The federal government recently passed the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, legislation designed to strengthen data sharing and prevent payments from going to individuals after a mortality event has occurred. As Senator John Kennedy stated, “The federal government loses billions of dollars each year by making payments to people who have passed away. That’s unacceptable.” (*)
The bipartisan bill, co-led by Sens. Gary Peters and Ron Wyden, aims to improve how mortality data is accessed and shared across agencies to stop improper disbursements before they happen. While the law directly applies to federal programs like Social Security, its broader implications extend across the benefits industry.
Pension plans, insurance carriers, and other institutions that issue recurring payments face the same fundamental risk: if mortality information is delayed, incomplete, or siloed, payments may continue unintentionally. Even a small number of missed mortality events can lead to significant overpayments and audit exposure.
Although federal data-sharing efforts are expanding, public access to comprehensive and timely mortality information can still be limited. That’s where Abacus Intel provides added protection.
Abacus Intel’s modern mortality verification strategy goes beyond single-source data by integrating multiple U.S. mortality sources and applying advanced matching logic to improve both accuracy and speed. We identify mortality events in the US, and deliver results with 99% accuracy, every day.
MVerify® combines robust data coverage with sophisticated algorithms designed to reduce false positives and false negatives, delivering daily automated alerts when potential mortality events are identified. Continuous monitoring transforms verification from a periodic review into an ongoing safeguard that protects plan assets and strengthens compliance readiness.
The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act reinforces a national priority: stop improper payments before they occur. Pension plans and insurers can achieve the same financial protection by strengthening their own mortality verification strategy.
If you’re ready to reduce avoidable overpayments and align with today’s higher standards of accountability, schedule a conversation with our team or request a demo of MVerify® today.
*https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/press-releases?id=9669A1CA-F1E9-47C2-A3D4-DF60152EB97D
