Bill Mandates 'Are You Alive?' Checks for Medicaid Providers Starting 2027

This proposed legislation adds a straightforward requirement for states managing their Medicaid programs: they need to verify that healthcare providers and suppliers are actually alive before enrolling them and paying them. Specifically, the bill mandates that starting January 1, 2027, states must check the Social Security Administration's Death Master File (DMF) – essentially a database of reported deaths – when a provider first enrolls in Medicaid. They'll also need to run this check at least every three months after that.

Keeping Ghosts Off the Medicaid Payroll

The core idea here is pretty simple: prevent taxpayer money from going to deceased individuals listed as Medicaid providers. By requiring regular checks against the DMF, the bill aims to close a loophole that could allow fraudulent payments to continue after a provider has passed away. Think of it as a basic verification step – making sure the person or entity receiving public funds is still eligible to do so. While it seems like common sense, this formalizes the process and sets a minimum standard for all states. This is primarily an administrative measure focused on program integrity and saving taxpayer dollars, rather than a change impacting patient care directly. For providers, this likely means minimal disruption, perhaps just being part of the standard background verification process states already perform.