Medicare 2026

When a Person With Medicare Dies: How to Report It, What Happens to Their Plans, and How Premium Refunds Work

Losing someone is hard, and the paperwork that follows can feel overwhelming. If your loved one had Medicare, the good news is that most of the Medicare side of things is handled automatically once Social Security is notified. Here is a plain-English walk through what happens, what you may need to do, and where refunds can come into the picture.

Step 1: Reporting the death

In most cases the funeral home reports the death to Social Security using the deceased person's Social Security number. If that is not happening, or if you want to be sure, a family member can call Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You do not call Medicare separately — Social Security notifies Medicare for you.

Once Social Security has the report, a few things happen automatically:

• Any Social Security benefits the person was receiving stop.
• Any benefit payment received for the month the person died must be returned. Social Security considers a person entitled to a benefit only if they lived the entire month, so the check or deposit for the month of death is not kept, even if the death occurred on the last day.
• CMS is notified of the death and updates its systems.

Step 2: What happens to Medicare coverage

Under federal rules, entitlement to Medicare Part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) ends on the last day of the month in which the person dies. Hospital services under Part A for that month are also wrapped up through normal Medicare claims processing.

If the person was in a Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D drug plan, CMS notifies the plan and disenrolls the person. That disenrollment is effective the first day of the calendar month after the month of death. An important detail for families: the plan itself cannot disenroll someone for death until CMS systems show the person has died. So if you call the plan and they say they have not updated the record yet, that is why. It will catch up once Social Security's notification works its way through.

If your loved one had a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, that is a private contract — contact the insurer directly to cancel it and ask about any unused premium.

Step 3: Premium refunds

This is where families sometimes leave money on the table simply because they do not know to ask.

If CMS received Medicare premiums for months after the person's death, those premiums are refunded. The refund goes:

1. To whoever actually paid the premiums, if that was not the deceased person (for example, a spouse who paid from a joint account dedicated for that purpose, or a third party). 2. If the deceased person paid them, to the representative of the estate. 3. If neither of those applies, to survivors in a set order that begins with a surviving spouse who lived in the same household or was entitled to benefits on the same earnings record.

Social Security's operating rules say a refund of excess Medicare premiums owed for a deceased beneficiary is paid regardless of the amount, and no formal claim form is required. An inquiry from a survivor is enough to start the process. If you believe a refund is due, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-MEDICARE and explain the situation.

Step 4: Getting Medicare information after a death

Sometimes a family member needs access to the deceased person's Medicare records — to review claims, check on a bill, or settle the estate. 1-800-MEDICARE's authorization form (Form CMS-10106) can be used for this. The person requesting the information must have the legal right to it, such as an executor or personal representative, and must include a copy of the court documents granting that authority.

A note for surviving spouses still on Medicare

If you are a surviving spouse with your own Medicare, your coverage is unaffected by your spouse's death — it is tied to you, not to the marriage. But your household budget and income picture may change, and that can matter later.

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, with changes taking effect January 1, 2027. That is the main window each year to review Part D and Medicare Advantage choices. For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and no stand-alone Part D plan may charge a deductible higher than $700. CMS announces the 2027 Part B standard premium, deductible, and IRMAA income-related surcharges in the fall, typically in November.

If your spouse had Medicaid or Extra Help and you also qualify, know that since 2025 there is a monthly Special Enrollment Period to move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan, or to switch stand-alone Part D plans. Full-benefit dual-eligible individuals can also join an integrated D-SNP in any month.

When weighing Original Medicare (often paired with a Medigap policy and a Part D plan) against a Medicare Advantage plan, both paths have real trade-offs around provider access, out-of-pocket costs, drug coverage, and extra benefits. Neither is "better" in the abstract — it depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, and your preferences.

Where can you get help with Medicare questions?

For official information, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048. For reporting a death, stopping benefits, or asking about premium refunds, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Taking these steps one at a time is enough. The system is designed so that once Social Security is notified, most of the Medicare pieces move on their own.