tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post1717058735808633839..comments2024-03-29T08:44:53.158-04:00Comments on Social Security News: Death Master File Changes May Mean Multi-Billion Bonus For Life InsurersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-72323210112699512492012-01-13T07:22:27.180-05:002012-01-13T07:22:27.180-05:00Couple of points:
The error rate is less .05%. Ho...Couple of points:<br />The error rate is less .05%. How much money is any organization expected to spend to get to perfection? If it becomes available, likely the mistakes would be further eliminated.<br /><br />Errors are corrected weekly, meaning once identified, the erroneous data is removed and the file updated within a week. <br /><br />Users of the DMF are supposed to confirm their proposed actions (deletion from voter role, cutting of credit card or utility)prior to taking the action because we know the data isn't perfect. Many of the reported problems are as a result of people not taking that step but taking the action anyway. That should be on them, not SSA.<br /> <br />The DMF is made available due to the freedom of information act. It is public data; not pick and choose who should see it data. Proposals that try and find distinctions between those who should see it and those who shouldn't are ignorant of what FOIA is about and what public means.<br /><br />Lastly, even if it is public data under FOIA, many states make money selling this kind of data and many have laws restricting SSA from sharing death data because it cuts into their revenue stream. The current restriction on the DMF stems from reassessing how SSA determined if the data was sharable. <br /><br />The idea that the dead have privacy rights is debatable. The idea that by sharing this data promotes fraud is crazy because it is precisely by letting financial organizations know who is dead that allows them to prevent this kind of fraud. Thieves will still know who is dead, but now the odds will be greater than the "good guys" won't yet know. Opening up new opportunities for fraud. <br /><br />And shame on the IRS for having the DMF in their possession yet still letting fraudsters steal those kids identities and then blame SSA for their sloppy processes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-41969236285397647062012-01-12T11:24:12.008-05:002012-01-12T11:24:12.008-05:00I breathlessly wait until when these death record ...I breathlessly wait until when these death record files will be used to purge the deceased from current voter records and prevent voter fraud. Maybe we can also do a cross check from the past election to see how many dead people voted. It will be interesting to compare this with party registration! Perhaps this can begin in Chicago?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-63211992323418620092012-01-11T13:22:46.327-05:002012-01-11T13:22:46.327-05:00The mistakes were a result of outside reports (Sta...The mistakes were a result of outside reports (State death reports and CMS reports). It would be relatively easy to automatically compare reports against the numident records, and kick out the reports that don't match the identifying information. But manually working the reports after the questionable ones are kicked out would be impossible given SSA's current staffing problems. It really shouldn't be SSA's job to correct errors in SSNs reported by the States or CMS. They did the easy thing, they took the questionable reports offline (though I don't know if that includes the CMS reports).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-48781814150682955112012-01-11T13:06:58.392-05:002012-01-11T13:06:58.392-05:00Or they could have, you know, fixed the mistakes.Or they could have, you know, fixed the mistakes.Nobbinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08199597836854072596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-74887586570419480252012-01-11T11:14:24.538-05:002012-01-11T11:14:24.538-05:00I have to have some sympathy for SSA. Earlier news...I have to have some sympathy for SSA. Earlier newspaper articles had carped about the death master file and the fact that there were numerous mistakes in it. Accusations were made that SSA is was irresponsible for posting it online.<br /><br />Now the claim is SSA is somehow in bed with insurance carriers because they are responding to earlier criticism that the material should not be public.<br /><br />Damned if they do...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com