Do I need to report the death of a Medicare beneficiary?

Do I need to report the death of a Medicare beneficiary?

The death of a Medicare beneficiary must be reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA), but you may not have to handle it yourself. If a funeral home is involved, the funeral director generally takes care of reporting by filing a Statement of Death form with SSA as part of their services.¹ To do this, they need the deceased’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and marital status.

If the funeral home doesn’t report the death or a funeral home isn’t involved, you’ll need to report the death yourself. There are a couple of ways to report a death to the SSA:²

• Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (or 1-800-325-0778 for TTY users who are deaf or hard of hearing).
• Visit your local Social Security office in person.³

The SSA does not accept death reports online or by email. Since it can take several days or even weeks to receive a death certificate, you can begin the reporting process without one. However, a death certificate will be required –  when available – to complete the report.²

The responsibility for reporting the death ultimately lies with the family. Check with the funeral director to confirm they’ve filed the report. If they haven’t, report the death to the SSA as soon as possible.⁴

What information do I need to provide when a Medicare beneficiary dies?

Whether or not the deceased was a Medicare beneficiary, the information needed to report a death to the Social Security Administration remains the same. You’ll need to provide the following details about the deceased:⁵

• Full name
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Date of death
• Contact information for the surviving spouse or next of kin

You’ll also need to submit a death certificate to complete the process. You can obtain the death certificate through:⁶

• The funeral home handling arrangements
• Your state’s vital records office⁷
• The county clerk’s office in the county where the death occurred

On a side note, it’s a good idea to request several certified copies of the death certificate, as you may need them for other matters related to the estate.

When you make the initial report, the SSA representative will explain how to submit the death certificate. Most often, you’ll need to bring the original or a certified copy to your local Social Security office.

Who’s responsible for canceling Medicare after a beneficiary dies?

When a death is reported to the Social Security Administration, whether by the funeral director or a family member, SSA will automatically notify Medicare to end the coverage.⁸ You don’t need to contact Medicare separately to cancel benefits.

Medicare coverage ends on the date of death, and any medical claims for services after that date won’t be covered.

Note that if the deceased was enrolled in a private Medicare plan such as Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Supplement (Medigap), or a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D), you’ll need to take additional steps to report the death, which we’ll cover in the next section.

How do I report a death to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Medigap?

Reporting the death of a Medicare beneficiary to the SSA cancels Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B). In most cases, Medicare notifies standalone Part D and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans of the beneficiary’s passing.⁹ However, it may not notify Medigap providers.⁸ To confirm all coverage is properly canceled, it’s best to contact these private insurers directly.

Taking the extra steps of notifying private insurers helps prevent potential problems. If a policy remains active, there’s a risk of fraudulent claims being submitted in the deceased’s name.¹⁰ Timely cancellation can help protect against improper billing and identity theft.

To begin the notification process, call each plan’s customer service department. Their phone numbers are typically listed:

• On the deceased’s insurance cards
• In billing statements
• In plan documents
• On the insurer’s website

When calling, be prepared to provide:

• The deceased’s full name and date of birth
• Their policy or Medicare ID number
• The date of death
• Your contact information and relationship to the deceased

Some insurers may require a written notice of death or a copy of the death certificate. They’ll also explain their process for canceling coverage and handling any premium refunds that may be due.

How do I stop Medicare premiums after death?

If Original Medicare premiums were being deducted from Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits, you don’t need to take any steps to stop Medicare premiums after death.¹¹ Once the death is reported to SSA, coverage ends on the date of death, and the automatic deductions will stop.

If the deceased was paying premiums directly to Medicare (usually quarterly for Medicare Part B and monthly for Medicare Part A, if they didn’t qualify for premium-free Part A coverage),¹² you’ll need to take different steps depending on how they were making payments:

• For automatic bank payments, contact the bank to stop any recurring transfers set up for Medicare premiums.
• For payments made by check, money order, credit card, debit card, or Health Savings Account (HSA) through the mail, simply discontinue sending payments.
• For Medicare Easy Pay users, the pre-authorized deductions should stop automatically once Medicare is notified of the death. However, it’s worth contacting Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to confirm, as it can take up to four weeks for Easy Pay deductions to stop.¹³

If the deceased had private insurance coverage, including Medicare Advantage, stand-alone Medicare Part D, or Medigap, payments might have been made through automatic bank transfers, checks, or money orders. To cancel these premiums, contact each insurance company directly and ask about their process and timeline for stopping payments.

Will a Medicare provider refund any Medicare premiums?

When a Medicare beneficiary passes away, their estate or family members may be entitled to a refund of excess Medicare premiums.¹⁴ Understanding how these refunds work requires knowing how Medicare premiums are paid. Medicare premiums, including Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) surcharges, are generally paid in advance.¹² However, Social Security benefits are received in arrears, meaning they’re issued for the previous month.¹⁵

For example, someone may receive a Social Security payment in February for the month of January. However, if that person’s Medicare premium is deducted from their February Social Security check, it will apply to their Medicare coverage for the month of March. If the person passes away before the end of February, the premium deducted from their final Social Security payment in February would be for March, which they would not use.

If a Medicare beneficiary paid their premiums directly to Medicare (via quarterly payments, for example) rather than through Social Security deductions, several months of prepaid Medicare coverage could be involved.

Medicare is required by law to refund excess premiums. However, these refunds don’t happen automatically. The process typically begins in one of several ways:¹⁴

• A family member contacting Social Security about the refund
• A system alert from the SSA
• Someone filing a formal claim using Form SSA-1724-F4¹⁶

Once the refund process begins, Social Security determines who should receive the payment. If the deceased paid the premiums, the refund goes first to their estate’s legal representative.¹⁷

Without a legal representative, Social Security follows a specific order: first to a surviving spouse who lived with the deceased or was entitled to benefits on their record, then to eligible children, followed by parents who were receiving benefits, and finally to other surviving family members based on Social Security’s standard order.¹⁷

If someone else paid the premiums, that person receives the refund.¹⁴

How do I get a Medicare Part B premium refunded after the death of a loved one?

To request a Medicare Part B premium refund, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can also download and complete Form SSA-1724-F4 (Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary) from the Social Security website.¹⁶

When making the request, be prepared to provide the name, address, and Social Security number for the next of kin or legal representative, children, or parents of the deceased. Additionally, bank account information will be required for direct deposit of the refund payment.

Someone who paid the premiums on behalf of the deceased may need to provide evidence of payment, such as canceled checks or bank statements.¹⁴

Will Medicare pay any benefits after my loved one has died?

Medicare coverage ends on the date of death, but the program still pays for any approved medical services your loved one received before they died. This includes any Medicare-approved healthcare provider visits, hospital stays, and medical equipment.

Healthcare providers generally submit these claims directly to Medicare. Should you receive any bills for medical services provided before your loved one’s death, contact the healthcare provider first to verify they submitted the claim to Medicare. Check the Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) – mailed every four months – to track claims and payments made by Medicare.¹⁸