Monday, April 5, 2004
Press Release
SOURCE: International Biometric Group

International Biometric Group Awarded $1.7 Million Contract to Evaluate Biometric Smart Card Project on Behalf of Texas Health and Human Services Commission

New York, NY—April 5, 2004—International Biometric Group has been awarded a $1.7 million contract to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced identification technologies, including biometrics and smart cards, on behalf of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The 12-month pilot is being implemented in six counties, encompassing approximately 180,000 Medicaid recipients and 900 Medicaid providers. IBG is evaluating systems from Atos Origin, EDS, eMedicalFiles, and MAXIMUS.

The "Medicaid Integrity Pilot" uses biometrics and smart cards to verify the identity of Medicaid recipients at health care provider locations. As the program's Independent Evaluator, IBG's key areas of responsibility include the following:

• Evaluating the accuracy, security, and usability of finger imaging and smart card components

• Providing end-to-end Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) of vendor systems

• Evaluating vendor solutions for HIPAA/HL7 compliance

• Measuring pilot acceptance on the part of recipients and providers

• Evaluating systems' ability to detect and deter fraud in a health care environment

• Providing recommendations on potential expansion of the pilot to state-wide implementation

Texas House Bill 2292 mandates that HHSC develop and implement a front-end authentication and Medicaid fraud prevention system pilot program. "We believe the potential return-on-investment from using biometric technology to counter Medicaid fraud could be significant," explained HHSC Director of Eligibility Services, Aurora LeBrun. "We are pleased to have International Biometric Group working with us on this important pilot program."

"We look forward to evaluating the effectiveness of vendor solutions and to providing HHSC with data essential to making informed decisions on long-term program operations," said Samir Nanavati, Partner at IBG.

For more information regarding the Medicaid Integrity Pilot visit the HHSC web site at www.hhsc.state.tx.us.

About International Biometric Group

International Biometric Group has provided independent and objective testing, research, consulting, design, and implementation services to government and commercial entities since 1996. IBG brings extensive, hands-on experience with fingerprint, facial recognition, iris recognition, voice verification, AFIS technology, and multimodal systems from all leading vendors. IBG provides packaged reports and customized services ranging from benchmark tests, market reports, security audits, and smart card integration to privacy impact assessments, Common Criteria pre-evaluation, ROI analysis, and standards conformance assessments. IBG services span network access, physical access, identification systems, and card issuance applications. Learn more at http://www.biometricgroup.com.