About 50,000 Deceased People Still Listed in Federal Health Benefits: OPM Review Finds $106.7 Million in Payments Made After Death
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said on November 2 that it has identified approximately 50,000 deceased individuals who remain listed in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), after matching the Treasury Department's August 2026 Death Record Confidence Scoring Tool (DRCST) against OPM's FEHB enrollment records. The improper payments identified total $106.7 million.
The review identified $96.3 million in improper payments made after the date of death, OPM said, including $70.6 million in government FEHB premium contributions and $25.7 million in retirement payments.
OPM also estimates $10.4 million in carrier costs tied to more than 20,000 individuals who remain on carrier rolls even though no government premium is being paid for them. Carriers charge FEHB funds each month for administrative and per-member costs. OPM said it will examine claims that may have been paid after the date of death in the coming weeks.
'Every outdated enrollment record can carry a cost. This review is helping us find those records, identify payments that need action, and reduce unnecessary costs to FEHB,' said Matthew Kiley, OPM's Associate Director of Healthcare and Insurance.
'We will not allow the taxpayer to shoulder the burden of fraud, waste, or improper payments. These findings are a drop in the bucket of what we expect to find as we double down on our integrity program,' OPM Director Scott Kupor said.
'Here is a simple rule: Dead people should not receive health benefits. Today is another critical step forward in reversing the errors by the previous administration,' said Scott Brady, Executive Director of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. (Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management)
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的人事管理办公室（OPM）总部 Theodore Roosevelt Building 大楼与标牌。G. Edward Johnson 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Theodore Roosevelt Building, headquarters of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington. By G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
