CREMATION WITH CARING - QUALITY - PERSONALIZED SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions

Alternative Container

Q: What is the Alternative Container?

AHCS: The Alternative container is best explained as "alternative to a casket" and is the container the deceased is placed in at the crematory. This container houses the remains throughout the refrigeration phase and is ultimately placed in the retort and consumed during the cremation. It is required per Florida Law that all deceased persons are placed in a container.

Q: What is the container for cremated remains?

AHCS: We supply an industry standard hard plastic container for the cremated remains. It is protective for mailing of cremated remains which is done per US Postal regulations. Many families choose to simply use this container, especially when they will be performing a family scattering of cremains. It is accepted at the Veteran's Administration Cemeteries for burial. Other cemeteries have individual rules and requirements depending on state and local laws and the guidelines of the particular cemetery. Check with the cemetery you plan to use for specific information regarding their requirements.

Death Certificates

Q: How much do Death Certificates cost and how do we get them?

AHCS: The fee for certified copies is set by the local county health department. It currently ranges from $5 to $13 per certified copy. The county where the death occurs is the county where the certificate is filed, and that is the rate that must be paid. American Heritage supplies one copy with the arrangement, and will obtain as many additional certified copies as the family requests.. The family pays for all additional copies. American Heritage does not charge for this service.

Q: How many death certificates are necessary?

AHCS: We provide one certified copy of the death certificate with the arrangement. The specific number necessary depends solely on the assets and jointly held assets of the individual at the time of death. Otherwise, it is difficult to establish ahead of time how many will be needed but here are some guidelines:

Original certified copies are generally required to file life insurance claims, for cancellation of pensions, annuities, transfer of stocks, etc. Original certified copies are necessary for property title transfers. Banks generally want to see a certified copy but do not always require one for their permanent records. Generally it is best to call each institution for specific information on whether they require a certified copy and if they will retain it.

Florida law requires all public records to be filed without cause of death information. When ordering Death certificates you need to know how many are necessary with the cause of death (traditional death certificate; usually required for life insurance) and how many without cause of death (also called confidential copy).

Q: If someone dies at home by natural causes or even enroute somewhere, how does one go about getting a death certificate and is it necessary to have one before you pick the body up?

AHCS: A death certificate is not necessary to take the body into our care. The death care provider (cremation society or funeral home) is responsible for producing the certificate and getting the doctor to sign and complete the cause of death portion of the death certificate. The death care provider must also then file the death certificate at the office of vital statistics in the county of death and, if correctly completed, certified copies may be obtained. It's not impossible to get a death certificate the day of death, but rather rare. A responsible death care professional will have systems in place in order to work with the variables of each doctor and their office. At AHCS, we tell families that death certificates usually are certified in 5 to 10 business days. This is a starting point and we are able to advise more accurately after working with the Doctor's staff. As a provider, we are able to have a completed certificate to any doctor within 24hrs of the doctor or his immediate staff confirming with us that he will in fact sign the death certificate and where he will be. Some, but not all, doctors will essentially drop what they are doing and complete the certificate when one arrives to be certified. Other times, in fact quite often, days may pass before we are able to obtain the certification. The Doctor, however, should not be rushed to sign the certificate, as an incorrectly filled out certificate will need to be redone and possibly could delay proceeding with death care services, depending on the disposition.

Delivery

Q: What delivery options are available?

AHCS: American Heritage includes one delivery of the cremated remains in the arrangement. The family designates where the cremated remains are to be delivered- i.e., local family delivery, shipped out of state to distant family, delivered or shipped to cemetery or other party. The method of shipment is by registered United States Postal Service. USPS is the only carrier that knowingly ships cremated remains, and registered mail is the most secure method of shipment.

If the family requires additional delivery- if the cremated remains are divided and delivered to family members at different locations- there is a charge for additional deliveries. Call for current information pertaining to multiple delivery charges.

Discounts

Q: Is there any price discount for veterans, more than one pre-arrangement etc. ?

AHCS: American Heritage does not take a discount approach to the level of service your survivors will receive in regards to your death care services. Thus we are unable to offer a discounted price. American Heritage will file all standard forms for Veterans benefits particular to each Veterans circumstances at no additional fee. Veterans service to our country is greatly appreciated.

Home Death

Q: My neighbor found her husband dead this morning and she called 911 and they came with two fire trucks and a rescue vehicle and asked her questions for hours. Apparently her husband had not seen a Doctor recently and he would not take the responsibility of signing it. I believe the sheriff's office was called and a county coroner had to come and sign for the body to be taken to Gainesville for an autopsy before a death certificate could be signed. It was a bit of a nightmare in my opinion. I am a Hospice volunteer and my only dealings have been with Hospice and they have taken care of everything and the procedure has been very easy and comfortable for everyone. I believe people should be educated as to how to handle these situations in the event of an unexpected home death. I will be doing some investigating myself and sharing the information with as many as possible. But I wanted to know your policy.

AHCS: We refer to the call we receive at time of death as the "first call". The call placed to us must be from a medical professional or someone in a official capacity (EMT/Sheriff/Police). When a family member is found to have died at home and a home health care or hospice is not in attendance we direct them to call 911. The authorities will pronounce death, rule out foul play and try to secure a physician if the deceased had been under a Doctor's care. If the deceased was not under the care of a doctor or Hospice, and no doctor can be found with an adequate "case history" to feel comfortable certifying the cause of death is of natural causes, then they are transported to the Medical Examiner with jurisdiction in their county. (Some counties share Medical Examiner's offices, and it is refereed to as a district.) In some cases an "exam" is all that is necessary and an autopsy is not performed. Usually one is. Chapter 406.11 of The Florida Statues direct what constitutes a case where the medical examiner must be called. If a death occurs under ANY of the following circumstances, then the Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the cause of death and they are authorized to take any action they deem necessary, including autopsy, to determine the cause of death: 1) Criminal Violence 2) Accidents 3) Suicide 4) Sudden death when in apparent good health 5) Unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner 6) In a prison or penal institution 7) In police custody 8) In suspicious or unusual circumstances 9) By criminal abortion 10) By poison 11) By disease constituting a threat to public health 12) By disease, injury, or toxic agent brought into the state without proper medical certification. It appears as though your friend referenced above fell under the jurisdiction of #5. The procedures above are reasonably described as routine in a home death situation. This is of course necessary for the public health and welfare, that all unattended deaths be properly investigated. Your experiences with Hospice are of course different, as Hospice patients are terminal, and under the care of a practicing physician. That is a different situation than an unexpected home death. It is good that you are taking the time to become informed and help to educate others. Of all the situations that can happen, this question is one of the most commonly asked about, yet least to occur. Of course, to those that it does happen to, being informed ahead of time about what to expect can decrease the anxiety about the situation.

Out of State Coverage

Q: I am a Florida Resident but reside in another state for 5 or 6 months of the year. If I should die while at my other residence would that be considered as "traveling or extended vacationing" and be included in your coverage?

AHCS: Coverage is only for full time Florida residents. Additional travel protection is required when Florida is your domicile and you have a second residence.

Q: Also, my wife is an out of state resident. Is there a branch that she can join? Again with the issue of her death possibly occurring while in Florida.

AHCS: Research the options by cremations societies licensed in her state. Otherwise you may simply want to register for coverage while you are both in Florida.

Payments

Q: Do you offer a payment plan for prearrangements?

AHCS: A payment plan is offered; but, adds about $100 dollars of interest to your final cost. The down payment would be approximately $100 dollars. Most of our families register for the $25 and pay in full at a later date or use their credit card to avoid our additional fees. Call to determine exactly what your down payment would be and if a payment plan is available in your area.

Q: What if death occurs before payment has been received in full?

AHCS: If death occurs before the arrangement has been paid in full all, death care services will proceed up until the actual scheduling of cremation. Payment in full must be secured at American Heritage prior to scheduling of cremation.

Pre Arrangements

Q: I am a current resident of Florida. If I were to purchase a pre-funded cremation plan for $895 and then at some time in the future move to another state, is the plan "transferable"? Thank you.

AHCS: $1075 of the $1100 is kept with Homesteaders Life Insurance. The $1075 will grow in value over the years. It belongs to you and if you relocate out of Florida you would change the beneficiary to another provider. $25 is a registration fee to cover fees imposed by the state of Florida guaranteeing protection of your arrangement. It is nonrefundable to us from the state and therefore to you.. If you cancel you would have a penalty. We only suggest you make prearrangements if you intend to keep this as your "burial" policy (more commonly referred to) An amendment may always be made in the future.

Refrigeration

Q: What is this for and why do you refer to it a temporary or necessary?

AHCS: Florida law requires that an unembalmed body be kept under refrigeration. We do not embalm therefore we refrigerate. We commonly refer to the amount of time of refrigeration included as necessary. Meaning the time necessary for us to obtain required medical certifications, Medical Examiner approvals, permits and filing of the death certificate as required by Florida law. Refrigeration for these requirements are included. Unnecessary refrigeration is when a family has delayed the process by not completing the authorizations for cremation. It is very rare that this does occur, especially when prearranged.

Scattering of Cremated Remains "Cremains"

Q: If one elects to be cremated at death, are there Florida laws governing where the cremains may be released?

AHCS: There are no specific funeral statutes at this time concerning disposition of cremated remains by the public off the coast of Florida. When American Heritage Scatters cremated remains for families, it is performed 3 miles offshore to comply with federal regulations.

Transportation from the place of death:

Q: Do you pick up the body form the place of death and transport it to your location in Holiday?

AHCS: American Heritage has crematories located throughout the different regions in Florida. Usually the body is transported to our closest facility in the area where the death occurred. If the families needs are best served at a facility in another region, then transportation may be to a crematory further from the place of death.

Q: Any day?

AHCS: Yes

Q: Any time?

AHCS: Yes

Veterans Information

Q: Do you make arrangements at National Cemeteries for Veterans?

AHCS: Yes, we complete all required paperwork for approval at National Cemeteries for Veterans.

Q: Do you transport cremains to National Cemeteries?

AHCS: Yes. We will deliver or ship to any cemetery that will accept cremated remains via registered mail. As of "9/11" Some cemeteries- such as Arlington National will not accept cremated via registered mail. This may result in a additional receiving fee for a 3rd party delivery.

Witnessing Cremation

Q: Can a responsible party be present during the actual cremation?

AHCS: In limited areas, we are able to offer a "cremation viewing", which is limited to a 15-minute period where the responsible party witnesses the deceased's placement into the retort for the cremation process. This is limited to two people and generally is charged $ 250 - $500 depending on the area. The actual complete cremation procedure is anywhere from 1-2 hours, not counting time for cooling of cremated remains prior to final processing. During that time other procedures are taking place at the crematory, such as receiving other deceased, pacemaker removals, processing of cremains, etc. It is not appropriate to have non-personnel inside the crematory during these times. Basically, the cremation witnessing takes place at a scheduled time, when other operations may be temporarily suspended for this brief period. This is why they are limited in time and also why a fee for the service is charged.

questions@cremation.cc

1-800-756-2311

5438 Flora Avenue Holiday, FL 34690

Once pre-arrangements are made prices are guaranteed at any date in the future. Otherwise prices a subject to change without notice

Updated Spring 2009

American Heritage Cremation Society

5438 Flora Avenue Holiday, FL 34690

By appointment.

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