New Isabella County, MMR contract allows transportation of bodies to funeral homes

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Isabella County approved a contract Tuesday with Mobile Medical Response that will allow the transportation of bodies to funeral homes and autopsies.

The contract was a legal way to solidify what has already been happening.

MMR currently charges $175 per transport and $6 per mile on top of that. The fee is very low compared to other companies, which usually charge around $500, said Jason McDonald, MMR operations manager.

“For us to do that properly we need to be able to show a document,” McDonald said. “Medicare does not get the same deal.”

MMR does not want to transport bodies because it is not their primary business. MMR has been and will only be used for transportation of human remains when it is absolutely necessary, McDonald said.

“We would like to keep the ambulance available for people who need immediate help, although there are exceptions,” he said.

The contract will take effect starting March 1 through the end of the year and will automatically renew itself for each year afterward.

The Board of Commissioners also approved a Michigan Department of Agriculture Companion Animal Welfare Fund Grant for the county’s Humane Animal Treatment Society.

The grant will be used for spraying and neutering, and to purchase the necessary equipment for the processes.  It will not cost the Board any money.