BALTIMORE — Grieving families are grappling with prolonged wait times to obtain death certificates. The delays are due to a recent system upgrade implemented by the Maryland Department of Health.
Death certificates play a crucial role in finalizing legal and financial affairs. The Maryland Department of Health is dealing with a backlog dating back about three weeks. A spokesperson didn't say how many certificates are awaiting processing but acknowledged the persistence of delays for online orders with expedited shipping taking up to 20 business days and regular shipping up to 25 business days.
John Collins Sr., owner and president of McCully Polyniak & Collins Funeral Home, said these unanticipated delays add an extra layer of hardship to the already painful experience of losing a loved one. During an interview with WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii, the funeral home received a phone call from a family member seeking information on the status of a death certificate.
“It's all day. It's all day about death certificates, all day,” said Collins, who at the time was waiting on death certificates for 26 individuals with some requests dating back to April 28.
Sofastaii also received an email from a recent widow who hasn’t been able to file for insurance benefits due to the delays.
“They're being tied up with this along with pensions, life insurance, mortgage insurance, anything you need to do, legally. People are just, they have their hands tied,” said Collins.
Collins reached out to the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore seeking answers.
“I could not get an answer other than we're short staffed. And if you want to come down here and help us, come on down,” Collins recalled.
His wife and co-owner, Ashley, received an email response explaining that new systems had created a delay in all processing.
Collins shared details on this situation with Anne Arundel County Delegate Nicholaus Kipke when he stopped by to congratulate the recent business owners.
“I reached out to the head of the Department of Health and made sure they knew about it. I'm not sure that they knew yet. They jumped on it,” said Delegate Kipke.
The following day, Collins received tracking numbers for half of the pending death certificates.
“The old system was very antiquated. And with personal health records, things that are very sensitive like this, we're in a time where we have to have systems that protect against cyber threats. And I think that was a lot of what this was about. The switch was not seamless. And there should have been some communication,” Kipke added.
Sofastaii requested an interview with the health department. She sent multiple emails asking for an update on when the interview could be scheduled. A week after her initial request, a health department spokesperson said they were declining her request.
Instead, Chase Cook, acting director of communications for the Maryland Department of Health, sent the statement below:
The Maryland Department of Health sincerely regrets the delays, which are the result of technical issues encountered during an upgrade to a more modern system. This new system will allow us to meet legislative mandates and will improve our capacity to serve Marylanders. The system issue has been resolved and the health department is diligently working through that backlog while handling current orders.
Cook added that the health department was subsequently sending a letter to funeral homes about the backlog and processing times.
For online orders, the wait is approximately one month for expedited shipping (20 business days) and longer for regular shipping (25 business days). Will-call orders may take up to 3 days for processing.
To bypass the delays, individuals and funeral home operators can schedule an in-person appointment with the Baltimore Division of Vital Records.
Collins also learned that local health departments process requests much faster, but it costs more. While the state charges $10 per copy, local health departments charge between $18 and $25 depending on the office location.
“I have no idea why they would charge more because it's a satellite office, it's a state office,” said Collins.
A health department spokesperson explained that Maryland regulations give local health departments that issue certificates flexibility to set pricing for staffing and overhead costs.
“Because each health department is its own sort of independent county agency," Kipke said. "It's a quasi-state county agency, and they have the responsibility to cover the overhead of their operations. However, in a moment like this, where there are huge delays and people getting their certificates, I do think that some accommodations should be made for people."
Delegate Kipke added that he intends to investigate these pricing discrepancies before the next legislative session.
A health department spokesperson also explained that the Division of Vital Records is aggressively working to fulfill all vital records orders and is launching an overtime project to address the work backlog. Sofastaii was told that the system upgrade wasn't communicated earlier because the transition, which had been in the works for the last two years, was anticipated to be seamless without delays.
For more information on obtaining a death certificate or scheduling an appointment with the Division of Vital Records, click here.