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Will there be any financial obligations to the surviving family of a body donor?

from Anatomical Gift Whole Body Donation Guide
by Regina Lee

In some medical schools and state anatomical programs, the total cost of transporting the body to the campus, embalming, cremation (and shipping cremains back to a family), or burial of the body, will be covered by body donation programs from the medical schools or anatomical boards.

The cost of an annual memorial service is also paid for by the donation programs. The family will only be responsible for personal death certificates and death notices in the newspapers.

In other medical school or state anatomical programs, the family or estate may have to pay some or all of the expenses incurred in donating a body. Expenses for donating a body, if the family pays, can equal or exceed the price of a direct cremation from most funeral directors.