Funeral
Planning
Before The Need Arises
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Three Steps to Advance Funeral Planning 1. Fill out a biographical information sheet. 2. Explore the many options available ranging from basic cremation to cremation with viewing or a traditional service with earth burial. This step can include selecting merchandise and deciding such things as flowers, cemetery, death certificates, and honorariums for those involved in the service. 3. Prefunding the service that you have decided upon. At the four Surls & Sietsema Funeral Homes we offer many options to help you and your family plan a funeral that will meet your wishes and needs. Advance funeral planning is an additional service provided by our funeral home at no charge. It is specific and careful planning for funeral services prior to illness or death. All decisions are structured around personal preferences and selections. It provides an opportunity for families to ask questions and clarify needs. Further, advance funeral planning provides peace of mind. It helps you protect yourself and your loved ones from emotional and financial burdens. It prevents emotional overspending at the time of a death because decisions are made thoughtfully and without emotion. Motivations for advance funeral planning are endless. People pre-plan their funeral to ensure their decisions are honored; because they have family who cannot make immediate decisions; are without immediate family members; or they are entering the Medicaid system and want to protect allowable assets for their funeral. Advance funeral planning most often culminates in pre-payment of funeral expenses. These expenses may be paid in a single payment or in a payment style that meets individual needs. When you plan and pay for your own funeral arrangements, you make a difficult time less stressful for everyone. Planning ahead is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your family. MEDICAID ASSISTANCE/ ELIGIBILITY Medicaid assistance is offered most often to elderly people who become nursing home bound. At an average of $3,500 per month for nursing home care, many people exhaust their personal funds very rapidly for their care. Once personal funds are exhausted, the county Social Service Board reviews eligibility for permanent Medicaid assistance (Title 19). Generally speaking to qualify in Iowa, a person cannot have more than $2,000 in liquid assets (cash, stocks, CD's, checking account, etc.); may have a life insurance policy with a face value of $1,500 or less; and may have personal items such as clothing, household furnishings, one motor vehicle, etc. Professionals agree that advance funeral planning is a prudent means of decreasing an individual’s assets to the $2,000 limit and the potential financial liability survivors have for funeral expenses. You are allowed to set up a preplanned burial account with the only requirement being that if the total cost of the requested funeral exceeds $7028, an itemized listing of the funeral costs must be given to the Department of Human Services. These funds are not considered by the Social Service Board when eligibility is being reviewed. These funds are sheltered from everyone and can only be used for funeral expenses, ensuring peace of mind for all. Please contact Randy Sietsema or Tony Hinners
for more information, Also check out our list of important documents to help you keep track of these at any time, not just when planning or coping with a funeral. For more informationabout preplanning you may want to read our Buyer's Guide to Preneed Funeral Planning
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