The Dead Beat recently published a letter from a Missouri funeral home operator that was critical of the ‘handling of the NPS debacle’ by the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. The operator questioned how the Board could ‘allow’ his firm to sign official documents requiring that NPS contracts be honored. The official
state board of embalmers and funeral directors
Formal Rulemaking: Missouri’s test of patience
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1, Preneed
At its December meeting, Missouri’s State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will seek input from licensees and consumers regarding several rulemaking proposals. The proposals were published on the Board’s website in November, with a request that comments be provided to the Board by December 2nd. This represents a prelude to the formal rulemaking process…
Meet Me in St.Louis: the Death Care Regulators Convention
By Bill Stalter on
Missouri’s death care regulators will play host to their peers next week when the North American Death Care Regulators Association convention is held in St. Louis. When you host a convention in NPS’ backyard, the agenda needs to include sessions on what went wrong. The final session of the agenda will catch every …
The Next Installment to Missouri Preneed Oversight: Will there be a quiz?
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1, Preneed
My son, the 5th year senior, lamented to my wife and I a few months ago about a reading assignment given in an engineering lab. He was frustrated because the assignment would take all weekend, and the Jayhawks would be at Allen Fieldhouse that Saturday. I questioned him whether the professor had given the…
Missouri’s Exam Progress: Time for Changes?
By Bill Stalter on
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will meet in a few weeks, and the topic of fees may be on the agenda. The staff broached the fees topic at the spring meeting, but the matter was tabled for subsequent discussion. Fees and the preneed examination process go hand in hand, and…
Missouri’s First Preneed Regulation: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
By Bill Stalter on
More than one funeral director has expressed the opinion that the State Board should never have been given rule making authority. We’ll never know, but if the State Board had rulemaking authority 22 years ago, it could have implemented rules to help enforce NPS’ 1990 settlement agreement, and thereby avoided that company’s collapse. But equally…
Did Someone Ask “Who’s the Boss?”
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1, Preneed
Three years ago we asked that question with regard to the power struggle occurring between the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and the Missouri Division of Professional Registration staff. That post was influenced by our experiences with preneed regulators from other states, who range from elected politicians to the revolving door bureaucrat.
Missouri’s Preneed Reform: the 2015 Factor.
By Bill Stalter on
On January 14th, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will be sworn in for his second term, and we are wondering whether the Governor’s plans for 2015 are influencing the direction of Missouri’s preneed reform. With commentary such as that published by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Governor may have his eyes on a 2015…
The NPS Recovery Plan: two hurdles to liftoff
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1
On December 12th, a Missouri coalition of NPS preneed providers will have a second opportunity to state their case for legislation to establish a NPS recovery plan. As we noted back in September, that coalition should anticipate a tepid reception from the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (and much of the Missouri…
That Elusive Matter of Intent: Missouri insurance assignments
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1
With the backdrop of another major preneed debacle, Missouri turns its attention (yet again) to the assignment of insurance policies to funeral homes. On September 25th, the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will consider a regulation proposal addressing insurance assignments. Is it, or is it not, a preneed contract? The industry, and…