What is the BerwynDMF? The LADMF Alternative Delivering 4x Death Coverage
BerwynDMF is a proprietary mortality data file developed by The Berwyn Group as a direct alternative to the Social Security Administration’s Limited Access Death Master File (LADMF). It delivers approximately 70% weekly U.S. death coverage, more than four times the LADMF’s current rate of less than 16%, in an identical file format that requires no […]
Berwyn Announces Major Advancement to Industry-Leading CertiDeath® and CertiCensus® Process
[Independence, Ohio, January, 27, 2026] — — The Berwyn Group (Berwyn), the industry leader in population intelligence, including death audit and locate services, today announced a significant enhancement to its flagship solutions, CertiDeath® and CertiCensus®. This advancement introduces a new data enrichment phase designed to enhance the accuracy and completeness of death audit results for clients across all sectors. Developed through decades of experience supporting thousands […]
Off the Record: How One Participant Record Led to an International Search
At first, the participant record didn’t add up. We found an obituary that matched perfectly on name and age, but the locations didn’t align. The participant’s pension record tied him to Louisiana, where he held a teacher’s account. The client’s data had his address in Illinois. And the obituary? It was published in New York. For most automated processes, that’s where the trail ends—a fragmented record, easily overlooked, […]
The Cost of What We Think We Know
In insurance, sometimes it’s not what we don’t know that creates risk, but what we’ve believed for so long, we’ve stopped questioning it. Take this one: “Sure, in some situations we pay interest on delayed life claims, but we also earn investment income in the meantime, so it balances out.” Sounds reasonable. Until you do […]
Medicaid Integrity in Focus: What Recent Law Changes Mean for DMF Compliance – Webinar Recap and Transcript
In an era of increasing oversight on government spending, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) is ushering in a major shift in how state Medicaid agencies manage program integrity. A central component of this new legislation? Regular audits using the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF). Starting in 2027 for beneficiaries and 2028 […]
Beyond the DMF: How CertiDeath® Helps Pension Plans and Insurers Strengthen Death Audits – Webinar Recap and Transcript
In recent months, unexplained shifts in the SSA Death Master File (DMF) have raised new concerns about accuracy and reliability. For administrators safeguarding participant benefits, and for insurers ensuring claims integrity, staying ahead of these changes is essential. In a 30-minute webinar we shared exclusive insights into what we’ve been tracking in the DMF, and […]
Case Study: Obituaries Don’t Always Play by the Rules
The First Name That Wasn’t On paper, everything lined up: a Social Security number, a date of birth, even a location that matched one of our client’s participants. The only issue? The name in the obituary didn’t match the one in the client file. The obituary referred to the deceased as “Sifu” which, at a […]
Case Study: When Twins Confuse the Data and How Human Validation Prevents Costly Errors
Background At The Berwyn Group, we often encounter near-identical records that challenge even the most sophisticated death audit processes. One recurring challenge is distinguishing between twins who share not only birthdates, but also strikingly similar names and life histories. Recently, our team encountered several such cases where death records initially appeared to match living individuals. […]
How to Compare Death Audit Service Providers
At first glance death audit service providers seem similar, but there are crucial differences that can significantly impact the integrity of your data, the longevity of your plan, and the delivery of life-saving benefits to participants and their families. Choosing the wrong provider doesn’t just risk inefficiencies—it can directly affect people’s lives. Why Do Death […]
What You Need to Know About Changes to the DMF
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Limited Access Death Master File (DMF) has undergone significant changes over the past month. These developments highlight the continued degradation of the DMF’s data quality. Once a reliable source, the DMF now reflects only 16% of actual decedents – a sharp decline over the past 14 years. Adding to the shift, […]