What to do when a UnitedHealthcare account holder dies
Contact UnitedHealthcare's Life Conversion Facility (HRMP) — 9-step process, and 7 required documents
UnitedHealthcare Member Services
Life Conversion Facility (HRMP)
HRMP, Life Conversion Facility, 300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 250, Danvers, MA 01923
UnitedHealthcare Member Services — report a member's death (health coverage)
A death claim on a UnitedHealthcare policy is filed through the UnitedHealthcare Member Services — report a member's death (health coverage) (1-866-801-4409). Because insurance proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries, this process is separate from probate. The required documentation and timeline vary by policy type.
The first step is contacting UnitedHealthcare at 1-866-801-4409 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with UnitedHealthcare:
Filing a claim
- Report the death to UnitedHealthcare: employer health plan 1-866-801-4409 (TTY 711); Medicare Supplement 1-800-523-5800 (TTY 711); Medicare Advantage, Part D, or Community Plan — call the member services number printed on the member ID card (UnitedHealthcare does not publish one national number for these; see https://www.uhc.com/contact-us).
- Confirm the disenrollment/termination date. UnitedHealthcare's Medicare disenrollment page (https://www.uhc.com/medicare/resources/disenrollment-information.html) lists "Become deceased" as an automatic-disenrollment event, so a Medicare Advantage or Part D enrollment ends on its own; the disenrollment forms on that page are for a living member switching plans, not for a death.
- Notify Social Security of the death (1-800-772-1213); Social Security notifies Medicare, which stops Part B/Part C/Part D premium withholding from the benefit payment.
- Ask about the final premium. Any premium paid for a coverage period after the date of death is refundable, and that refund is an asset of the estate — have it paid to the estate, not to an individual.
- Expect claims for care delivered before the death to keep processing. Explanations of benefits will continue to arrive; the deductible, coinsurance, and copay balances a provider bills after those claims process are debts of the estate, payable through the estate's creditor process.
- Get covered dependents onto new coverage. The death is a qualifying life event: an employer plan with 20 or more employees must offer COBRA (up to 36 months for a surviving spouse and dependent children), and a survivor generally has about 60 days to elect COBRA, join their own employer's plan, or enroll through the ACA Marketplace.
- Section 1 (Claimant) is completed by the beneficiary/claimant.
- Section 2 (Employer or Plan Administrator) is completed by the employer.
Required Documents
- Completed Proof of Death form (Section 1 by claimant, Section 2 by employer)
- Original certified death certificate (photocopy not accepted)
- Official investigative report (police/accident/fire/FAA/OSHA) for an AD&D death benefit
- Toxicology report if the AD&D policy contains alcohol or drug exclusions
- Enrollment form and copies of any beneficiary changes
- Absolute assignments or funeral assignments, if any
- Trust name and trustee information if a trust is the beneficiary
What to know at this institution
Two different situations share the UnitedHealthcare name. A HEALTH plan (employer medical, Individual & Family, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medicare Supplement, Community Plan) pays no death benefit and has no beneficiary; it terminates at death, and the estate work is the death notification, the disenrollment, a possible refund of premium paid past the date of death (an estate asset), and the outstanding medical balances for pre-death care (an estate debt). Only employer GROUP LIFE and AD&D coverage pays money to a beneficiary, and those claims are filed through the employer/plan administrator using the UnitedHealthcare Proof of Death form. Some UnitedHealthcare group life plans also include Beneficiary Companion, a 24/7 survivor-assistance service provided by Generali Global Assistance (not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare) whose coordinators help obtain death certificates and notify Social Security, credit card companies, and financial institutions; it is not available in New York or Washington. Beneficiary support services (grief counseling and referrals to financial and legal assistance) are included with the group life benefit at no additional cost.
Prepare your letter of instruction to UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist UnitedHealthcare requires.
Build your letter of instructionDocumentation required by UnitedHealthcare includes Completed Proof of Death form (Section 1 by claimant, Section 2 by employer), Original certified death certificate (photocopy not accepted), and Official investigative report (police/accident/fire/FAA/OSHA) for an AD&D death benefit, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
No. Health coverage of every kind — employer medical, Individual & Family (ACA), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Part D, Medicare Supplement, and Community Plan/Medicaid — pays no death benefit, has no beneficiary designation, and cannot be owned by or retitled into a trust. The coverage simply ends. UnitedHealthcare's own Medicare disenrollment page lists "Become deceased" among the events that automatically disenroll a member. Only employer group life and AD&D coverage pays money to a beneficiary. Do not expect a payout from a health plan, and do not try to name a trust on one.
Four things. Report the death (employer plan 1-866-801-4409; Medicare Supplement 1-800-523-5800; Medicare Advantage, Part D, or Community Plan — the number on the member ID card) and confirm the termination date. Notify Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, which notifies Medicare and stops premium withholding. Ask for a refund of any premium paid for coverage after the date of death and have it paid to the estate. Then watch the explanations of benefits: claims for care given before the death keep processing, and the deductible, coinsurance, and copay balances providers bill afterward are debts of the estate, handled through the estate's creditor process.
The death is a qualifying life event, and UnitedHealthcare's guidance is to call the employer's HR department and the plan's insurer immediately, because the window is short — roughly 60 days to line up replacement coverage. If the employer has 20 or more employees, COBRA continuation must be offered, and a surviving spouse and dependent children can keep the same benefits for up to 36 months, but at 100% of the premium plus a 2% administrative fee. The alternatives are your own employer's plan or an ACA Marketplace plan during the special enrollment period.
Through the employer, not through the health plan. The employer, as plan administrator, starts the claim with the UnitedHealthcare Proof of Death form (obtained through Employer eServices or by calling UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits at 1-888-299-2070). The beneficiary completes Section 1, the employer completes Section 2, and an original certified death certificate must be included — a photocopy is not accepted. Mail to UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, PO Box 7149, Portland, ME 04112-7149, or fax 1-888-980-0298. An AD&D death benefit additionally requires the official investigative report (police, accident, fire, FAA, or OSHA), plus a toxicology report if the policy has alcohol or drug exclusions.
UnitedHealthcare's UnitedHealthcare Member Services — report a member's death (health coverage) can be reached by phone at 1-866-801-4409 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple UnitedHealthcare policies may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the UnitedHealthcare Member Services — report a member's death (health coverage) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from UnitedHealthcare primary sources (11 pages reviewed). How we research.
UnitedHealthcare Member Services
Life Conversion Facility (HRMP)
HRMP, Life Conversion Facility, 300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 250, Danvers, MA 01923
UnitedHealthcare Member Services — report a member's death (health coverage)
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