Body Donation: You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers

Donating your body to science with Science Care has many benefits, including no-cost cremation and leaving a lasting legacy that impacts the future of medicine. Our team knows that there are often many questions that come up in the process of deciding if body donation is right for you. 

Many of those questions and answers are featured on our FAQ page, but we’ve pulled together the most frequently asked questions from our team and put the information you’re looking for here in this blog. 

How can I sign up?

You can register yourself using our simple online registration form, express your intent to donate to your loved ones, or your family can provide consent at the time of passing. When Science Care gets the call at the time of passing, a coordinator on our team will conduct a brief medical screening over the phone to determine if a person's medical history matches our current research criteria. Science Care’s HOPE® Program for individuals who are under hospice care or terminally ill. With this program, Science Care is able to conduct the medical screening ahead of time to determine if that person matches current research criteria. If they do, they are given a one-year priority consideration for acceptance into our program, which provides peace of mind to both the donor and their loved ones. 

Why can’t I sign up in my state?

Science Care currently has seven local facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania and registration is open in those states continually. We are currently accepting registrations in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, PA, TX, DE, NV, NY, or WI. If the state you live in is not listed above, Science Care operates an at-need program. This simply means that all you need to do right now is ensure your loved ones know of your wish to donate to Science Care at the time of your passing or upon entry into hospice. 

Is registration with Science Care a guarantee?

Due to the nature of whole-body donation, we are not able to offer guarantees. Acceptance is determined by the medical screening that is conducted either when someone is under end-of-life care (such as hospice,) or after passing. The medical screening rules out communicable or contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, very high or low weight, or passing away in an ineligible area, all of which would prevent Science Care from being able to proceed with donation.

Do you provide certified death certificates?

Science Care is not a funeral home, and our team is unable to provide copies of the death certificate. Once a donor has been accepted into the Science Care program, our team will file the required paperwork for the death certificate. Once that is complete, families can order the death certificate directly from vital records in the state or county in which the person passed away or through a service such a VitalChek.‍

What is the cost associated with your program?

Once accepted into the program, Science Care is a no-cost option. Science Care takes care of the transportation, filing of the death certificate and permits, cremation, and the return of cremated remains within 3-5 weeks to your family or to the location of their choosing within the continental U.S. The only cost your loved ones will incur is the cost to purchase certified copies of the death certificate as described above.‍

Will suicide or autopsy rule out my donation?

Many people meet criteria for donation, and neither cause of death nor an autopsy are an automatic exclusion. While we strive to facilitate every donation, a criteria match is based upon medical and suitability criteria at the time of passing in order to honor the intent of donation and safely serve the needs of the medical community. 

Can I choose where I donate?

We do not perform directed donation as we cannot guarantee suitability or researcher need for specific projects at the time of passing. Our mission is to honor the intent of donation by placing each donor with as many medical or scientific research and training programs as possible. On average, each of Science Care’s donors participate in six different programs, but can even contribute to as many as ten. 

Does cremation have to be the outcome?

Final disposition with Science Care is exclusively cremation due to the process of procuring tissue for medical research, training, and education programs. Any tissue that is not a match for current programs will be cremated and returned to the designated recipient in 3-5 weeks.

Can I choose my funeral home?

We partner with many funeral homes, but we cannot guarantee that we would be able to use the funeral home you prefer. Not all facilities are set up to accommodate body donation. The funeral home or transport service is not confirmed until the time the medical screening occurs to better facilitate the donation and provide the best service to our donor families. We highly recommend your loved ones call Science Care immediately at the time of passing and we will help guide them through every step of the process.

Can you confirm I am “still” on the registry?

Registration with Science Care does not expire. It is important to note that registration is not a requirement with Science Care and is also not a guarantee. If you need to update your address or contact information, you can do so using this form: https://www.sciencecare.com/body-donation/update-address. 

Have questions we didn’t answer here? Our team is available to answer them for you! Send an email to info@sciencecare.com or call us at (800) 417-3747.