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Home / Services / Community Health Care / Cremation Program

Cremation Program

Community Health Care provides funding for indigent cremations in accordance with Chapter 406 of the Florida Statutes. To meet the criteria for county funding, a decedent must have passed away in Polk County AND meet one of two definitions:

  • Unclaimed: A decedent is considered to be unclaimed when there is no legally responsible relative or when no other person (e.g., relative, friend, organization) has accepted financial responsibility for the body. The income or assets of the deceased have no bearing on whether a body is considered unclaimed or not. An unclaimed body is not necessarily indigent and may have assets in an estate. However, if these assets are inaccessible, Polk County assumes responsibility for disposition for practical reasons and may secure reimbursement through the Probate Court process.
  • Indigent Claimed: A decedent is considered to be indigent if neither the deceased nor the immediate family members have sufficient resources to provide for a cremation and no-one has assumed financial responsibility for disposition of the body. Polk County is considered a payor of last resort. All other resources of the deceased and their family must be considered and utilized before County funds are expended. County funds for indigent cremation are not a supplement to limited resources of a deceased person or their family.

Polk County will only provide reimbursements for cremation services provided by funeral homes or crematories on its qualified vendor list. Vendors can register with Polk County here.

Cremation Services Bid

Qualified Vendors

Concierge Mortuary Inc.
1905 U.S. Highway 17 S.
Bartow, FL 33830

Cremation Services of Polk County
1159 First St. S.
Winter Haven, FL 33880