Consumers can also donate their body to tissue procurement organizations (TPO) for research purposes. The Texas Legislature passed a new law that went into effect September 1, 2011 that regulates tissue donation for research; virtually unregulated prior to this action. SB 187 requires chain-of-custody, clear labelling, a consumer pamphlet and informed consent. Bodies can be donated to TPOs, and the TPO will pay the local funeral home their Cost of Basic Goods and Services to prep and ship the body to the TPO. After 2-4 weeks, the “leftovers” will be cremated and sent to the family. No cost is incurrred by the family. The retail parted-out cost of most bodies runs from $80-100 thousand dollars, so this is a fast growing business that helps reduce medical costs by developing new procedures for healthcare. Plans can be made ahead of time with TPOs so that when death happens, the consumer’s family is less stressed during that time.
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