Several states in the U.S. provide funding for indigent burials, or the burial of bodies who have no home or whose family could not be found. But in 2009, NPR reports, an unprecedented number of bodies went unclaimed because families had no resources to pay for even basic $500 cremation costs.
Dr. Karen Gunson said of her Oregon morgue:
"We don't really want to become a storage place."
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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