Notifying the ACL when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the ACL
OverviewWhen someone dies
Administration for Community Living
Phone202-401-4634
Mailing Address
330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201
WebsiteVisit website→
Eldercare Locator
Phone1-800-677-1116
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern (call, text, or chat)
Verified Jul 2026
When someone dies, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the ACL.
Notification deadline: ACL does not require notification of death. Call the Eldercare Locator when family members need local support services - there is no enforced deadline..
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the ACL and applying for survivor benefits:
1
Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 (specialists available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern) to be referred to the local Area Agency on Aging serving the deceased's last residence or your own residence. The Eldercare Locator can also be reached by text at the same number, via chat at eldercare.acl.gov, or by email at eldercarelocator@usaging.org.
2
If the deceased was a Medicare beneficiary, contact SHIP for help closing out coverage:
- •Locate your state SHIP at shiphelp.org or call the Eldercare Locator
- •SHIP counselors can review the final Medicare Summary Notice, Part D drug plan claims, and any Medicare Advantage or Medigap policies
- •For general Medicare questions, you can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227); TTY 1-877-486-2048
3
If the death occurred in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or other long-term care setting and you have concerns about the care provided:
- •Call the Eldercare Locator to be referred to the state Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- •The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about resident health, safety, welfare, and rights
- •The Ombudsman is independent of the facility and the state survey agency
4
If you suspect post-mortem Medicare fraud (claims billed for services not provided, services billed after death, or stolen Medicare numbers):
- •Report to the Senior Medicare Patrol at smpresource.org or 1-877-808-2468
- •Provide the deceased's Medicare Summary Notices showing the suspect claims
- •SMP refers verified fraud to federal and state authorities
5
If the surviving spouse or family caregiver needs free legal help with estate, benefits, or consumer-protection issues, ask the Eldercare Locator for a referral to ACL-supported legal services for older adults in your state.
Required Documents
- Deceased's full legal name, date of birth, and last address (for AAA referrals)
- Deceased's Medicare number and Medicare Summary Notices (for SHIP and SMP)
- Long-term care facility name and admission dates (for Ombudsman complaints)
- Documentation of your relationship or authority - such as a death certificate or court appointment - if requested by an individual program
Timeline
Eldercare Locator referrals are provided during the call. Local program response times vary by program and state - SHIP, Ombudsman, and SMP services are coordinated by state grantees, so intake timelines depend on local capacity.
Survivor benefits
Eldercare Locator Referral Service
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration for Community Living that connects older adults and their families to local services. Surviving spouses and family members can call to be referred to community-based programs - including meals, transportation, caregiver support, home and community-based services, and the other ACL-funded programs listed below.
Eligibility: Older adults, family members, and caregivers - including surviving spouses and executors handling an older adult's estate
How to apply: Call or text 1-800-677-1116 (specialists available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern), chat on eldercare.acl.gov, or email eldercarelocator@usaging.org
Learn more →State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
SHIP provides free, one-on-one Medicare counseling to beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. After a death, SHIP counselors can help survivors understand and reconcile the deceased's final Medicare claims, Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage, and any cost-assistance programs that were in place. SHIP operates through 54 grantees with a network of more than 2,200 local sites and over 12,500 team members.
Eligibility: Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers - including survivors handling a deceased beneficiary's final coverage
How to apply: Use the SHIP locator at shiphelp.org or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116
Learn more →Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen identify, investigate, and resolve complaints from residents and their families about nursing homes, assisted living facilities, board and care, and other residential care communities. When a death occurs in a long-term care facility and the family has concerns about the care provided, the Ombudsman can investigate. The program worked on 202,894 complaints in fiscal year 2023, resolving or partially resolving 71 percent to resident satisfaction.
Eligibility: Residents of long-term care facilities and their family members
How to apply: Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to find the state Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Learn more →Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
The Senior Medicare Patrol empowers Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report suspected health care fraud, errors, and abuse - including fraudulent claims billed to Medicare in the name of someone who has died. SMP volunteers and staff provide one-on-one counseling and refer suspected fraud to federal and state authorities. The network operates in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with approximately 5,532 team members at more than 500 local sites.
Eligibility: Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers
How to apply: Use the SMP locator at smpresource.org, call the SMP Resource Center at 1-877-808-2468, or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116
Learn more →Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) Network
An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by a state to coordinate services for older adults at the regional and local level. AAAs coordinate Older Americans Act services such as home-delivered meals, homemaker assistance, caregiver support, and information and referral - resources that surviving spouses and family caregivers frequently need after a death.
Eligibility: Older adults and their family caregivers - eligibility for individual services varies by AAA and program
How to apply: Use the Eldercare Locator to find the AAA serving the deceased's last residence or the survivor's residence
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
No. ACL is not a notification agency. Families call ACL's Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) to find local support after a death - referrals to Area Agencies on Aging, SHIP Medicare counselors, Long-Term Care Ombudsmen, Senior Medicare Patrols, and legal aid for the elderly. Notifications about Social Security, Medicare enrollment, and similar federal benefits go to those agencies directly, not to ACL.
Contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for free one-on-one Medicare counseling. SHIP counselors can review final Medicare Summary Notices, Part D drug plan claims, Medicare Advantage policies, and Medigap coverage. Find your state SHIP at shiphelp.org or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. For general Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Report it to the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at smpresource.org or by calling the SMP Resource Center at 1-877-808-2468. SMP provides one-on-one counseling and refers verified fraud to federal and state authorities. Have the deceased's Medicare Summary Notices and any documentation of the suspect charges ready when you call.
Most of ACL's aging-network programs - including Area Agencies on Aging, SHIP, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Senior Medicare Patrol, and legal services for older adults - are authorized by the Older Americans Act, originally passed in 1965 and most recently reauthorized in 2020. ACL also administers programs under other statutes including the Elder Justice Act and the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
No. ACL is a separate operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It does not pay benefits, issue Medicare cards, or process claims. Its role is to fund the community-based network that supports older adults and people with disabilities. Social Security questions go to the Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213); Medicare enrollment and claims questions go to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or your state SHIP.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 5 benefits through the ACL. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the ACL. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
Administration for Community Living
Phone202-401-4634
Mailing Address
330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201
WebsiteVisit website→
Eldercare Locator
Phone1-800-677-1116
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern (call, text, or chat)
Verified Jul 2026