Rest in peace, Death Master File. You were limited in so many ways.
An industry-standard death file that keeps the dead alive in your data. Ironic? There’s a quiet irony at the center of how most organizations identify deceased individuals in their data. The tool they rely on—the government’s primary mortality data source—was built specifically to find the dead. And yet, 8 out of 10 deaths never make […]
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 Group Launches BerwynDMF, Delivering Four Times the Coverage of the Limited Access Death Master File
New mortality data product provides a substantially more complete alternative to the outdated standard. Independence, OH — May 12, 2026 — The Berwyn Group (Berwyn), the leading provider of population management and death audit solutions, today announced the launch of the BerwynDMF, a comprehensive death data product built as a substantially more complete alternative to […]
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 […]
Another Wave of Changes Hits the SSA Death Master File
We recently uncovered another shift in the Social Security Administration’s Limited Access Death Master File (LADMF). With 35 years of specialized experience in utilizing and analyzing the Death Master File (DMF), Berwyn has developed unmatched expertise in quickly identifying even the subtlest patterns and anomalies. The most recent change is the latest in a series […]
SSA Reverses Course on April DMF Additions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) appears to have reversed a substantial and unprecedented addition of records to the Death Master File (DMF), highlighting the importance of expert interpretation in managing and understanding government datasets. Looking Back: DMF Experienced Significant Increase in April 2025 In early April 2025, the DMF saw an abnormal spike in newly […]
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, […]
We find over 96% of deaths. Here’s the proof.
It seems more and more death matching services are making claims about how many deaths they find while presenting nothing to back up their numbers. At Berwyn, we do an analysis every year to make sure our CertiDeath® claims are current and verified. In fact, our most recent analysis revealed an increase in the percentage […]
Is your current death audit process providing a false sense of security?
Pension plans and insurance companies have a lot on their plate, so it isn’t uncommon for their death audit process to get overlooked. It may often be seen as checking a box to make sure there’s some form of a death audit process in place. However, not taking a deeper dive into how effective the […]
Why a one-time-run death audit service is not enough.
We often hear from organizations that run an annual or semi-annual death audit and think they are doing enough. However, they are likely choosing a path that ends up costing them more in overpayments and time. It’s important to have continuous monitoring of your population and take a proactive approach. Here’s why: Deaths occur constantly […]