Reduce fraud, protect identities
Accurate and timely death information not only allows families
to get the certificates they need, it can be a tool in fraud prevention. The death
registration information that you collect, and that the Office of Vital Records
(OVR) sends to various state and federal agencies, helps prevent fraud, waste
and abuse.
When the fact of death (legal) portion of a death record files,
OVR sends a subset of that information to the Social Security Administration
(SSA). SSA deactivates the social security number (SSN) of the deceased individual
and ends any benefits the deceased individual receives. If this process is not
accurate or timely, it can have significant impact. When SSA adds the death
information to its records, it shares that information with nine other benefit-paying
agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services. SSA receives approximately 2.5 million death records
each year. Even with a low error rate, files containing death record
information that are inaccurate or not received in a timely manner can lead to incorrect
processing of benefits. That can add up to millions of dollars.
Another way that fact of death information prevents fraud
and identity theft is by linking a deceased individual’s death information to
that individual’s birth certificate. In fact, for the security of the vital
records system, Minnesota law requires OVR to protect records by matching them.
When death information links to a birth record, the birth record is marked ‘Deceased’.
Although birth certificates may be issued even after they are marked
“Deceased,” individuals cannot use the certificates to open bank accounts,
apply for benefits, or obtain licenses and identification cards. OVR shares with
and receives death information from other vital records offices across the
United States via the State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events (STEVE). STEVE
is a tool developed by the National Association for Public Health Statistics
and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) that allows secure sharing of vital event information
for this and other purposes.
The continued partnership between MR&C users and OVR, as
well as the exchange and sharing of data, has a significant role in reducing
fraud and protecting identities.
Everyone involved in vital event
registration collects a lot of information when we register births, deaths and
fetal deaths. We gather this information from parents and families, others, and
medical records and we enter this information as data into the Minnesota
Registration and Certification (MR&C) System.
Most of the time we are able to
collect all the data necessary to complete the required fields in MR&C. Sometimes however, we exhaust our efforts because the source does
not have the data. Sometimes the appropriate answer is “unknown.” There are
situations when a whole section on a record might be marked “unknown” such as the
medical data for a surrogate mother on a birth record, a court order directing
the registration of a record or for an unidentified body held by a medical
examiner.
When “unknown” is a valid answer,
enter it on the record. Some data fields in MR&C offer “unknown”
as a drop-down menu choice. Other data items have text fields in MR&C where
it might be appropriate to type in ‘“unknown”.
Enter “unknown” in a data field in
MR&C only when there is no other answer. OVR reviews records and data marked as ‘unknown’
to assess the quality of Minnesota’s data. Sometimes OVR staff may follow up
with you to verify and confirm the “unknown” response. Please know that if health information becomes available later you may update
the record in MR&C or contact OVR. Updated information is valuable and shared with NCHS regularly.
The Office of Vital Records (OVR) shares death data and de-identified birth data with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to become part of our national statistics. National vital records data is available to researchers at Public-Use Data Files and Documentation (CDC and NCHS).
The work you do as our partners in
collecting information about vital events is very important. Vital records data has more uses than just
documenting an individual’s birth, death or fetal death. The data
you collect informs public health and improves lives both locally and
nationally. Thank you for the important work you do.
The National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS), the professional membership organization for vital records and vital statistics programs, is hosting its first-ever Identity& Security Conference in Washington D.C., November 15 and 16, 2018.
The pace of technological change has quickened. This conference will provide an opportunity for a national conversation on the rapidly changing intersection of identity and security, as related to vital records. Participants will learn about new trends in fraud prevention, secure data exchange services, biometrics, and identity management, among other topics.
The Office of Vital Records encourages managers, supervisors, and staff at county vital records offices to consider the event. “You are the frontline securing Minnesota records and identities,” said Molly Crawford, State Registrar. “This event is aimed at vital records professionals who issue certificates and check identification. This is a great professional development opportunity that puts you in touch with others across the country and in the industry who face the same challenges as you do.”
For program tracks, registration and hotel information, see 2018 Identity & Security Conference.
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