Quad City News - Bustos Bill Targets Benefits Paid to Deceased

News Article

By Eric Timmons

A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, would introduce measures to stop federal benefits from being paid to the deceased.

The Improper Payments Agency Cooperation Enhancement Act has attracted 50 cosponsors and would give federal agencies access to the Death Master File database maintained by the Social Security Administration.

According to Rep. Bustos, many federal agencies don't have access to the whole database.

A statement from Rep.Bustos' office said examples of past improper payments for deceased individuals include:

-- A total of $601 million in improper payments were made from 2006 to 2010 to federal retirees later found to have already died.
-- More than $1 billion in farm program payments were made to farmers who had been dead for more than three years.
-- Medicare prescription drug plans were paid approximately $3.6 million for drugs provided to 1,500 dead beneficiaries.

Rep. Bustos' bill would require agencies to use the Death Master File database to curb improper payments. She was joined in introducing the bill by U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-New York.

"Our reasonable approach to saving taxpayer money is long overdue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in curbing these improper payments once and for all," Rep. Bustos said in a statement.

There also is a problem with individuals who are still living but listed as dead by the federal government not receiving benefits owed to them. A spokesman for Rep. Bustos said her bill also would address this issue through improved sharing of information.

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