General Price List - Mortuary law
Does the Rule Require the GPL Be Given to Keep?
A verbal offer of a GPL is not enough to comply with the Rule. You cannot merely tell consumers that a GPL is available for inspection. You also cannot show them a GPL in a booklet or binder where it appears that there is only one copy available or that the booklet is solely for the funeral director's use. You must physically offer consumers a General Price List that they can keep and take home with them. If the consumer does not want to accept or look at the General Price List, you do not have to do anything else. However, you should do nothing to discourage customers from looking at the GPL, such as telling them that it is unnecessary or difficult to understand.
Required Disclosures on the GPL #4 of 6 Basic Services Fee
This fee for our basic services and overhead will be added to the total cost of the funeral arrangements you select. (This fee is already included in our charges for direct cremations, immediate burials, and forwarding or receiving remains.) Option 2: Instead of charging a separate basic services fee, you can include the services fee in your casket prices. With this alternative, you must include the following disclosure: Please note that a fee of (specify dollar amount) for the use of our basic services and overhead is included in the price of our caskets. This same fee shall be added to the total cost of your funeral arrangements if you provide the casket. Our services include (specify).
THE CASKET PRICE LIST information to be included The CPL must include the following basic information: You must offer the CPL when you begin discussing caskets or alternative containers — but before showing these items.
the name of your business; the caption: "Casket Price List;" the effective date for the Casket Price List; and the retail price of each casket and alternative container that does not require special ordering, with enough information to identify it.
THE OUTER BURIAL CONTAINER PRICE LIST: In most areas of the country, state, or local law does not require that you buy a container to surround the casket in the grave. However, many cemeteries require that you have such a container so that the grave will not sink in. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements.
the name of your business; the caption: "Outer Burial Container Price List;" the effective date of the price list; the retail price of each outer burial container you offer that does not require special ordering, with enough information to identify the container; and this disclosure:
Information Required on the GPL
Identifying Information Required Disclosures on the GPL Right of Selection Embalming Alternative Containers Professional Services Fee Casket Price List Outer Burial Container Price List Required Itemized Prices on the GPL Forwarding/Receiving Remains, Direct Cremation, and Immediate Burial Basic Services of Funeral Director and Staff Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home Embalming Other Preparation of the Body Use of Facilities and Staff for Viewing Use of Facilities and Staff for Funeral Ceremony Use of Facilities and Staff for Memorial Service Use of Equipment and Staff for Graveside Service Hearse Limousine Casket Outer Burial Container
Required Disclosures on the GPL #3 of 6 Alternative Containers
If you want to arrange a direct cremation, you can use an alternative container. Alternative containers encase the body and can be made of materials like fiberboard or composition materials (with or without an outside covering). The containers we provide are (specify containers).
Required Disclosures on the GPL #6 of 6 Outer Burial Container Price List
In most areas of the country, state or local law does not require that you buy a container to surround the casket in the grave. However, many cemeteries require that you have such a container so that the grave will not sink in. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements.
GPL Identifying Information
The General Price List should be printed or typewritten, and must contain the following identifying information: the name, address, and telephone number of the funeral provider's place of business, including (where relevant) the address and telephone number for each branch; the caption: "General Price List;" and the effective date of the price list.
Required Itemized Prices on the GPL
The Rule requires you to itemize the prices for certain goods and services so consumers may choose only those elements of a funeral that they want. You must list the following 16 specified items of goods and services on the GPL, together with the price for each item:(8) Forwarding of remains to another funeral home; Receiving remains from another funeral home; Direct cremation; Immediate burial; Basic services of funeral director and staff, and overhead; Transfer of remains to funeral home; Embalming; Other preparation of the body; Use of facilities and staff for viewing; Use of facilities and staff for funeral ceremony; Use of facilities and staff for memorial service; Use of equipment and staff for graveside service; Hearse; Limousine; Either individual casket prices or the range of casket prices that appear on the Casket Price List; and Either individual outer burial container prices or the range of outer burial container prices that appear on the Outer Burial Container Price List. You can list these items in any order you want. You only have to list the items that you actually offer. If you do not offer one or more of the 16 items, you need not list those items on the General Price List. In addition to these 16 items, you also may list other items that you offer, such as acknowledgement cards and cremation urns. You also may provide prices for package funerals on your GPL. However, you must offer any package funerals in addition to and not in place of the required itemized prices.(9) The itemized prices on your General Price List, as well as your Casket Price List and Outer Burial Container Price List, should be accurate and up-to-date. These prices should reflect the prices that you actually charge your customers. Of course, you can offer a discount when there are special circumstances, such as arrangements for a friend or relative or a family that otherwise could not afford your services. The Rule does not prevent you from doing this. However, you should not inflate the prices on any of your price lists in order to offer all or most of your customers a discount. In that case, the "discounted" prices would be the accurate prices and should be reflected on the price lists.
6 Required Disclosures on the GPL
The consumer's right to select only the goods and services desired; Embalming; Alternative containers for direct cremation; The basic services fee; The Casket Price List; and The Outer Burial Container Price List.
Required Disclosures on the GPL #5 of 6 Casket Price List
The fifth disclosure tells consumers that a Casket Price List is available.(6) You may list casket prices either on the General Price List or on a separate "Casket Price List." If you use a separate Casket Price List, your GPL should state the range of prices for the caskets you sell, together with the following disclosure: A complete price list will be provided at the funeral home.
Required Disclosures on the GPL #1 of 6 The consumer's right to select only the goods and services
The goods and services shown below are those we can provide to our customers. You may choose only the items you desire. However, any funeral arrangements you select will include a charge for our basic services and overhead. If legal or other requirements mean you must buy any items you did not specifically ask for, we will explain the reason in writing on the statement we provide describing the funeral goods and services you selected.
When Should the GPL Be Offered?
You do not have to hand out the General Price List as soon as someone walks into your business. But, you must offer the price list when you begin to discuss any of the following: The type of funeral or disposition that you can arrange; The specific goods and services that you offer; or The prices of your goods and services. Before giving a GPL to a bereaved individual, you may offer your condolences and discuss preliminary matters like veteran's benefits or death certificates. The triggering event for giving out the GPL is a face-to-face meeting. The face-to-face meeting can occur anywhere, not just at the funeral home. For example, you must give out a General Price List even if the discussion of prices or arrangements takes place in the family's home or while removing the deceased from a hospital or a nursing home. You should tell your employees to carry extra price lists with them.
What About Phone or Mail Inquiries?
You must give certain information to people who telephone, but the Rule does not require you to send callers a General Price List. Similarly, you do not have to send a GPL in response to mail inquiries about funeral goods and services. Of course, you certainly are free to send a GPL to someone who calls or writes for information if you wish to do so. However, if a telephone or mail inquiry is followed up by a meeting at the funeral home or elsewhere, you must provide a GPL at that time.
What About the GPL and Pre-need Arrangements?
You must give out a General Price List in all pre-need situations. Because you may sell different goods and services on a pre-need basis, your pre-need GPL may vary from the GPL you use in at-need situations. However, any General Price List that you use for pre-need arrangements must include all required disclosures and offer goods and services on an itemized basis. You cannot offer only package funerals to pre-need customers. In addition, you must give a GPL to anyone who wishes to modify the funeral goods or services already purchased under a pre-need contract or to a survivor who must pay an additional sum because prices have increased since the time the arrangements were pre-planned.
Who Gets a GPL?
You must give the General Price List to anyone who asks, in person, about funeral goods, funeral services, or the prices of such goods or services. You must give the GPL to such individuals to keep. The request for information does not have to come from a consumer or someone who wants to make funeral arrangements now or in the future. You must give a GPL to all persons who inquire about funeral arrangements. This may include competitors, journalists, and representatives of businesses, religious societies, government agencies, or consumer groups.
Required Disclosures on the GPL #2 of 6 Embalming
[Except in certain special cases,] [E]mbalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial.
