### Chapter 5. Social Security (SS) Death Match

#### 1. Processing Cases Identified by the Match

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on processing cases   |
| troduction | > identified by match, including                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   determining recipients of SS                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   message code 833 writeouts                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   reviewing the master record                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   determining if the beneficiary is alive             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   when a veteran is hospitalized at a Department of   |
|            |     Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   evidence of physical contact not in file            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   telephoning the beneficiary                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   a report of telephone contact                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   a beneficiary who is believed deceased              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   field examinations                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   when the death match identifies the veteran's       |
|            |     spouse                                              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   no response from beneficiary                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   undetermined status                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   fraud                                               |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   when a claims folder is required, and               |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   when death match writeouts are not received.        |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > February 5, 2008                                      |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### a    | > Compensation and pension (C&P) master records are     |
| . Determin | > matched with death records maintained by the Social   |
| ing Recipi | > Security Administration (SSA) on a monthly basis.     |
| ents of SS | >                                                       |
|            | > The SSA records include only those deaths reported to |
|            | > the SSA since the last SSA/Department of Veterans     |
|            | > Affairs (VA) match.                                   |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > When a match is made between the SSA death records    |
|            | > and VA records, the individual (payee or spouse) is   |
|            | > identified as possibly deceased.                      |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Match, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > Message code 833 writeouts with the matching Social   |
|  b. Messag | > Security number (SSN) and date of death are generated |
| e Code 833 | > for cases identified by the death match with one of   |
|  Writeouts | > the legends described in the table below.             |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
| Legend            | Match Results                                    |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
| SSA Death C&P     | The C&P master record and the SSA death record   |
| Matched           | match on                                         |
|                   |                                                  |
|                   | -   SSN                                          |
|                   |                                                  |
|                   | -   date of birth (DOB), and                     |
|                   |                                                  |
|                   | -   name.                                        |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
| SSA Death DOB     | C&P master record DOB does not match the SSA     |
| Mismatch          | DOB.                                             |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
| SSA Death Name    | C&P master record last name or first initial of  |
| Mismatched        | the first name do not match the SSA last name    |
|                   | and/or first initial of the first name.          |
+-------------------+--------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > Review the master record to determine whether the     |
| c. Reviewi | > award has been terminated or the spouse has been      |
| ng the Mas | > removed from the award.                               |
| ter Record |                                                         |
|            | -   If action has been completed and the termination or |
|            |     adjustment was from the correct effective date, no  |
|            |     further action is required.                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   If there is no evidence that action has been taken  |
|            |     as a result of the death, determine whether the     |
|            |     individual identified by the death match is in fact |
|            |     the VA payee or spouse. If not (for example,        |
|            |     because the wrong SSN is in the VA master record),  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   process a corr to correct SSN in the master record  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   process a bupd to correct the SSN in Beneficiary    |
|            |     Identification and Records Locator Subsystem        |
|            |     (BIRLS), and,                                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   annotate the writeout and file it down.             |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ####       | > Check for evidence in the file that the beneficiary   |
| # d. Deter | > is alive.                                             |
| mining if  | >                                                       |
| Beneficiar | > Consider the beneficiary alive if there was personal  |
| y Is Alive | > physical contact with VA since the date of death      |
|            | > reported by the SSA. Examples include a physical      |
|            | > examination or hospitalization at a VA medical        |
|            | > facility.                                             |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Match, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > If the veteran was hospitalized at a VA medical       |
| ### e. Vet | > facility, use the Automated Medical Information       |
| eran Hospi | > Exchange/Compensation and Pension Record Interchange  |
| talized at | > (AMIE/CAPRI) to determine whether the veteran has     |
|  VA Medica | > died.                                                 |
| l Facility | >                                                       |
|            | > A report of personal contact by a VA employee is      |
|            | > another good example that the match report is         |
|            | > erroneous.                                            |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on the          |
|            | > AMIE/CAPRI system and beneficiaries institutionalized |
|            | > at VA expense, see M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart v, 6.A. |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### f.   | > If the file contains conflicting evidence regarding   |
| Evidence o | > the beneficiary's possible death, resolve this        |
| f Physical | > conflict. Send a letter advising the beneficiary that |
|  Contact N | > VA has received a notice of his or her death from the |
| ot in File | > SSA. Advise the beneficiary to                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   furnish a signed statement that clearly identifies  |
|            |     him or her as the beneficiary erroneously reported  |
|            |     to be deceased                                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   confirm his or her SSN, and                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   furnish a current telephone number.                 |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > As an alternative to sending a letter, you may        |
| g. Telepho | > telephone the beneficiary.                            |
| ning the B | >                                                       |
| eneficiary | > Before telephoning the beneficiary, review the file   |
|            | > for information that a family member would not        |
|            | > ordinarily be familiar with, such as the veteran's    |
|            | > serial number, campaign ribbons, medical conditions,  |
|            | > and so on.                                            |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > Once contact is made, ask the beneficiary about these |
|            | > things.                                               |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### h    | > If the caller is satisfied that the payee is alive,   |
| . Report o | > no further action need be taken other than to make a  |
| f Telephon | > report of telephone contact on *VA Form 119, Report   |
| e Contact  | > of Contact* for the file as outlined in [38 CFR       |
|            | > 3.217](http://w                                       |
|            | ww.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_217.DOC). |
|            | > The report of contact must state the reasons why the  |
|            | > caller believed the beneficiary is alive.             |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Match, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### i.   | > If the file does not contain any evidence that the    |
|  Beneficia | > beneficiary is alive, take action to                  |
| ry Believe |                                                         |
| d Deceased | -   terminate the award, and                            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   give contemporaneous notice.                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Note***: If the person indicated in the death      |
|            | > match is a dependent on the beneficiary's award, give |
|            | > pre-termination/reduction notice to the beneficiary   |
|            | > prior to award action under [38 CFR                   |
|            | > 3.103(b)(3)(iii)](http://w                            |
|            | ww.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_103.DOC). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > If the measures described in M21-1MR, Part X, 5.1.a-i |
| j. Field E | > fail to establish the status of a payee or spouse,    |
| xamination | > request a field examination.                          |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on field        |
|            | > examinations, see M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart vi, 8.8. |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### k.   | > If the person identified by the death match is the    |
|  Death Mat | > veteran's current spouse, send a letter advising the  |
| ch Identif | > veteran that evidence has been received from SSA      |
| ies Vetera | > indicating that his or her spouse may be deceased.    |
| n's Spouse | >                                                       |
|            | > Ask the veteran to complete *VA Form 21-686c,         |
|            | > Declaration of Status of Dependent,* and furnish      |
|            | > pre-termination/reduction notice of the proposed      |
|            | > reduction.                                            |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### l    | > If the veteran does not respond, remove the spouse    |
| . No Respo | > effective the first of the                            |
| nse From B |                                                         |
| eneficiary | -   month after the month of death, for Improved        |
|            |     Pension, or                                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   year following the year of death, for Section 306   |
|            |     and Old Law Pension reported by the SSA.            |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### m.   | > If the foregoing steps fail to establish the status   |
| Undetermin | > of the payee or spouse, request a field examination.  |
| ed Status  |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Match, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ####       | > If potential fraud is discovered, follow the          |
| # n. Fraud | > provisions of M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart vi, 5.A.     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #          | > If a claims folder located at the Records Management  |
| #### o. Cl | > Center (RMC) is needed to conduct the review, recall  |
| aims Folde | > the folder.                                           |
| r Required |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ###        | > If you do not receive death match writeouts for a     |
| ## p. Deat | > particular month                                      |
| h Match Wr |                                                         |
| iteouts No | -   send an e-mail message to the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A      |
| t Received |     mailbox, and                                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   identify the month you are missing and a contact    |
|            |     person at the regional office (RO).                 |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

####   {#section .unnumbered}

#### 2. End Products (EP) Credit, Reporting, and Cost Avoidance

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on EP credit,         |
| troduction | > reporting, and cost avoidance, including              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   EP assignment                                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   reporting due dates                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   where to send the report                            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the report format                                   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   cost avoidance, and                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   an example of determining cost avoidance.           |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > February 5, 2008                                      |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > Cases that require development and/or award action    |
| ### a. EP  | > based on the SSA death match are assigned end product |
| Assignment | > (EP) 130.                                             |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on EP credit,   |
|            | > see [M21-4, Appendix                                  |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | C](http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_4/appC.doc). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### b.   | > An *RCS 20-0841* report is due 14 working days after  |
|  Reporting | > the following dates:                                  |
|  Due Dates |                                                         |
|            | -   March 31                                            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   June 30                                             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   September 30, and                                   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   December 31.                                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > Report cases in the quarter when overpayment/cost     |
|            | > avoidance occurs.                                     |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Note***: Negative reports are required.            |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ###        | > Send the report via e-mail to the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A    |
| ## c. Wher | > mailbox.                                              |
| e to Send  |                                                         |
| the Report |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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2\. End Products (EP) Credit, Reporting, and Cost Avoidance, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > Reports are required in the following format:         |
| ### d. Rep |                                                         |
| ort Format | -   number of overpayments generated                    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   amount of overpayments                              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   number of cases referred for fraud, and             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   fiscal year cost avoidance in cases which are       |
|            |     adjusted as a result of this project.               |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Note***: Overpayment and cost avoidance figures    |
|            | > reported on the *RCS 20-0841* report should be for    |
|            | > the reporting quarter only. Do not include amounts    |
|            | > from prior quarters or provide a fiscal year          |
|            | > cumulative figure.                                    |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ###        | > Fiscal year cost avoidance is determined by           |
| ## e. Cost | > projecting benefits that would have been paid from    |
|  Avoidance | > the month the award terminating or adjusting the      |
|            | > account is authorized until the end of the fiscal     |
|            | > year during which the award is authorized.            |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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2\. End Products (EP) Credit, Reporting, and Cost Avoidance, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ####       | > Situation:                                            |
| # f. Examp |                                                         |
| le: Determ | -   The death match indicates that the veteran's        |
| ining Cost |     spouse, Paul, died on April 1, 2007.                |
|  Avoidance |                                                         |
|            | -   Review of the M11 screen reveals that the veteran   |
|            |     is in receipt of 30 percent compensation at the     |
|            |     rate for a veteran and a spouse.                    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   Review of the M16 screen indicates that the         |
|            |     veteran's spouse is named Paul.                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   The veteran is asked to complete *VA Form 21-686c*. |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   On August 7, 2007, the veteran returns the *VA Form |
|            |     21-686c* confirming that her spouse died on April   |
|            |     1, 2007.                                            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   An award to remove the spouse is authorized on      |
|            |     September 2, 2007.                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > Monthly Rate:                                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   The monthly rate with the spouse is \$389.          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   The rate after removal of the spouse is \$348.      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   The difference between the rate with the spouse and |
|            |     the rate without the spouse is \$41 per month.      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Result***: The award authorized on September 2,    |
|            | > 2007, creates an overpayment of \$164 (4 months at    |
|            | > \$41 per month). Fiscal year cost avoidance is \$41   |
|            | > (one month remains in fiscal year 2007).              |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

####   {#section-1 .unnumbered}

#### 3. Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Match Control Listing

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on the SSA death      |
| troduction | > match control listing, including                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   reports generated by VA                             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the purpose of the control listing.                 |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > February 7, 2007                                      |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > Each month VA generates two copies of a SSA death     |
| ### a. Rep | > match control listing for each RO.                    |
| orts Gener | >                                                       |
| ated by VA | > The control listing is in the following two parts:    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   *Current Suspended and Active Cases* lists current  |
|            |     month cases for which the RO should have received   |
|            |     message code 833 writeouts.                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   *Remaining Active History Cases* lists cases from   |
|            |     prior months for which message code 833 writeouts   |
|            |     should have been issued but where it does not       |
|            |     appear to the system that an award adjustment has   |
|            |     been made.                                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Note***: If a case appears on the list but no      |
|            | > corresponding message code 833 writeout is located,   |
|            | > use the control listing in lieu of the writeout.      |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on processing   |
|            | > cases identified by the match, see M21-1MR, Part X,   |
|            | > 5.1.                                                  |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > The control listing is intended to help local         |
|  b. Purpos | > management and VACO ensure that action is taken on    |
| e of Contr | > all cases identified on the SSA death match.          |
| ol Listing | >                                                       |
|            | > The control listing and the writeouts are generated   |
|            | > from the same processing at VA and both represent     |
|            | > information furnished to VA by the SSA.               |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+