Price Transparency
Did you know that in Washington cremation prices vary by as much as 700% and burial prices by as much as 400%, just depending upon the funeral home chosen? The National Home Funeral Alliance estimates that funerals are the 3rd largest expense in an American's life: behind a home and a car. Most consumers don't know that you can comparison-shop for deathcare the way you might on those other kinds of purchases. By planning ahead, you can choose the type of arrangement and funeral home that fits your family’s budget.
When you're unfamiliar with funeral industry jargon and may not have experience with planning a funeral, it can be confusing to compare prices. That’s why People's Memorial Association conducts a statewide survey of Washington funeral home prices every other year. We recommend reviewing the price survey as a first step in shopping around. It can save you some phone calls and help you get an idea of what to expect.
Once you have chosen two or three funeral homes that you want to consider, we suggest you visit each funeral home, meet the staff, and get a copy of their latest price list. Pay attention to how comfortable or not you feel with the facility and staff. While price is the important factor for most families, other factors to consider are quality of service, location, facilities, and reputation of the business.
Once you know what you want, reach out to the funeral home directly. They are required by the 1984 Funeral Rule to give you a price quote over the phone; many funeral homes now even post pricing information on their websites! If you visit in person, that same federal law requires that they provide you with a copy of their general price list that you can keep. Be sure to ask for specifics on what is included in the listed prices. They should be able to give you a quote that includes everything except taxes.
PMA's role in funeral price transparency
The founders of People's Memorial Association organized in 1939 to collectively negotiate for "simple, direct cremations." Direct cremations without additional services or upgraded urns were not something funeral homes were legally obligated to sell, and most funeral homes only offered service packages. It took years of tireless advocacy from PMA and other consumer advocates to get the only piece of federal legislation governing the funeral industry passed in 1984: the Funeral Rule. For the first time, funeral homes were obligated to sell a la carte services such as a direct cremation, which has saved many people money and made it easier for consumers to access the specific care and memorialization that meets their unique needs.
Also included in the Funeral Rule was the codification of the General Price List. The legislation spells out what must be included in the public price list and mandates that consumers be provided the pricing information over the phone, as well as receive their own copy if they visit the business in-person. This was a major leap forward in price transparency and protecting consumer interests!
In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission began an open comments period seeking input on revising the 1984 rule. One of the main concerns being addressed in this review is the question of if funeral homes should be obligated to post their price lists online. People's Memorial Association is firmly in favor of this rule, as we believe it puts even more power in the hands of a shopper given the ubiquity of information in this digital age. Detractors of this change say things like "not every funeral home has or needs a website," or "the topic is sensitive and requires a funeral director to explain the price list to customers." Given the fragile and strained emotional states most customers find themselves in in funeral homes, PMA thinks this does a disservice to the customer and creates a power imbalance in favor of the funeral home.
PMA Communications Manager Beverly Tryk spoke at an FTC panel in 2023 on behalf of how PMA has witnessed operations of funeral homes in Washington state over the years. One main point was that thanks to the biennial PMA Price Survey, the rates of Washington funeral homes posting their price lists online is the highest in the nation here, where over 50% of Washington funeral homes post their price lists online (2022, PMA). While we are proud to lead the nation in this space, that percentage is still not high enough.
We will continue to fight for increased price transparency to better put purchasing power and knowledge in the hands of consumers. We hold firm our belief that educated consumers can find the best option for themselves. Our commitment to ethics and transparency mean we are always looking for ways to improve the law, and that means speaking to legislators and government officers on behalf of our members.
