The Missouri State Board’s proposed exam handbook would have examiners perform more of their review before an onsite visit is scheduled at the funeral home. By performing a desk top review, the examiner would be better prepared when visiting the funeral home. This should expedite the examination process. There would be four stages to
Exams/audits
Missouri Preneed Exam Procedures: New Receipt and Transmission Records
By Bill Stalter on
Missouri’s pending preneed exam handbook will establish a new record keeping requirement for the state’s preneed sellers: monthly records of consumer payment receipts and the transmission of those funds to the preneed funding agent. Seller record keeping proposals are not new to the Board. (Missouri Seller Records: The State Board Proposal) The Board’s…
Missouri’s Next Preneed Exam Manual: Start Following the Money
By Bill Stalter on
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors introduced a new preneed examination handbook at its October meeting. (Click the following hyperlink to access the preneed handbook.) The proposed handbook would change the emphasis of the preneed exams from contract and recordkeeping compliance to tracking consumer funds paid to the funeral home.
For…
The Missouri State Board: But Will the Division Change its Ways?
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Exams/audits, Missouri - SB1
The rift between the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and their Executive Director culminated in her resignation effective June 30th. Over the course of the past several years, the State Board drew the ire of the industry in a number of ways. The staff implemented regulation proposals before they were…
Missouri Preneed Exam Procedures: Industry Expertise
By Bill Stalter on
Our first recommendation to the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors is that they assume, and maintain, control over the preneed examination procedures. The exam procedures implemented two years ago were never submitted to the Board for review and approval. Accordingly, the examination procedures handbook should remind the staff that any change made…
Dialing It Back to Zero: Missouri Reboots it’s Exam Process
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Exams/audits, Missouri - SB1
With an action that caught some by surprise, the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors voted to suspend future preneed examinations and accept recommendations on a new process. We have made several posts on the faults of the Missouri examination process, and now commend the Board on taking a bold action. The Missouri…
A Call for Comments: Missouri’s Preneed Exam Handbook
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Exams/audits, Missouri - SB1
To begin reform of its preneed exam process, the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors is seeking input from the industry by this Friday, June 8th. Specifically, the State Board is requesting comments to the Exam Procedures Handbook prepared by its staff. We have made edits to that handbook, and will…
Missouri’s Adequate Preneed Records: Performance and Cancellation Records
By Bill Stalter on
When the State Board approved a new “adequate seller records” rule on April 25th, there wasn’t much discussion of the documents or reports to be maintained for performed and canceled preneed contracts. In a sense, the Board may not need to expand beyond the FTC’s statement of goods and services requirement. If a…
Missouri’s Adequate Preneed Records: Receipt and Transmittal Records
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Exams/audits, Missouri - SB1
The Missouri funeral industry has haggled with the State Board for two years over preneed record requirements. But on April 25th, the State Board scrapped the staff’s adequate record proposal, and instead, adopted a brief definition of ‘seller records’. The State Board’s approach will afford funeral homes more flexibility in documenting the receipt…
Missouri State Board: New Leniency for Annual Reports
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1
Another welcomed change made by the State Board on April 25th was to approve an extension on the filing of annual reports. Missouri has one of the shortest periods (60 days) for filing a preneed annual report. Neighboring states not only granted more time (Illinois 75 days, Iowa 105 days and Nebraska 150 days),…