Tag: Public Sector

Voter registration lists are the backbone of our democratic process. However, maintaining accurate and up-to-date lists is a challenge that election agencies constantly face. With several regulations related to voting and election integrity that have been enacted or proposed in the last two years, maintaining a quality voter list is more important now than ever before. Election officials now have a powerful tool at their disposal: commercially available data to enhance voter list maintenance and boost voter confidence.  The importance of maintaining voter lists  Audit teams within election agencies are tasked with ensuring election integrity through voter list maintenance. These teams need reliable tools to:  Verify and correct voter registration data  Identify and update contact information  Provide a cost-effective method for record updates  Reduce election costs for taxpayers  Success stories in voter list management  Case study: West Virginia Secretary of State   The West Virginia Secretary of State (WVSOS) uses Experian’s TrueTrace™ solution to enhance voter roll maintenance. Traditionally a skip-tracing solution for debt collectors, TrueTrace leverages unique data sources to ensure voters receive correct information, reducing wasted resources and improving election efficiency.  WVSOS was challenged with enhancing their existing processes to a more robust 50-state comparison for cross-state movers.  After WVSOS’s first data pull using TrueTrace, nearly 16,000 individuals were identified with a potential new "best" address that were also not flagged by other data comparison programs used by the state.  The results? Of the almost 16,000 mailings sent, about 25% returned were undeliverable, confirming those individuals had moved.   Access the full case study to discover best practices for maintaining voter rolls and conducting cost-effective elections.  Webinar: El Paso County Clerk & Recorder's Office   The El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s Office was looking to bring transparency, efficiency, and increased voter confidence to the elections in El Paso County, Texas. To achieve this, they required verified enriched data for registered voters. By partnering with Experian, voter data was enriched using our TrueTrace solution. This partnership has enabled the Office to verify and append the most up-to-date voter address, leading to significant improvements in list maintenance.   To date, the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder’s Office has seen a reduction of more than $39,860 in undeliverable ballot costs. Their ROI to date is a positive $4,537 back to the citizens of El Paso County.  Listen to our on-demand webinar to hear more about this collaboration.  Visit us online to learn more about our public sector solutions. Learn more

The economic volatility of the last several years has left local, state, and even federal budgets tighter than usual, meaning agencies must collect every dollar owed and do it efficiently. So how do agencies continue to deliver the services citizens expect and have given their tax dollars to support? It starts with an efficient, effective collections strategy. The need for collections An important source of revenue for many government agencies is overdue obligations. These might include: Business, personal, and property taxesChild supportFinesCourt fees By collecting on these obligations – and doing so efficiently – agencies can better fund themselves to serve their citizens. Debt collections process While many agencies are, at least initially, responsible for their debt management efforts, there are many layers to the collections process. Step 1: The agency manages the collections process independently (manually or automatically). Step 2: The Bureau of Fiscal Service takes over servicing delinquent debts and work with the debtor to pay it, suspend it, or end collections efforts. Step 3: The debt may be sent to a Private Collection Agency (PCA). Better collections with better data To collect effectively, agencies need to prioritize and streamline debt assessment and collection, which starts with better data. First, better data – like the data provided via skip tracing – enables better management of data surrounding moves, name changes, changes in marital status, and more, all of which makes for better collections efforts. Second is prioritizing collections efforts to focus on those citizens with the best ability to repay, making the most of existing resources and leveraging automated tools where available. Third is keeping collections efforts compliant with all rules and regulations, which is made easier with the right partner. How Experian can help Experian assists organizations of all shapes and sizes to monitor, segment, and prioritize receivable accounts. We leverage timely and relevant information for greater insight into skip tracing, identify the best times for collections efforts, and monitor, measure, test, and refine strategies to maximize results. To learn more about how Experian can help your agency maximize your collections efforts, visit us or request a call. Learn more

Earlier this year, I explored the potential impact of the end of the current Public Health Emergency (PHE). The U.S. federal government has been operating under a PHE for COVID-19 for more than 30 consecutive months since it was initially announced in January 2020. On July 15, 2022, this PHE was renewed for a tenth time. Following this latest extension, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a roadmap for the end of the COVID-19 PHE. In a related blog, they reiterate the commitment to provide a 60-day notice prior to the end of the PHE, but urge states and healthcare providers to prepare for the end “as soon as possible.” With these upcoming changes in mind, I wanted to review key areas for providers to consider as they prepare for the end of the PHE. Enrollments continue to increase, putting state budgets at risk From the start of the PHE in February 2020 through April 2022, Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) enrollment has increased by more than 17M people and this is affecting every state. Nearly half of all states have experienced an increase of more than 25% during this time period, with some experiencing increases of more than 40%. Given an average Medicaid cost to states of more than $8.4K per capita, that translates to an increase of billions of dollars. Once the PHE expires, states will have 12 months to redetermine eligibility for continued enrollment in the program, or risk bearing 100% of the associated cost. Preparing for the end of the PHE To avoid unnecessary expenditures and ensure that citizens are receiving access to the correct services, states will have to conduct a holistic review of their Medicaid rolls to confirm eligibility. In CMS’s guidance for states to prepare for the end of the PHE, they recommend creating an automated process to handle this unprecedented review. With the right partner, agencies can perform redeterminations of their existing registration rolls, and prepare for future services requests. The right solution can allow citizens to easily apply for benefits, triggering the automatic, real-time pull of income and employment information so that the agency can verify eligibility. Experian is a trusted government partner that is ready to assist states with preparing and automating the process for redetermination of benefits. To learn more about how Experian can assist with citizen benefit redetermination and registration efforts, visit us or request a call. Learn more

Across all levels of government, we are seeing a surge in digital modernization — transforming the delivery of traditional services into a contactless, digital environment. Whether it is with the Social Security Administration’s digital modernization effort, the state of California’s Vision 2023, or even at the local level with counties modernizing digital access to records for their citizens. This comes at a time when identity fraud in government services is growing at an alarming rate, with an increase of over 2,900 percent related to government benefits or document fraud in 2020 according to the FTC. A key challenge for any agency planning digital modernization is balancing access with security. This is particularly critical in an environment where over 1 billion records were exposed over a recent five-year span. Given the U.S. population is currently about 330 million, that means each citizen had an average of three breach exposures. Therefore, identity proofing must be a critical part of any agency modernization effort. National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication (NIST SP) 800-63 revision 3 lays out a risk assessment to help organizations determine the appropriate level of security to apply based on six areas of impact. However, identity proofing a new citizen through digital channels requires significant friction at levels above Identity Assurance Level 1 (IAL1). The stringent requirement for a biometric match in this standard at IAL2 presents a real challenge to the balance mentioned above, which has led agencies to seek alternatives that both combat the risk of fraud and identity theft and are operationally sound. Experian has been supporting the private sector in this endeavor for years, helping them effectively manage identity theft and fraud concerns while allowing seamless access to services for the vast majority of their consumers. This risk-based approach through our CrossCore® platform and multitude of options to identify and combat fraud allows agencies to deliver the security and accessibility expected by their citizens. CrossCore allows agencies to verify and identify citizens using multiple data points: Traditional personally identifiable information (name, address, Social Security number, date of birth) Email Phone number Device identification Biometrics CrossCore can instantly take the risk information from these risk signals above and initiate additional verification where there is a higher risk of identity theft or fraud, including knowledge-based verification (KBV), one-time passcode (OTP) to a trusted phone number linked to the identity being presented, or even remotely verifying identity documents (e.g., driver’s license, passport, etc.) through our new CrossCore Doc Capture solution. Just recently, Experian helped a state lottery agency implement an efficient identity proofing system to enable digital redemption of winning tickets, saving both the government and the citizens time and money. Experian’s identity, verification, and fraud solutions can help government agencies of all sizes on their journey to digital modernization. To learn more about the options available to your agency, visit us or request a call. CrossCore Doc Capture

Since January 27, 2020, the federal government has been operating under a Public Health Emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 14, 2022, this PHE was renewed for an eighth time. While we are currently in the midst of the omicron surge, some suggest that we may be nearing the beginning of the end of the pandemic — and thus the inevitable expiration of the PHE. Impacts of the PHE While the PHE remains in effect, states must maintain current Medicaid enrollees, regardless of changes to their eligibility status. A recent report showed Medicaid enrollment increased 16.8% from February 2020 to June 2021. This is counter to the previous trend, where enrollment declined from 2017 to 2019. Furthermore, the average per capita Medicaid cost to states is estimated at $5K–$10K (states share about one-third of the cost of Medicaid). The combination of the per capita expense and the increased number of enrollees during the pandemic translates to a significant impact on state budgets. Once the federal order expires, states will have 12 months to redetermine eligibility for continued enrollment in the program, or risk bearing 100% of the associated cost. Processing redetermination in a timely manner is critical for states to avoid unnecessary expenditures and to ensure that citizens are receiving access to the correct services. It’s imperative that states start planning for redetermination of benefits for continued Medicaid coverage as soon as possible to be prepared to take action at the inevitable conclusion of the PHE. Preparing for redeterminations At the end of the PHE, states will need a system to easily and confidently review their current Medicaid rolls to confirm eligibility. Implementing this system will likely involve working with a trusted partner who can provide tools and advantages such as: Portfolio analysis Real-time analysis Verification of income and employment Compliance adherence Affordability With the correct systems in place, states can act quickly once the PHE ends, saving unnecessary expenditures and providing better services to citizens in need. If your state agency would like to learn more about how Experian can assist with citizen benefit redetermination efforts, visit us or request a call. Learn more

In the wake of unprecedented unemployment fraud since the start of COVID-19, Experian announced it was selected as the exclusive partner for identity and fraud verification for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Integrity Center’s centralized Identity Verification (IDV) capability. IDV is available to state agencies at no cost through UI Integrity Center, which is operated by the National Association of Workforce Agencies (NASWA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.   With the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) reporting a spike in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims complaints related to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever for state agencies to use innovative solutions to verify identities that are applying for unemployment insurance to protect consumers. If improper unemployment insurance payments are made to fraudsters, the efforts of the CARES Act could be largely wasted.   The IDV capability leverages Experian’s Precise IDTM to provide a centralized identity verification and proofing solution. Precise ID combines identity analytics with advanced fraud risk models to distinguish various types of fraud, which can help state agencies maximize time and resources. When state agencies submit claims, the IDV solution will return ID theft scoring and associated cause codes, enabling them to assess whether a claim may be fraudulent.   “Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, unemployment is high, with over roughly 60 million Americans filing for unemployment since March,” said Robert Boxberger, president of Experian’s Decision Analytics in North America. “At Experian, we’re proud to have a strong culture dedicated to continuous innovation that helps protect consumers’ financial health. We’re taking that same consumer focus and helping make the unemployment insurance application process more efficient and safer for constituents.”   The Integrity Data Hub (IDH) is a robust, multi-state data system that contains a continuously expanding set of sources to provide advanced cross-matching and analytic capabilities to states. It is designed to be easily implemented by any state Unemployment Insurance agency, regardless of claim volume, technology, or access to internal resources. The IDH was designed and built using the latest National Institute of Standards and Technology IT security standards, including the use of asymmetric encryption and other techniques to ensure the security of sensitive data.   “We’re excited to partner with Experian and utilize its Precise ID solution to assist states in mitigating fraud during these unprecedented times,” said Scott Sanders, NASWA Executive Director. “States are finding this to be a very valuable tool and we are pleased that we can offer this solution to states through our partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.” Read Press Release Learn More About Precise ID

The sheer range of dynamic and emerging fraud tactics can impede agencies from achieving security. These threats must be met with a variety of identity proofing and management tactics. Without monitoring, performance assessments and tuning, a singular and static identity proofing strategy can be exposed by evolving schemes and the use of high-quality compromised identity data. Traditional verification and validation parameters alone are simply too obtuse and can be circumvented easily by those with criminal intent. Static rules based on overly simplistic verification and validation checks can be outsmarted by intelligent fraudsters. Conversely, those same static rules must also have built-in mechanisms to accommodate true-name users who initially may not meet that criteria for identity proofing. Vast and diverse user populations, more arduous — and arguably more difficult to achieve — digital identity guidelines put forth by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and operational constraints all pose significant challenges for government. But there are ways for government to modernize identity proofing successfully. Modern fraud and identity strategies There are many emerging trends and best practices for modern fraud and identity strategies, including: Applying right-sized fraud and identity proofing solutions. To reduce user friction or service disruption and manage fraud risk appropriately, agencies need to apply fraud mitigation strategies. Such strategies reflect the cost, measured risk and level of confidence, as well as compliance needed, for each interaction. This is called right-sizing the fraud solution. For example, agencies can cater a fraud solution that ensures a seamless experience when a citizen is calling a service center, versus an online interaction, versus a face-to-face one. Maintaining a universal view of the user. Achieved by employing a diverse breadth and depth of data assets and applied analytics, this tactic is the core of modern fraud mitigation and identity management. Knowing the individual user extends beyond a traditional 360-degree view. It means having knowledge of a person’s offline and online behavior, not only with your agency, but also with other agencies with which that user has a relationship. Expanding user view through a blended ecosystem. Increasingly, agencies are participating in a blended ecosystem — working with vendors, peer agencies and partners. There exists a collaborative culture in identity and fraud management that doesn’t exist in more competitive commercial environments. Fraudsters easily share information with one another, so those combatting it need to share information as well. Achieving agility and scale using service-based models. More agencies are adopting service-based models that provide greater agility and response to dynamic fraud threats, diverse population changes, and evolving compliance requirements or guidance. Service-based identity proofing provides government agencies the benefit of regularly updated data assets, analytics and expertise in strategy design. These assets are designed to respond to fraud or identity intelligence observed across various markets and industries, often protecting proactively rather than reactively. Future-proofing fraud solution choices. Technical and operational resources are always in relatively short supply compared to demand. Agencies need the ability to “code once” in order to expand and evolve their fraud strategies with ease. Future-proofing solutions must also be combined with an ever-changing set of identity proofing requirements and best practices, powered by a robust and innovative marketplace of service providers. The future of identity proofing in the public sector is more than just verifying individual identities. New standards in digital identity proofing are a responsive result of mass data compromise and failures in legacy techniques. Achieving compliant and confident identity assurance requires a layered approach, flexibly designed and orchestrated to accommodate diverse identity assertions, evidence, and contextual invocation of technologies and data assets. Government must now use risk-based approaches and mitigation strategies to identity threats quickly and determine the type of fraud before damage is done. Download our recent report in which we discuss the primary challenges of identity proofing in the public sector and what modernization of identity proofing looks like.

U.S. Communities national contract awarded to Experian to use their data and analytic solutions in order to enable state and local government agencies to help consumers and better serve their communities for the future.