Client Resource: Dealing With the Loss of a Loved One

If your loved one received Medicare, Social Security will inform Medicare of the death. If the deceased had been enrolled in Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, Medicare Advantage plan or had a Medicare Supplement policy, contact the carriers at the phone numbers provided on each plan membership card to cancel the insurance.

Grief Support

Mourning Help From The National Institutes on Aging – https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/mourning-death-spouse
Grief Support and Funeral Planning From The National Funeral Directors Association – http://www.nfda.org/consumer-resources/grief-support
Helpful Grief Articles From The Hospice Foundation of America – https://hospicefoundation.org/End-of-Life-Support-and-Resources/Grief-Support/Journeys-with-Grief-Articles
Geriatric Mental Health Foundation – www.gmhfonline.org
National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Bereavement – www.medlineplus.gov/bereavement.html

Obtaining Death Certificates & Medical Records

Obtaining Death Certificates

State by State Listing – https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm

Requesting Medical Records for a Deceased Individual

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/FOIA/filehow.html

Social Security

Survivors Benefits – https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ | https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou.html

How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies – https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10008.pdf

Death Benefits – A one-time payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the deceased; or, if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased’s record. If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who is eligible for benefits on the deceased’s record in the month of death.

To report the death of a person with Medicare, make sure you have the person’s Social Security Number. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778).

Resources

Legal Assistance

LawHelp helps people of low and moderate incomes find free legal aid programs in their communities, answers to questions about their legal rights and forms to help them with their legal problems. https://www.lawhelp.org/

Estate Planning

Q/A Regarding Wills – American Bar Association: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/real_property_trust_estate/resources/estate_planning/an_introduction_to_wills/

Medicaid Estate Recovery

If you receive Medicaid coverage for long-term care services, federal law requires states to recover the amount Medicaid spent on your behalf from your estate after you die. This is called “estate recovery.”

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/estate-recovery/index.html

Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)

Reporting a Death – If you get benefits from the RRB, call them to report a death. 1-877-772-5772 (rrb.gov)

Veterans

How to Apply for a Veterans Burial Allowance – https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/veterans-burial-allowance/

Find out how to apply for a Veterans burial allowance to help cover burial, funeral, and transportation costs (sometimes called “Veterans death benefits”).

Veterans Survivors Pension – https://www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension/ Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply for a VA survivors pension (some people call this a “VA widows pension” or “VA death pension”).