Funeral Service Test Funeral Service Funeral Service Law & Ethics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following must be included on every itemized statement of funeral goods and services provided under the FTC Funeral Rule?
- The funeral director's license number
- The name and address of the funeral provider (Correct answer)
- The decedent's Social Security number
- The name of the cemetery to be used
Correct answer: The name and address of the funeral provider
The FTC Funeral Rule requires that the itemized statement of funeral goods and services selected include the name and address of the funeral provider.
Question 2: A family asks a funeral director to omit cause of death from the death certificate to protect the family's privacy. How should the funeral director respond?
- Comply if the family signs a waiver
- Refuse, as cause of death must be accurately certified on the death certificate (Correct answer)
- Omit it only if the physician agrees
- Use a vague term like 'natural causes' as a compromise
Correct answer: Refuse, as cause of death must be accurately certified on the death certificate
Death certificates are legal documents and must accurately reflect the cause of death as certified by the attending physician or medical examiner; falsification is illegal.
Question 3: The term 'constructive trust' in preneed funeral law refers to:
- A verbal agreement between the funeral director and the family
- A legal remedy imposed when preneed funds are misappropriated (Correct answer)
- A type of prepaid funeral insurance policy
- A state fund that guarantees preneed contracts
Correct answer: A legal remedy imposed when preneed funds are misappropriated
A constructive trust is an equitable remedy courts impose when preneed funds are misused, treating the holder as a trustee of funds they wrongfully obtained.
Question 4: Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, funeral homes must maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for:
- Only formaldehyde-based embalming chemicals
- All hazardous chemicals used in the workplace (Correct answer)
- Chemicals designated as carcinogens only
- Flammable chemicals only
Correct answer: All hazardous chemicals used in the workplace
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) requires SDS for all hazardous chemicals present in the workplace, not just embalming chemicals.
Question 5: A funeral director is offered a financial incentive by a monument company to refer families exclusively to them. Accepting this arrangement most likely violates:
- The FTC Funeral Rule's anti-tying provisions
- OSHA's conflict of interest regulations
- State statutes prohibiting fee-splitting or kickbacks (Correct answer)
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Correct answer: State statutes prohibiting fee-splitting or kickbacks
Most states prohibit funeral directors from accepting kickbacks or fees for referring families to third-party vendors, as this conflicts with the duty to act in the family's best interest.
Question 6: What is the purpose of requiring a 'waiting period' before cremation in most states?
- To allow the body to cool sufficiently for safe cremation
- To provide time to investigate potential foul play and confirm identity (Correct answer)
- To give the funeral home time to process paperwork
- To allow the family to upgrade their cremation package
Correct answer: To provide time to investigate potential foul play and confirm identity
State-mandated waiting periods before cremation exist primarily to allow law enforcement and medical examiners to investigate potential suspicious circumstances and confirm the identity of the decedent.
Question 7: Which of the following describes the ethical concept of 'veracity' as it applies to funeral service?
- Treating all families with equal dignity regardless of background
- Being truthful and honest in all communications with families and the public (Correct answer)
- Maintaining confidentiality of family information
- Respecting the autonomous choices of the family
Correct answer: Being truthful and honest in all communications with families and the public
Veracity is the ethical obligation to tell the truth, which in funeral service means accurate disclosure of prices, services, and relevant information to families.
Funeral Service Test Funeral Service Funeral Service Law & Ethics 4
Which of the following must be included on every itemized statement of funeral goods and services provided under the FTC Funeral Rule?