The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administers Medicare and oversees state Medicaid programs. When a Medicare beneficiary dies, the program must be notified, the Medicare card returned or destroyed, and any pending claims processed. Medicaid estate recovery may affect the deceased's estate in certain situations.

Death notification

Medicare is typically notified automatically when Social Security receives a death report, because Medicare enrollment is linked to Social Security records. However, families should contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) if the deceased continues to receive Medicare-related correspondence after death, or if there are pending claims or billing issues to resolve. For Medicaid, the state Medicaid office must be contacted separately.

Deadline: Automatic through SSA; contact Medicare directly for billing issues

Survivor benefits

The CMS offers 2 benefits for surviving family members.

Outstanding Claims Processing

Medicare continues to process outstanding claims for services received before the beneficiary's death. Providers can submit claims for services rendered to the deceased. The estate or surviving family members are not responsible for covered services beyond normal cost-sharing.

Medicare Refunds to Estate

If Medicare overpaid premiums (e.g., Part B premiums deducted from Social Security after death), the overpayment is refunded to the estate. SSA handles premium refunds since Medicare Part B premiums are typically deducted from Social Security benefits.

Amount: Varies based on overpaid premiums

When someone dies