NCOA Suppress: How to Flag Deceased Data Records
The main source for the Deceased Flag is the Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Masterfile. Here is some information on FreeNCOA’s Deceased file and some info on the SSA.
In addition to the SSA Deathmaster, we have integrated other state and federal sources (additional historical SSA records, credit bureau header data, and state records, as well as additional federal data, such as the US Department of Health, Office of the Inspector General). We do processing and cleaning during the build. The file build is a complex process in which we match records from multiple files in order to determine if someone is deceased or not. There is no perfect Deceased information available anywhere at this time – and our data is neither 100% accurate nor provides 100% coverage. Given the nature of the data, it’s hard to measure true accuracy.
SSA does not receive information about all deaths in the US. The SSA Deathmaster file is one of the most comprehensive available in the nation. The reason a person winds up on the SSA Deathmaster file is due to someone in their family filing for Social Security benefits – which means that those that do not file would not report a death. We have improved the deceased suppression product significantly by adding coverage via additional sources.
We do have a full file replace weekly and an incremental/update file weekly. Our customers can choose to fully update as frequently as needed.
FAQs
How Long Do Names Stay on the File?
Roughly 10 years
Do Names Drop Off?
Yes, names drop off. The SSA data is known to have inaccuracies not only in missing deceased individuals, but also including people who are NOT deceased. When those errors are noted, SSA makes changes to their file.
If So – What is the Timing of Drop Off?
The SSA has adds and deletes every week.
How Long Does it Take to Get on the File After Record of Death?
Typical lag time is 2-4 weeks.
Your FreeNCOA.com Processing Team
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