May 1, 2024

When a person in Minnesota dies, and cannot afford to pay final disposition expenses, each county is responsible to create a policy to assist the individual and determine if they meet the  eligibility requirements.  In our six county region of the state, including Rock, Pipestone, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray and Redwood counties, Southwest Health and Human Services (SWHHS) was formed to create and administer policies for the local governments which fund their organization.  The initial policy was that a family could choose cremation or a traditional burial as means of final disposition.  SWHHS would provide a minimal fee to the funeral home to offset its expenses.  The fee provided covered roughly half of the cost of our services.  This left the funeral home responsible for covering the other half of the expenses.  This resulted in the loss of thousands of dollars to the funeral home.

Several years ago, area funeral homes were allowed to meet with Nancy Walker, the Deputy Director for SWHHS.  In a productive meeting, we came to a mutually beneficial policy of SWHHS only paying for necessary expenses relating to the disposition of the deceased.  Families had the option of an Immediate Burial or Direct Cremation.  If families elected to have any services or ceremony those expenses were paid for by the family.  This policy allowed families to have the freedom of choice; SWHHS only paid for the required essentials; and funeral homes could offset their losses by allowing families to pay for any additional services that they selected.  Funeral homes still did not receive 100% of their costs, but the loss was minimal.

On May 1, 2024, SWHHS has revised their county burial policy.  The new policy states that the means of final disposition will be cremation.  Traditional burial is no longer an option without a religious or cultural exception.  Visitation, Funeral or Memorial Services are NOT ALLOWED.  Substitutions and upgrades are not allowed.  If a family chooses to hold ANY type of service, Southwest Health and Human Service will withhold payments to the funeral home and/ or will attempt to recover the stipend funds directly from the family of the deceased.

Stephens Funeral Services is STRONGLY OPPOSED to the new policy.  We believe that it is everyone’s human rights to be able to hold a religious or non-religious ceremony to honor the life of their loved one.  A funeral or memorial service is essential to allowing families and the community to grieve the loss of a loved one.  These ceremonies promote healing and assist mourners in the grief process.  Although not everyone needs a ceremony to heal, not being allowed to hold these services is a direct violation of our civil rights.  Allowing grieving families to hold a ceremony does not cost SWHHS any additional funds.  These funds were paid for by outside sources.

This policy has put funeral homes in a terrible position.  Because of the strict requirements, it forces our funeral home staff to immediately ask families how they intend to pay for the services.  This question is a very cold, shallow way to begin an interaction with a grieving family member that has just lost a loved one.  However, in order to best serve these families, we need to keep their funding options available to them.  If a family requests a public viewing, which requires embalming the decedent, and we follow through with that request; that family would be ineligible for county burial assistance. 

We are appreciative that SWHHS is attempting to be responsible with all our tax dollars, but why are funeral homes the only outside contractor forced to take a loss on the service that we provide to the community.  Our prices are set to cover our overhead expenses.  When SWHHS only reimburses us half of what is our cost, these additional expenses are spread out amongst the families that are paying the costs.  This policy has never been fair or just.  Now it is infringing on a family’s right to hold a service or ceremony.  If you feel that this policy needs to change, please reach out to Nancy Walker at Southwest Health and Human Services, or contact the county board members to express your concern on behalf of the families that cannot afford to pay for final life expenses.

Sincerely,
Nathan Stephens
Stephens Funeral Services
Redwood Valley Funeral Home
Tracy Area Funeral Home
Walnut Grove Funeral Home