If someone with Original Medicare passes away, you must first notify the Social Security Administration (SSA), which will automatically notify Medicare. For people with Medicare Advantage or a standalone plan with a private insurer, you will need to contact the insurer directly.
Contacting the SSA as soon as possible allows them to notify other organizations, including Medicare, which could make things easier for you to manage.
If the person who passed away has a Medicare Advantage, Medigap, or standalone Part D plan, you will need to notify the private insurer that administers the plan.
If you are the executor of someone’s estate, you are responsible for notifying the SSA or Medicare plan provider of their passing as soon as possible.
You can contact the SSA by phone at 800-772-1213 (TTY: 800-325-0778) or visit your nearest Social Security office to report a death. It will help to have a copy of the person’s Social Security number and date of birth so the SSA can easily retrieve the correct records. You cannot currently report a death online.
In many cases, you may find that a funeral director will report a death to the SSA on your behalf. They do this by completing a Statement of Death form. For the funeral director to do this, they will need the Social Security number of the person who has passed away.
The process will differ slightly for someone with a Medicare Advantage, Medigap, or Part D prescription drug plan. Private insurers administer these plans on Medicare’s behalf, so a death notification would not come from the SSA. Contacting the plan provider directly with the person’s plan details will help them finalize plan details.
When Medicare receives the death notification from the SSA, it will cancel the deceased person’s Original Medicare, along with any Medicare premium payments that may be due.
The same will apply if you contact a plan provider. The Medicare plan will end. Final paperwork should be sent as a confirmation.