The 952 funeral home members of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association (OFDA) are requesting the assistance of family physicians in addressing an urgent problem that has reached crisis stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians can aid in the timely and honorable disposition of human remains by promptly issuing death certificates.
Funeral directors recognize the strain the pandemic has had on the healthcare system and truly appreciate the endless hours of care provided to ensure the health of your patients. The pandemic has had a profound impact on the deathcare profession as well. Funeral homes are often small businesses with limited staff, so the efficiency of operations is vital. Ohio funeral homes and crematories are experiencing historically high levels of decedents, which can easily overwhelm storage capacities. Some funeral directors have partnered with hospitals and coroners to provide decedent storage, because of insufficient or nonexistent morgue facilities.
Section 3705.16(C) of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) requires the decedent’s attending physician to certify the cause of death within 48 hours of the death occurring. Without the physician’s certification, the death certificate cannot be filed. Any delay in the physician signing the death certificate causes a corresponding delay in burials and cremations, added emotional stress for families, and the family’s inability to obtain needed death certificates to collect insurance proceeds, and open estates, as well as transfer and close security and bank accounts.
In a survey of OFDA member funeral homes conducted last week, 91% report that cremations and burials have been delayed because physicians are failing to sign death certificates within the 48-hour statutory time frame. Additionally, 68% of survey responders report they are experiencing refrigeration and/or storage levels near or exceeding facility capacity to safely hold the human remains awaiting disposition.
The OFDA requests your cooperation in complying with ORC 3705.16(C). If you have further questions, the State Medical Board of Ohio provides guidance on signing death certificates.
Please communicate back to the funeral directors that they can speed up the process by providing the time of death. When a patient of mine dies at home and I agree to sign the death certificate, I have no way of knowing the time of death. Many times there is a significant delay in signing as my staff hunts down the information.