Medicare paid $292,381 for HIV meds that went to 158 people who were actually dead, according to an Inspector General report written about in The Fiscal Times.

The report looked at HIV meds that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) paid for through Medicare Part D in 2012. Because this is a Medicare program, the nation’s taxpayers picked up the tab. And because the report only looked at HIV drugs, it’s possible that many other medications may be going to deceased—or “zombie”—Medicare beneficiaries.

How do meds get approved for dead people? CMS explained that in some cases, news about a beneficiary’s death is delayed, so the prescription request is approved. Generally, CMS’s system will reject requests for meds 32 days after a person’s death. The Inspector General report suggested that CMS reduce or cut that 32-day window period.

To put the issue in a larger context, it’s important to note that HIV meds accounted for only one-quarter of one percent of all Part D meds in 2012—and that nearly 37 million Americans use Medicare Part D.