Unequal burials: Medicolegal death investigation system variation as a determinant of FEMA's disaster funeral assistance allocation

IF 1.9 Q3 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy Pub Date : 2024-07-31 DOI:10.1002/rhc3.12315

Danielle Zaychik

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funeral assistance is available to cover funeral expenses for the relatives of disaster victims in the United States. However, funds are dependent on death certificate proof of a disaster‐related cause of death. Previous research has shown that the medicolegal death investigation (MDI) system may impact the quality of death certificate data. This research examines the relationship between MDI systems and FEMA disaster funeral assistance distribution. The results of the study indicate that centralized medical examiner systems have higher funeral assistance acceptance rates than other MDI system types. Democratic states and counties with fewer minority residents also have higher acceptance rates. Furthermore, acceptance rates varied significantly by FEMA regional office. These findings suggest that the distribution of funeral assistance may be influenced by administrative and political differences between states.

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不平等的葬礼：法医死亡调查系统的差异是联邦紧急事务管理局灾害殡葬援助分配的一个决定因素

联邦紧急事务管理局（FEMA）的灾难丧葬援助可用于支付美国灾难受害者亲属的丧葬费用。不过，资金的发放取决于死亡证明是否证明死因与灾害有关。先前的研究表明，法医死亡调查（MDI）系统可能会影响死亡证明数据的质量。本研究探讨了 MDI 系统与联邦紧急事务管理局（FEMA）灾害殡葬援助分配之间的关系。研究结果表明，与其他类型的 MDI 系统相比，集中式医学检验系统的殡葬援助接受率更高。民主州和少数民族居民较少的县的接受率也较高。此外，联邦紧急事务管理局地区办事处的接受率也有很大差异。这些发现表明，各州之间的行政和政治差异可能会影响葬礼援助的分配。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION-

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

8.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： Scholarship on risk, hazards, and crises (emergencies, disasters, or public policy/organizational crises) has developed into mature and distinct fields of inquiry. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy (RHCPP) addresses the governance implications of the important questions raised for the respective fields. The relationships between risk, hazards, and crisis raise fundamental questions with broad social science and policy implications. During unstable situations of acute or chronic danger and substantial uncertainty (i.e. a crisis), important and deeply rooted societal institutions, norms, and values come into play. The purpose of RHCPP is to provide a forum for research and commentary that examines societies’ understanding of and measures to address risk,hazards, and crises, how public policies do and should address these concerns, and to what effect. The journal is explicitly designed to encourage a broad range of perspectives by integrating work from a variety of disciplines. The journal will look at social science theory and policy design across the spectrum of risks and crises — including natural and technological hazards, public health crises, terrorism, and societal and environmental disasters. Papers will analyze the ways societies deal with both unpredictable and predictable events as public policy questions, which include topics such as crisis governance, loss and liability, emergency response, agenda setting, and the social and cultural contexts in which hazards, risks and crises are perceived and defined. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy invites dialogue and is open to new approaches. We seek scholarly work that combines academic quality with practical relevance. We especially welcome authors writing on the governance of risk and crises to submit their manuscripts.