WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A 76-year-old man said he is alive and well, despite the hospital telling his family that he was dead. The West Melbourne man can't collect his social security check anymore, because Health First in Melbourne declared him dead, and that's just the beginning of the man's problems.

The U.S. Postal Service is not exactly the kind of way someone expects to find out about their own passing, especially when they are a healthy 76-year-old with no intention of going anywhere soon.

When Roy Lee, Jr. received a letter from his healthcare provider, it took him a moment to realize it wasn't addressed to him, but his family. The reason was in black and white.

"The federal agency has recently notified us of the death of Roy Lee, Jr.," the letter read.

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It was clearly some sort of mistake. Lee said his girlfriend didn't take it as well as he did.

"I didn't give a hoot one way or another because I knew better," Lee said.

Health First said they sent the letter after being notified by Medicare. Medicare was notified by Social Security. A spokesman for Social Security said it was a rare clerical error that was since fixed.

The 76-year-old retired ship builder said he still hasn't gotten his monthly check.

"I can survive for a while, but it's something I depend on every month," he said/

The letter has forced him to seek proof of his own existence.

"One thing I do every morning is I get up and check the obituaries. In fact, I checked them this morning and my names not in there. I'm kind of disappointed to see it's not there," he said.

Lee is expecting to hear just how sorry social security is for killing him off before he was dead. A spokesperson for the Social Security office couldn't explain how the clerical error occurred or how Roy Lee, Jr.'s name ended up on the deceased list, but they promised his social security check was on its way.