Government Death Record Errors Disrupt Health Insurance and Medicare Coverage

A Maryland man, Allen Mitchell, was mistakenly declared deceased by the government, leading to his health insurance cancellation and denial of his Medicare B application. This error occurred after he was diagnosed with kidney failure requiring dialysis. His wife, Margaret Mitchell, had to cover thousands of dollars in medical expenses out of pocket due to the mistake. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has acknowledged high accuracy in death records but admits that less than 1% of the 3 million annual death reports contain errors. Such errors often arise from administrative mistakes like incorrect data entry or confusion with individuals who have similar names. Experts note that with significant reductions in SSA staffing, correcting these errors may become more difficult and lower in priority. The SSA's death master file is critical for preventing fraud and improper payments, and recent steps include granting the Treasury Department temporary access to improve data integrity. Cases like Mitchell's demonstrate the profound impact on individuals' insurance, credit, and benefits when erroneously declared dead. Advocacy groups suggest transferring responsibility for death records to agencies with more expertise, such as Treasury. The Mitchell case also highlights systemic challenges in resolving these errors, as Margaret continues to face unresolved billing and reimbursement issues following her husband's actual death. The situation underscores ongoing concerns about maintaining accurate beneficiary and insurance records amid government operational constraints.