Preplanning Services: Plan today to pay for tomorrow’s Burial at Sea expenses
How Pre-Planning Works in Practice
As more and more American families become familiar with the unique services Nature's Passage provides, we have seen Preplanning Services grow substantially.
Today, Preplanning for a loved one's passing is a third of our business! Why has this service become so popular? Clients who are facing a terminal illness, or preplanning for their passing, or the passing of a loved one tell us that nothing is more welcome than to realize that Nature's Passage provides a service that is logical and easy to follow. Most importantly, our clients tell us that our preplanning programs are emotionally relieving and reasonably priced.
What's involved in the process?
First of all, I think it's smart to understand that there will be a few very special people involved in this process. Nature's Passage will be designated as your sea burial 'agent'. We work in tandem with your estate's executor, your attorney and your funeral director. Your funeral director will make all funeral preparations, purchase the casket, or shroud, clear all required paper work with local and state officials and notify Nature's Passage of an impending mission to inter your body at sea and make any logistical arrangements to transport your remains to 'dock side'. Your estate's executor is the person you select to handle all of your estate's needs upon your passing. Your attorney will be required to prepare a legally binding document --your codicil-- that meets all of your demands and includes all requisite state and local requirements and legal regulations.
To avoid 'surprising' your family about your desire to be buried at sea, it's vitally important to communicate to all your family members that you wish to either have your cremated ashes spread at sea or for your body buried at sea. The document we suggest you have professionally prepared is a 'codicil' [attachment] to your Will or Living Trust. The codicil is a legally binding document that will state exactly what you "demand to be done upon your passing". It must as be specific and detailed as possible. Your attorney should prepare this document in constant coordination with our officers at Nature's Passage, your funeral director and your estate's executor.
Let's talk money. We suggest three pay-plan options: 1.) A term life insurance policy - to cover all anticipated funeral/burial expenses. 2.) Nature's Passage Payment Plan (see below). 3.) Cash/Check/Credit Card
How much money should you put aside to pay for your interment at sea? Of course, everything depends upon the 'grandeur' of your planning. The following costs represent fees charged during the past year.
- Ashes: Costs range from $150 to $2,500.
- Full-body burial at sea: Charter fee/ vessel costs, crew and Officer's costs and license fee, preparation of the casket/shroud for submersion. Coordination with Federal officials. Costs range from $3,500 to $6,500.
We will coordinate with you or any person you designate to arrive at 'a planning figure' for the total cost of your burial at sea.
If you determine that the amount of money to pay for your funeral/interment process is 'significant', we suggest you speak to your attorney about purchasing a term life insurance policy to pay for the total costs involved in your funeral and burial at sea. Upon your death, your estate or executor will be responsible to pay for expenses related to your passing. Upon notification of your passing and upon completion of plans for your interment at sea, Nature's Passage will bill your estate for services at rates that reflect the 'real' status of America's economy. Compensation/payment from your estate must be collected and 'clear' before we perform your interment at sea.
If you make changes in the codicil after our initial concurrence, Nature's Passage can not be held accountable. All changes in the base document must meet with our concurrence or the process is voided.
Please realize finalizing a preplanned burial at sea does involve time and expenses born by all concerned. If you want your sea burial to 'go off like clock work', start to plan now. We'll help you plan and -- when the time comes -- we'll be honored to perform your burial at sea...exactly as your codicil dictates.
Documents for Your Consideration:
The following two documents have must be completed before any burial at sea operation may be performed by Nature's Passage and are offered for your consideration.
- Authorization for Burial at Sea form (Microsoft Word .doc Format)
- Plan-of-Action planning and quote form (Microsoft Word .doc Format)
Hospice or ‘Palliative’ Care
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines ‘Hospice’ Care as “the active total care of a person whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment and whose death will occur within six months”.
WHO calls ‘Palliative’ Care as an approach that improves the quality of life of a patient and their family while facing the problems associated with a life–ending illness.
Nature’s Passage wants to be of service to those ‘hospice’ patients and families whose lives require ‘palliative’ care. We want to ease the emotional, psychological, social, spiritual stress associated with meeting end-of-life responsibilities. But most importantly, Nature’s Passage wants to ease the financial stress associated with attending to a family’s ability to pay for a burial at sea. Accordingly, Nature’s Passage provides a simple Pre Arranged Burial Trust. Together with the family, we pre-plan a sea burial memorialization service that meets both the family’s and the patient’s wishes. Our ‘Hospice’ Burial Trust helps the family plan and pay for their burial at sea service. (For financial details, please refer to: Nature’s Passage Payment Plan below).
Nature’s Passage Payment Plan
Start now --- you’ll have the funds needed to pay for that … “some day expense”.
Plan today to pay for tomorrow’s Burial at Sea expenses
Too often we’ve seen the sad, if not tragic results of poor financial planning. Too many families are not making future financial provisions for the eventual death of family members.
If you know that Burial at Sea is the burial option you desire upon your death, but that “some day” is far – far away…then you have time to plan and PAY for that “some day expense”. Now there’s something VERY special we can do together!
Nature’s Passage® helps you ‘plan and pay’ for your Burial at Sea -- Plan of Action.
Here’s how it works. As you regularly pay into your Nature’s Passage Payment Plan, an additional .02% is calculated on the money you pay, then Nature’s Passage pays that sum directly into your account. It’s our contribution to you!
So why wait? Start planning now for that “some day expense”!
If you start saving now, you can relax knowing that your account grows larger and larger from your regular payments -- PLUS - contributions made by Nature’s Passage®.
When you start your “Nature’s Passage® Payment Plan” smart things happen:
- You lock in today’s prices for a burial at sea ceremony.
- Your Plan of Action is finalized.
- The cost of your ceremony is determined.
- As payments are made, Nature’s Passage contributes .02% of your payment toward your payment plan.
To find out more about this plan, call our counselors, they will talk you through the process. It is a simple, quick and full-proof way to ‘plan and pay’ for the Burial at Sea ceremony that will mark the end of a life lived well.
Nature’s Passage: Organ Donation Grant Program
Are you planning to respond positively to the request for organ donations? If so, Nature’s Passage applauds your decision! We believe and support this concept as it brings wondrous meaning to a person’s passing. Your act of giving means the restoration of a human being’s quality of life. We believe your decision was heroic! To show our support and admiration for saying ‘yes’ to organ donation, Nature’s Passage proudly grants a 15% discount that can be applied to any burial service you select.
Veterans Wife: “Follow Me” Burial Trust Plan
It is common knowledge that many wives out-live their husbands. In our case, a veteran’s wife might live alone for many years after the death of her husband. What becomes of her when she passes on?
We’re especially concerned about the wife of a veteran who has been buried at sea. What must she do if she wishes to ‘follow’ him?
Nature’s Passage will attend to the wives of veterans whose husbands have been buried at sea by performing a burial at sea ceremony for her at a 25% discount.
To find out more about these plans, call our counselors or request more information online, we will help you through the process.
1-888-551-1277
Do not take thought for your persons or your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that the virtue is not given by money, but that from vitue come money and every other good of man, public as well as private... The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.
~ Socrates
Nature's Passage Burial at Sea Service
Performing burials and 'military' memorial services at sea.
Subsidiary of : SeaServices.com
Phone: 1-888-551-1277
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