TN 57 (12-15)

This section defines the alerts and exceptions you may encounter when processing death information. For instructions on how to resolve death alerts and exceptions, see GN 02602.070.

A. What is an alert?

A death alert is a notification to the field that action is required to resolve an issue related to a death report. Alerts are generated to the field office (FO), and displayed on the Death Alerts Tracking System (DATS). DATS is an Intranet application that provides daily listings of death alerts and exceptions at the FO, district, or area level.

B. Types of alerts

1. Third-party verification

Third-party verification alerts are death reports for beneficiaries from third parties that we must verify by following the steps in GN 02602.050 before we can post death to the Numident. We consider a death report from a third party as verified when a first-party reporter agrees the person died. There are three types of third-party alerts:

1. CMS – Third-party death verification required for beneficiary (DM subcode CM)

   This is a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

2. VA – Third-party death verification required for beneficiary (DM subcode VA)

   This is a report from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

3. State Agency – Third-party death verification required for beneficiary (DM subcode BX)

   This is a report from a state agency, other than the State Bureau of Vital Statistics.

2. Name does not match

You will receive this alert if the name entered through Title 16, or Title 2, does not match the Numident name.

1. T16 – DIPS Input Required – Additional Development For Identity Mismatch (DM subcode BN); and

2. T2 – DIPS Input Required – Additional Development For Identity Mismatch (DM subcode DN).

3. DIPS not used

If we add death to Title 16 or Title 2 first, instead of through DIPS, the following types of alerts will be generated:

1. T16 – DIPS Input Required (DM subcode BC); and

2. T2 – DIPS Input Required (DM subcode DX).

Resolve this alert by making a DIPS transaction; no further development is necessary.

REMINDER: To avoid getting this type of alert, always enter death information into DIPS first, before entering death into the T16 or T2 payment systems.

4. Numident Death Alerts

When death data is present on the Numident, but there is no corresponding death data on the payment records for an individual on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) and Supplemental Security Record (SSR), the system produces a Numident Death Alert. We perform this match for the following reasons:

• Reduce improper payments (if death does not make it to the payment records, the person remains in current pay, receiving benefits, until these alerts are resolved);

• Remove personally identifiable information from the Death Master File if an individual is alive;

• Allow proper posting of earnings;

• Identify cases where death information is posted to the Numident, but not all active payment records have been terminated for the deceased; and

• Identify cases where benefits or payments were reinstated following an erroneous death termination action, but death information was not removed from the Numident.

For instructions to process these alerts see GN 02602.070 (for ETC: D cases, see RM 10220.415).

C. What is an exception?

A death processing exception is a transaction that we are unable to process through DIPS. Exceptions are generated to the FO, and displayed on DATS.

D. Types of exceptions

There is only one type of exception generated by the DIPS Batch process that displays on DATS:

Unknown exception (DM subcode 79) – This alert generates when the death input you entered is not able to post to the Numident for an unknown reason. DATS shows this exception for informational purposes. You must take any necessary action on payment records, as appropriate, and submit an internal Change Asset Problem Reporting System (CAPRS) ticket to Systems informing them of the details of the exception. You do not need to take any action to remove this exception from DATS.

E. References

• GN 02602.050 Reports of Death

• GN 02602.051 Processing Reports of Death Using DIPS

• GN 02602.055 If an Individual Deceased on SSA Records is Alive

• GN 02602.056 Procedure to Correct an Incorrect Death Record

• GN 02602.070 Procedure for Resolving Death Alerts and Exceptions