Business Blog
Proposed Funeral Rule changes under consideration at September workshop
The FTC has always recommended that families have in-depth, upfront discussions about funerals and it’s advice we take seriously ourselves. In November 2022, the Commission issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, asking for public comment about proposed changes to the Funeral Rule. We’re following up with a workshop scheduled for September 7, 2023, to consider issues raised by the ANPR.
The Funeral Rule has been in place for almost 40 years and the FTC has reviewed and reconsidered it periodically to make sure it reflects evolving technology and traditions. From the start, a central purpose of the Rule has been to give consumers access to information they need to make informed decisions – a process that can be complicated by the fact that families often must consider the options under a mantle of grief. As part of its regulatory review, the FTC announced last year that it was retaining the Funeral Rule, but also that it was seeking comments concerning potential Rule updates to reflect how consumers currently get information about products and services. One notable proposal: whether and how funeral providers should be required to display or distribute their price information online or through electronic means.
As the Federal Register Notice explains, other topics under possible consideration at the workshop may include the General Price List mandated by the Rule, whether third-party crematory fees and other third-party fees should be disclosed in the General Price List, disclosures required by the Rule (for example, the embalming disclosure), new forms of disposition of human remains, and whether in certain circumstances funeral providers should be required (or permitted) to give out General Price Lists in languages other than English.
Interested in participating as a panelist? Email us at funeralrule@ftc.gov by June 19, 2023. We’ll also keep the record open until October 10, 2023, so you can file a public comment. If you’re affiliated with an entity that has provided funding for research, analysis, or commentary on relevant topics, please identify the source of that funding in your request to speak or in your comment. In addition, please identify in your request to speak your interest in the proceeding. Read the Federal Register Notice for details.
The September 7th event is open to the public and will take place at the FTC’s Constitution Center auditorium, 400 7th Street, S.W., in Washington. Can’t make it to DC that day? Watch the webcast from a link we’ll post that morning. Follow the Business Blog for updates about the agenda and speakers.
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In the interest of saving our planet, it would seem that cremation would be the way to go in the future. Ashes take up very little space (merely a tiny vault in a wall), do not pollute, and the current cemeteries could be then turned into green spaces open to the public which so many cities sorely need.
In reply to In the interest of saving… by Jacqueline Sharp
I really like the idea of cemeteries becoming green spaces, however, cremation is not green at all! It releases billions and billions of pounds of carbon into the air every year. It actually has a much higher carbon footprint than traditional burial. Green burial, in my professional opinion, is the most environmentally friendly form of final disposition.
I just want to thank you for doing this. I've noted people her force to make these decisions when they are wrecked with grief. Sometimes I feel like the funeral homes are a racket. There's so much to do, especially if no plans we're already made
I am all for listing prices online! Also, if composting is being considered among the “new forms of disposition of human remains” being discussed that would be awesome!! It’s what I’d like to plan to do with my body and I believe it’s still illegal in my state.
I believe it is within the client's right to know the price of services it's completely legal within the hospital setting and should be available in the funeral setting so many families when underreported get sideswiped by the prices of funeral services during a time of grieving. I would also like to say that we should have more environmentally sustainable forms of services such as composting and water cremation all to have more clean options than embalming and cremation.
While it is currently mandated that GPLs be provided over the telephone, having to make multiple calls to multiple sales personnel in order to investigate pricing for goods and services can add to the already significant trauma of families, now burdened by grief, and at their most vulnerable to opportunistic, coercive, and predatory business practices.
It seems to me that the only ethical resolution is to insist that consumers be provided with the
ability to shop comparatively online when considering what might be one of the most expensive and complicated financial decisions they'll have to make. By enforcing price transparency with an online disclosure, families would have the ability to research options and make choices within their budgets more effortlessly and without criticism or judgment, from the comfort of their own homes. The fact that funeral boards are resisting this very simple adjustment – since they all have websites anyway, suggests there may be an even more urgent need for it.
My friend wrote it the best and I’m reiterating it. I can’t say it better.
While it is currently mandated that GPLs be provided over the telephone, having to make multiple calls to multiple sales personnel in order to investigate pricing for goods and services can add to the already significant trauma of families, now burdened by grief, and at their most vulnerable - to opportunistic, coercive, and predatory business practices.
It seems to me that the only ethical resolution is to insist that consumers be provided with the ability to shop comparatively online when considering what might be one of the most expensive and complicated financial decisions they'll have to make. By enforcing price transparency with an online disclosure, families would have the ability to research options and make choices within their budgets, more effortlessly, and without criticism or judgment, from the comfort of their own homes. The fact that funeral boards are resisting this very simple adjustment – since they all have websites anyway, suggests there may be an even more urgent need for it.
Listing prices online not only allows families to deal with difficult choices at a difficult time in the privacy of their own home, it also creates a transparency in the industry that is sorely needed.
Transparency builds trust. Pricing in this digital age should be made available online. The goal of a funeral director should be to provide comfort to grieving families, not re-traumatizing them by being forced to shop around in such archaic ways. Anyone who is against this does not have families at the front and center and are more interested in beating the competition and making more money
I'm a very big yes for price listing. There's absolutely no reason to hide the prices that aren't 100% shady and cruel. Transparent pricing leads to more competitive pricing and offering things that people want like composting, liquifying, and more affordable cremation.
I think it's a great idea to have everything listed on the websites. It is the best way to comparison shop without pressure or hard sell tactics. It's also easier when a person is trying to make decisions in the middle of the whole death/funeral/burial process that happens in less than a week.
I agree with and would like to re-emphasize my friend and colleague, Angie Buchanan’s comment below:
“While it is currently mandated that GPLs be provided over the telephone, having to make multiple calls to multiple sales personnel in order to investigate pricing for goods and services can add to the already significant trauma of families, now burdened by grief, and at their most vulnerable - to opportunistic, coercive, and predatory business practices.
It seems to me that the only ethical resolution is to insist that consumers be provided with the ability to shop comparatively online when considering what might be one of the most expensive and complicated financial decisions they'll have to make. By enforcing price transparency with an online disclosure, families would have the ability to research options and make choices within their budgets, more effortlessly, and without criticism or judgment, from the comfort of their own homes. The fact that funeral boards are resisting this very simple adjustment – since they all have websites anyway, suggests there may be an even more urgent need for it.
The funeral industry serves the public at the times of greatest emotional stress. It would be good and compassionate practice to make the process of choosing a provider as easy and low stress as possible. I believe that all options, prices and extra fees should be available in the simplest possible ways to consumers - in print and online.
Transparency plays such a pivotal role in the funeral industry. During a time of grief and upheaval, there is nothing worse than a family member or friend having to proverbially roll the dice on how much a funeral might cost for their loved one. Lacking transparency creates an additional element of distress that can be so easily avoided with a simple disclosure. Although the funeral industry is still a business, it must know, and understand, that the business often centers around trauma and uncertainty. Let’s not add to that. We must allow those planning a funeral be able to easily access pricing, on their terms, online.