 TITLE: What Happens to Medical Debt When You Die? CONTENT: How Do You Notify Creditors of a Death?\n---------------------------------------\nOnce the extent of your debts has been established, your surviving family members or the executor of your estate will need to notify creditors of your death. Once they've been notified, creditors usually stop trying to collect unpaid bills until the estate has been sorted out.\nYour creditors may inform the major credit bureaus of your death; the Social Security Administration also periodically notifies credit bureaus of the deaths of people with Social Security numbers. Your survivors or executor can also contact the credit bureaus directly to report your death. They'll be asked to provide a copy of the death certificate. Anyone other than your surviving spouse will also have to provide evidence they're authorized to act on your behalf—for example, a copy of a legal document with a court seal indicating they are the executor of your estate.\nAs soon as a credit bureau is aware of your death, your credit report will be flagged to indicate that you're deceased. This helps prevent identity theft. If anyone applies for credit using your information, the credit bureaus will be alerted of the attempt and can stop the transaction. END