Summary

Requires each State to check federal death records at least every three months, starting January 1, 2027, to find and remove deceased people from Medicaid rolls, stop payments made after death (except for services provided before death), and immediately reenroll anyone wrongly removed because of a mistaken match, with retroactive coverage back to the date of disenrollment. States may use other electronic data sources if they meet the same standards and follow Medicaid rules.

• States must run quarterly checks against the Death Master File (or equivalent electronic sources) to find deceased Medicaid enrollees.
• Matches from those checks are treated as confirmation of death under Medicaid rules.
• States must disenroll deceased beneficiaries and stop post-death Medicaid payments, but payments for services before death remain payable.
• If a disenrollment was caused by a mistaken death match, the State must immediately reenroll the person and provide retroactive coverage to the disenrollment date.
• Requirement takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies to all States and D.C.
• States may use alternative electronic data sources if they meet the same standards and Medicaid eligibility rules.
• The law adds a mandatory state-plan condition but does not include federal funding to cover implementation costs.
• Implementation will require new data-matching and administrative processes at the State Medicaid agency level.