More human remains are going unclaimed with the Maine medical examiner, and a new bill aims to reduce the amount of time the office has to hold onto them.
In recent years, an average of 10 bodies a year are abandoned at the medical examiner’s office, compared with two or three in 2015. The uptick started in 2020, likely in part because of financial obstacles because of the pandemic, said Office of Chief Medical Examiner administrator Lindsey Chasteen.
Though the increase in unclaimed bodies is modest, shortening the time the medical examiner’s office holds on them will reduce the storage expectations for the office and allow friends of the deceased who aren’t next of kin to make final arrangements sooner.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner has to hold onto unclaimed remains for 30 days. The bill proposes shortening that to 15 days, which is the amount of time funeral homes have to hold remains.
A body is considered abandoned if next of kin are unable to be found after all efforts have been made, or if next of kin decline to take responsibility to make final arrangements.
If a friend of the deceased wants to handle arrangements, they currently have to wait until the 31st day, which can be distressing, Chasteen said during a workshop for the bill.
Shortening the time will allow final arrangements to be made in a respectful amount of time, Chasteen said.
When the medical examiner’s office has possession of remains, they are stored there, Chasteen said. After 30 days pass, the office reaches out to the funeral home that brought the remains to see if they will pursue general assistance, a state welfare program administered by municipalities. The general assistance comes from the town where the person died.
If that first funeral home does not want to pursue the general assistance funding, the medical examiner’s office will call other funeral homes until one will take it up. The funeral home then picks up and cremates the remains.
The state will cover the expense of cremation if general assistance does not pay for it, Chasteen said.
The bill now faces a vote in the House and Senate.
