NORWICH – A policy change mandated by the New York State Department of Health recently led lawmakers into the sad discussion of burials for Chenango County’s deceased poor.
State law requires taxpayers to pay 95 percent of the cost of indigent burials and for counties to come up with a level of pay for them. The level of pay established in Chenango County back in 2006 was based on income eligibility guidelines for the federal cash assistance program. It also allowed friends and families to supplement at an amount of their choice.
Now, counties will pay a flat rate of $2,350 per funeral with contributions from family and friends limited to $3,000.
Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne, whose department oversees the program locally, said the previous policy was “convoluted” and led to individuals receiving assistance when they could otherwise pay.
“The assumption is that if they can pay more than that, they wouldn’t be eligible. This still allows the family to contribute, and is more fair to the families, and more fair to the taxpayer,” she said.
Osborne attempted to control costs on behalf of the county back in 2009 when there were 74 burials at a cost of about $200,000. An adjustment to the income eligibility requirement meant for fewer burials, 45, in 2011.
With the new policy in place, counties will receive $160 from the state per burial, indigent burials are better defined and funeral directors should break even with the change, she said.

DSS also planning ahead for management staff, emergencies
Staffing and emergency preparedness discussions also made the agenda at a recent meeting between DSS officials and the supervisors who make up the Health and Human Services Committee.
With an upper management employee on the job at DSS for 36 years, and virtually every administrator now eligible to retire if they wanted to, succession planning has been part of Commissioner Osborne’s regular updates to the committee all year.
“That’s a wealth of experience that you just can’t train someone to have in two weeks,” she said.
Osborne hopes to create a position for an experienced, Income Maintenance/Child Support deputy commissioner who would oversee DSS’ food stamp, Medicaid, cash assistance and burial programs. The person would ideally be trained over a period of six months, she said. As employees retire, their positions won’t necessarily be filled.
“We’re going to wait and advertise for it and fill it when we need to fill it. We just want to have the position available in the budget.” The department already has a deputy commissioner in charge of Foster Care/Child Protective Services.
Were such a disaster as Superstorm Sandy to strike the county’s seat, DSS wants to be ready with an alternative communications plan and/or site for services. Osborne’s goal is to have the department functioning within a week or two. The new West Park Place office building already has a generator, but electricity flows from the County Office Building across the street. “We have to be able to take care of clients if their Medicaid card or food stamps get washed away,” she said.