Community Chat

[Just Bling]

Just want to vent right now.....

So my mom has been gone for almost 2 years already and Medicare Summary notices are still being mailed out.  I've sold the house, put through a change for address for all mail so it came to my house.

I just called Medicare to get any future mailings forwarded to my address directly but was told "I need to go through the SS office".  So I call SS and guess what, 55 min wait and no thank you.

So in the Medicare policy, even if the person is deceased, the mailings all must go to the address on file and if I need to put through a new address I must contact SS.  

So do I tell SS my mom went to heaven and everything needs to go there?   Oh my, more dollars wasted.

[hckynut]

Saw on news last night that, i think it was NY, Medicaid payments of $2,300,000.00 was sent to dead people. Hello there, waste!

[sweetee2]

When my dad passed we put in a change of address and everything automatically came to us. I didn't have to notify anyone.

[Mz iMac]

Question: How do I report the death of a Medicare beneficiary?

Answer: You can call the Social Security Administration to report the death of a Medicare beneficiary at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). As noted on the Social Security Administration site: "You cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.  Social Security should be notified as soon as possible when a person dies.  In most cases, the funeral home will report the person’s death to Social Security.  You should give the funeral home the deceased person’s Social Security number if you want them to make the report." If a family member or other person responsible for the beneficiary's affairs wishes to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA), they should do the following: Promptly notify Social Security of the beneficiary's death by calling SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) (between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM Monday through Friday). Or the family representative can contact a local Social Security Administration office.  Local SSA offices can be found using the link: https://www.ssa.gov/locator/ If monthly benefits were being paid via direct deposit, notify the bank or other financial institution of the beneficiary's death. Request that any funds received for the month of death and later be returned to Social Security as soon as possible. If benefits were being paid by check, DO NOT CASH any checks received for the month in which the beneficiary died or thereafter. Return the checks to Social Security as soon as possible One-time Lump Sum Death Benefit A one-time payment of $255 is payable to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the beneficiary at the time of death, OR if living apart, was eligible for Social Security benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record for the month of death (please see: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-8.html and https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou7.html). If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who was eligible for benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record in the month of death. Benefits for Survivors Monthly survivors benefits can be paid to certain family members, including the beneficiary's widow or widower, dependent children and dependent parents. The following contain more information about filing for benefits. Survivor Benefits: (Publication No. 05-10084) http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html (see also the Social Security Administration page at: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/howtoapply.html). Social Security: Understanding the Benefits: (Publication No. 05-10024) http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10024.html (Source: Social Security Online www.ssa.gov) As reference, please also see: https://www.ssa.gov/survivors/

[chrystaltree]

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@sweetee2 wrote:

When my dad passed we put in a change of address and everything automatically came to us. I didn't have to notify anyone.

Yes, it was the same when my mom passed away.  I actually went into the SSA and I did the change of address and everything came to my house.  If I had chosen to do it by phone, I pretty sure I wouldn't have minded being on hold for a while.  Whenever you call any big business, you are going to spend time on hold listening to elevator music.

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[Kachina624]

Why are you still getting notices from SSA two years after your mom's death?  I didn't get anything for my dad that far out.

[Just Bling]

They are Medicare Summary notices, these are notices that a patient receives notifying that someone has submitted a request for payment either a hospital, physical therapy etc.  

Social Security was notified of the death, Medicare will not change any address unless SS puts it through.....and if you are gone where does it go????

[Mz iMac]

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@Just Bling wrote:

They are Medicare Summary notices, these are notices that a patient receives notifying that someone has submitted a request for payment either a hospital, physical therapy etc.  

 You should not be receiving anything from Medicare 2 yrs after the passing of your mother.

Are these summeries EOB's?

Social Security was notified of the death, Medicare will not change any address unless SS puts it through.....and if you are gone where does it go????

Right back to Medicare.

Do not open anything more from Medicare if addressed and/or pertains to your mother.  Write across the envelope "Deceased" & put the envelope right back into the mailbox. 

Because SS has not "put it through" is not your problem.  It appears from what you have stated so far in your postings, that you have done all that you were suppose to do.

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[Just Bling]

No, they are notifications of payment for a doctor while she was hospitalized and just being processed in the last month.

Thank you for the information, I will do just that, send it back to Medicare in the same envelope.

[itiswhatitis]

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@hckynut wrote:

Saw on news last night that, i think it was NY, Medicaid payments of $2,300,000.00 was sent to dead people. Hello there, waste!

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Don't know how Medicaid would send money to dead people, since Medicaid does not reimburse anyone for expenses.  Did they send out this money to dead physicians and other healthcare practitioners?  Do you mean Medicare?