The federal government says new checks just caught $99 million in payments tied to the dead, while watchdogs still count improper payments in the hundreds of billions.
Story Snapshot
- Treasury flagged 4,900 payments worth about $99 million linked to deceased payees
- A five-month data pilot earlier prevented and recovered $31 million
- Government-wide improper payments reached $236 billion in one recent year
- Medicaid audits found $207.5 million paid for deceased enrollees in one year
Treasury’s New Screen Targets Payments to the Deceased
The United States Department of the Treasury said a new government-wide payment check is now active. The process screens outgoing federal payments against death data to block money headed to deceased people. Treasury reported the screen identified more than 4,900 payments, worth about $99 million, tied to deceased payees. The department said this fulfills a requirement in an executive order focused on fraud, waste, and abuse. The figure shows both the scale of the system and the gaps it aims to close.
Treasury tested this approach before the full rollout. A five-month pilot that used the Social Security Administration’s Full Death Master File prevented and recovered more than $31 million. That pilot suggested that broader access to complete and current death data can stop money from going out the door in error. The pilot result helps explain why the department moved to screen far more payments. It also points to how faster data sharing can make a measurable difference.
Watchdogs Say Improper Payments Remain Enormous
The Government Accountability Office reported that government-wide improper payments were $236 billion in a recent fiscal year. The office said more than $175 billion were overpayments, including to people who were deceased or no longer eligible. These totals show the gap between a $99 million fix and a much larger, long-running problem. The Government Accountability Office has urged stronger controls and better data sharing to reduce these losses over time.
Auditors continue to find errors in specific programs. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General reviewed state Medicaid capitation payments. The office estimated $207.5 million in unallowable payments for deceased enrollees during one twelve-month period. The office also cited eighteen audits since 2016 that found roughly $289 million in such payments overall. These findings reveal weak checks at the program level, even as central screens improve.
Why Death Data Access Matters Across Agencies
The Government Accountability Office has said that sharing accurate death data helps block improper payments to deceased individuals. The office also warned that some agencies rely on a limited public file that lacks state death reports. It noted weaknesses in how the Social Security Administration receives and manages death data, which can reduce accuracy. These technical limits explain why some improper payments slip through. They also show where fixes could have the biggest payoff.
Past audits at the Social Security Administration found the risks firsthand. One review identified benefit payments going to 137 deceased beneficiaries and estimated $2.3 million in improper payments. Corrections from that audit prevented or will prevent about $1.1 million more. These cases highlight a core pattern. When agencies match records well and act fast, they recover money and stop future losses. When they do not, errors spread and costs rise.
Shared Frustration, Practical Fixes, and What Comes Next
Taxpayers see $99 million blocked and ask why billions still leak out. That question unites people across politics who feel Washington protects itself better than it protects their money. The new Treasury screen is a step, not a cure. Stronger data rights, faster agency access, and routine checks before payment can shrink losses further. The Government Accountability Office has urged permanent, clear authority to share full death data to keep controls working at scale.
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Here is the bottom line. The system can catch waste when it has the right data at the right time. Treasury’s screen and pilot show that. The audit tallies show how far there is to go. Congress, agency leaders, and inspectors general each hold a piece of the fix. Citizens should track whether these controls move from pilots and press releases to daily practice that cuts the losses year after year.
Sources:
pjmedia.com, home.treasury.gov, finance.yahoo.com, gao.gov, thehill.com, ignet.gov, cagw.org
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