What to Do In the Event of the Death of a Member or Surviving Spouse

Without a benefit representative it is difficult to know what to do in the event of the death of a member or surviving spouse. Pension, Life Insurance and Health Care are all impacted by a death. Here is what the survivors should do:

1.     Call GM Benefits & Services Center – Survivor Services Department at 1-800-489-4646.a.      Select the option “Report a death” and the call will be transferred to the Survivor Services Department.  Be prepared to provide as much of the following information as possible:

                                          i.     The deceased’s name
                                        ii.     Their Social Security number if available
                                       iii.     Their date of birth  
                                       iv.     The date of death
                                         v.     Cause of death (natural causes vs. accidental)
                                       vi.     The date of marriage – if applicable
                                     vii.     Spouse’s name, date of birth, mailing address and phone number
                                    viii.     If no spouse, then the proper contact person’s name, mailing address and phone number This notification will take care of all benefits through GM including Pension, Life Insurance and Personal Savings Plan (if enrolled)

2.     Call Retiree Health Care Connect at 1-866-637-7555.a.     Information that may be needed during this call:
b.     Name of the deceased
c.      Last 4 numbers of their Social Security Number
d.     Date of birth of the deceased
e.     Date of death
f.       If there is a surviving spouse, information as listed above in the GM Benefits section

3.     3. Express Scripts Pharmacy at 1-866-662-0274 *only if the deceased was enrolled in “worry free fills” .

4.     If the member was a Delphi Retiree and received a portion of their pension from the PBGC, they will need to be contacted. The number to report a death to the PBGC is 1-800-400-7242. It is advised to have all the same information available that is needed to report to GM.

5.     If the member received Social Security they will need to be notified. Most funeral homes notify Social Security, but if they do not the number is 1-800-772-1213. You can speak to a Social Security representative between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

6.     One thing each member should do is make sure your beneficiary is correct in all your information. You can have more than one beneficiary, but they must be designated prior to your death. Fidelity Investments manages this. To contact them call 1-800-420-2363.