Airsman - Hires Funeral Homes: Common Questions about Funeral Planning

What is a Funeral?

A funeral is an event where people gather together to express their grief at the death of a loved one and to share with and support others who are also experiencing grief.

A funeral provides an organized opportunity for the family and friends to acknowledge their loss, to state the important role this person had in their life, to recognize the loved one’s contributions and accomplishments and to begin to prepare for life without the deceased.

A funeral honors the special unique human life that was lived. It is a gathering with the purpose of saying farewell.

What is Prearranging?

Prearranging is the planning of your funeral services in advance of the need. It may or may not include the pre-payment of those services.

If the prepayment option is chosen, the cost of the services and merchandise is locked in, no matter what the price would be when the need occurs.Pre-arranging may only involve the recording of a persons selections and decisions as well as important information that will be necessary when a death occurs. We are happy to meet with you to assist you in this process, which ever option is chosen.

What if my wishes are recorded in my will?

The problem with this is that more frequently than not, the will is not read until after the funeral arrangements have been made, and perhaps have already taken place.

What are the benefits of Prearranging Funeral Services?

Prearranging your funeral services today gives you peace of mind, knowing that this important matter is "taken care of".

It allows you to record your personal wishes relieving your loved ones of having to make difficult decisions about what you would have wanted.

Prearranging allows you the opportunity to compare the services, facilities and prices of funeral homes. It is always both appropriate and wise to compare, when possible.

Prearranging allows you to consider prepayment options and benefits such as:

*locking in funeral costs at today’s prices, making the cost of your funeral inflation free to you.

*protecting the funds used to pay for your funeral from becoming a countable asset should Medicaid ever be needed for assistance with nursing home expenses (see brochure entitled "Illinois Department of Public Aid Funerals")

*in some cases, where insurance is used as the funding vehicle there are benefits available to the family such as:

Should the insured person die as a result of an accident, according to the legal description of accidental death in the State of Illinois, in addition to the funeral being covered by the policy, 1/2 of the amount of the funeral contract will be be paid to the estate. Example: $6,000.00 funeral, the funeral services would be paid for and, in addition, $3,000.00 will be paid to the estate of the deceased.

FAMILY PROTECTION for children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren under the age of twenty one and unmarried. This benefit is simply a gift to the family and would cover the funeral expenses, up to the amount of the funeral contract in our files, for the direct descendant of anyone who has a paid for funeral through National Prearranged Services (N.P.S.). The descendant must be under the age of 21, unmarried, and must not die as a result of an illness or injury which has already been diagnosed at the onset of the Preneed contract. N.P.S. is the insurance company where we place the funds paid to us for prepaid funerals. This does not affect the original contract, it is a gift. The money would be paid on your family's behalf to any funeral home in the nation who provides the services for your family. If the descendant is in the service area of an Airsman - Hires Funeral Home, we ask that you use our services.

If I prepay for my services, are the funds transferable, should I move away or choose anouther funeral home?

Yes! Money paid in advance to a funeral home is placed in a trust or in a specially designed insurance policy in YOUR NAME. You or your representative are the owner of the trust or policy. You may choose to transfer the funds to another funeral home to pay for their services at or before the time of need.

Should I ever sign an Irrevocable Form?

An Irrevocable form is a legally binding document that makes the money set aside not able to be used for anything except the funeral expenses of the person for whom the services were paid. It is not a requirement that you sign this form. The benefits of signing this form are:

*It protects the money from becoming a countable asset should the person for whom the services have been paid ever need to apply for Public Assistance. According to the Illinois Funeral Director's Association, almost 50% of all nursing home residents will receive assistance from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Should this become necessary, a signature making the funds irrevocable will protect the entire amount set aside from being counted as an asset.

Signing an Irrevocable form does not prevent you from taking your funds to another funeral home, should you choose to do so.

Is it true that, should I ever need Medicaid for nursing home care, I may have to cash in the life insurance policies I counted on for my funeral expenses?

Yes, in some cases. For instance, when a policy has a cash value of more than $1,500.00, that cash value could prevent you from being eligible for the public assistance you need to pay for ongoing medical expenses.

In any case where there is cash value in an insurance policy, the amount of cash value becomes a part of the $2,000.00 allowed as spendable assets.

Does this apply to the type of insurance policy that the funeral home would provide?

No! The policy at the funeral home guarantees the cost freeze of the services for which it pays, but does not accumulate cash value.

How much does a funeral cost?

The answer to this question depends on the types of services, casket and outer burial container you or your family select. At Airsman-Hires Funeral Homes, you will never be pressured to spend more than you wish or can afford. We intentionally provide a selection of caskets which includes attractive caskets in several price ranges.

We also have a wide selection of protective vaults at various price levels. Also available, is the concrete grave liner which does not seal but meets the cemetery requirements for a hard container to enclose the casket. This requirement is for the purpose of keeping the ground from sinking at the grave site.

Upon request, we will be happy to give you a copy of our general price list and give estimates based on your choices.

Is Cremation less expensive than burial?

Typically, cremation is less expensive than burial. There are many options available when cremation is chosen that could cause this to vary.

What options are available when cremation is chosen?

*Direct cremation with no visitation or funeral service

*Cremation with a visitation and or memorial service

*Visitation and or funeral service with the body present using either a rental casket or a cremation casket

*Burial of cremains in a cemetery plot.

*A Keepsake Urn to be kept in the home or placed in a cremation niche

*Several small keepsake containers to be kept by several loved ones

What do I do if a death occurs away from home?

The most important thing to do is contact your local funeral home, where the services will be held, FIRST. We will contact a funeral home or mortuary in the area where the death has occured on your behalf. Doing so will prevent you from being billed from two funeral homes and will most usually will save you money.

For those who are frequent travelers or go away for the winter, we have a travel protection assistance plan available which, should a death occur more than 100 miles from the person’s official place of residence, could save a great deal of money.

International Welcome Home Society offers through our funeral homes, a membership benefit which covers the following expenses as long as the death occurs more than 100 miles from the official residence of the decedent.

** locating a funeral home or mortuary to handle arrangements in the area where the death occurs

** transporting remains from the site of death to the local mortuary or funeral home

** embalming of the body to prepare for transportation

** transporting the remains to an Airsman - Hires Funeral Home by air or other appropriate means

** purchasing the proper container necessary for transportation

** securing death certificates in the county or country where the death occurs

** in the case of an overseas death, as long as diplomatic relations exist, the procurement of consular services

This membership is available for a one time cost of $325.00 per person. This service may only be purchased in advance and is not transferable.

If items covered by International Welcome Home Society have already been paid for in a prearranged funeral contract, the cost of those items will be refunded. if allowed by law, or applied to other services or merchandise.

More Questions?