notify friends or family. Starting with potential spouses, officials then reach out to adult children, parents, siblings and anyone who may have the legal right or desire to oversee funeral services.
Hughes-Ransom, for instance, has only handled two indigent cases in the past two years.
Most local funeral homes have volunteered to be on an on-call list when officials cannot find next of kin.
When no one is tapped to pay, the funeral home performs cremations that typically would cost more than $1,600, Alcantara said. The state Mortuary and Cemetery Board, following a lengthy application process, may then reimburse up to $461.
“This is so much of a process for so little money,” Alcantara said.
The indigent reimbursement fund is based on money taken from death filing fees. State law requires that $6 of every $20 fee be put into the fund.
Funeral homes are required to explore numerous other avenues for reimbursement before receiving money from the state.
If no payment source can be found within 10 days, funeral homes must offer the body to an educational or research institution.
