Refund of excess premiums after the enrollee dies
If CMS has received premiums for months after the enrollee's death, CMS refunds those premiums as follows:
(a)To the person or persons who paid the premiums or, if…#
(a) To the person or persons who paid the premiums or, if the premiums were paid by the enrollee, to the representative of the enrollee's estate, if any.
(b)If refund cannot be made under paragraph (a) of this…#
(b) If refund cannot be made under paragraph (a) of this section, CMS refunds the premiums to the enrollee's survivors in the following order of priority:
(1) The surviving spouse, if he or she was either living in the same household with the deceased at the time of death, or was, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased beneficiary;
(2) The child or children who were, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one child, in equal parts to each child);
(3) The parent or parents who were, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one parent, in equal parts to each parent);
(4) The surviving spouse who was not living in the same household with the deceased at the time of death and was not, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased beneficiary;
(5) The child or children who were not entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one child, in equal parts to each child);
(6) The parent or parents who were not entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one parent, in equal parts to each parent).
If none of the listed relatives survives, no refund can be made.