[HistoricCemeterieslistserv] For operating cemeteries - death filing fees-new process

[GILL Kuri * OPRD]

To Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board Licensees and Interested Persons:

Hello everyone.  Since not all of you may have had time to review our last few newsletters, you may have missed the news about the changes in the invoicing and payment of death filing fees.  We are sending this out to make sure everyone gets the info.

The Legislature changed which agency is responsible for billing for death filing fees, which went into effect January 1st.  This means the last bill you would have received from the Oregon Health Authority would have been received mid-January (for the death records finalized in December).  It took a wee bit of time, but OMCB is now receiving the requisite information from the Office of Vital Statistics in order to perform this function.  A combined invoice for was sent out last week for February/March (for death records finalized in January and February).  Moving forward, billing will be on a monthly basis, going out to you around the 10th of each month for death records finalized in the prior month.

Paperless Billing
The initial invoices are being sent via email to the facility email on file at the Board offices, and will be coming from death.filing at state.or.us<mailto:death.filing at state.or.us>.  Please add this email address to your safe senders list and double check your spam filter if you did NOT receive an emailed invoice last week.  Of course, there were a few instances where we did not have an email address on file, and those invoices were sent out via US Mail.

The email invoice includes basic information about the decedents for which you are being billed in that period.  The invoice also includes an invoice number and a link to the online system where you can look up additional detail about each decedent so that you can verify the charges on your end.  We are limiting the information in the email itself to protect the personal information of the decedents.  And of course, if you have any questions, you can contact us via death.filing at state.or.us<mailto:death.filing at state.or.us>.

Paying Invoices - Pay Online or by Mail
Via the online invoice portal, you will be able to access the online payment portal.  This is using the same service as is used for payment of renewal fees.  This is done through an outside vendor, so the OMCB does not retain or see any of your credit card information.  If you have any questions or get error messages when making payment, please let us know and we can trace any issues.

But you don't have to pay online.  You can just print a copy of the email invoice and mail payment to the OMCB offices.  You don't even have to include a copy of the invoice with your check as long as you write the invoice number in the info field on the check.

Use of Billing Email
We recognize that many of you may wish to use a specific email address (or two!) for receiving these invoices instead of the facility email you have on file.  For the next billing cycle in April, we are configuring our systems so that you can designate which email for us to use to send the invoice.  Please feel free to email or call us to let us know which email you'd like to use.  We will also be asking whether there is a different email we should be using for this purpose in the next invoice, and you could simply reply to that invoice to have it be updated.  And if you are happy with it going to the facility email on file-then you don't have to do anything.  If we don't have a special billing email for you, the invoices will automatically send to the facility email on file.

Payment Due & Payment Reminders
Invoices are due on receipt.  Payment will be considered late after 30 days.  Our system will send out a reminder if payment isn't received within the first 20 days because we all know how time flies.

Comments & Suggestions
Obviously, this is a new process, and know that OMCB wants to not just take over the billing process, but also do what we can to streamline and improve the process for you.  We will be making changes to the process, invoice form and online portal as we all work through things.  Please share your comments and suggestions with us so we can incorporate as many improvements as we can.




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Michelle Sigmund-Gaines
Executive Director
Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board
Regulating Death Care Facilities and Practitioners in Oregon.

800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 430
Portland, OR 97232
971.673.1502 | FAX 971.673.1501
michelle.sigmund-gaines at state.or.us<mailto:michelle.sigmund-gaines at state.or.us>
http://www.oregon.gov/mortcem


Kuri Gill

Share your photos of preservation and heritage in Oregon on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #oregonheritage.

Oregon Heritage
Grants & Outreach Coordinator
503-986-0685
Kuri.Gill at oregon.gov<mailto:Kuri.Gill at oregon.gov>
725 Summer St NE, Ste C
Salem, OR 97301
www.facebook.com/OregonHeritage<http://www.facebook.com/OregonHeritage>
http://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/ - Blog

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