Unifying Federal Use of Vital Records Data: A Coordinated Approach to Mitigate Improper Payments

Executive Summary

Improper payments pose a significant challenge to the taxpayer and the federal government, with $35 billion of improper payments attributed to issues related to identity verification, marital status, and deceased recipient status in fiscal year 2023. Vital records data, including birth, death, and marriage data, are used to establish identity and verify eligibility for government benefits and financial assistance. The current system for managing vital records data across federal agencies is fragmented and inefficient and introduces challenges for federal agencies to prevent improper payments.

While addressing how the federal government shares, accesses, and uses all vital records data will be integral to efforts to mitigate improper payments, death data presents an ideal starting point for tackling the existing challenges to using vital records to enhance program integrity. Death data is already used by multiple federal efforts to detect improper payments, death information is shared more consistently across states and with the federal government, and there are established practices and agreements in place for reporting and using death data. However, the current death data ecosystem faces interconnected challenges that hinder efforts to reduce improper payments and limit the overall effectiveness of this critical national resource due to inconsistent federal investment in data systems and poorly coordinated governance. To address these challenges, the Data Foundation proposes the establishment of a federal Office for Vital Records Coordination and Innovation (OVRCI). The OVRCI would serve as a central coordinating body for federal use of vital records data, focusing initially on death data with the potential to expand to other vital records over time. Addressing the issues reflected in use of death data specifically can allow for targeted implementation, demonstrating impact and generating buy-in to expand and improve the system more broadly.

By centralizing federal coordination and access management, leveraging existing infrastructure, revising the federal funding model, and establishing robust governance that prioritizes collaboration, the OVRCI would:

• Reduce administrative burden, enabling federal agencies to access vital records data through a coordinated federal process
• Align cost distribution, creating a more balanced and sustainable revenue stream that reflects the common interest in supporting a robust vital records ecosystem
• Enable integration, improving timely federal use of vital records data by implementing standard federal processes for accessing vital records data and promoting interoperability between systems

To advance the proposal for an OVRCI, the Data Foundation recommends several actions for Congress and the Executive Branch:

A federal Office for Vital Records Coordination and Innovation has the potential to be a catalyst for innovation far beyond its initial scope of reducing improper payments. By helping to better coordinate the federal use of vital records, the OVRCI could drive advancements across critical areas and spur innovation. Implementing the Data Foundation's recommendations to advance the development of an OVRCI can lay the groundwork for a more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective system for managing vital records data, ultimately leading to significant reductions in improper payments and improved public service delivery.

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Authors

• Katie O’Toole, Senior Policy and Research Analyst, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation
• Annique Garnier, Policy and Research Analyst, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation
• Corinna Turbes, Director, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation
• Jane Wiseman, Senior Fellow, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation; CEO, Institute for Excellence in Government; Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School

Suggested Citation: O’Toole, K., Garnier, A., Turbes, C., and Wiseman., J. Unifying Federal Use of Vital Records Data: A Coordinated Approach to Mitigate Improper Payments. Washington, D.C.: Data Foundation, 2024.

Acknowledgments: The Data Foundation would like to thank Arnold Ventures for their generous support. The authors would also like to acknowledge and give thanks to all of those who contributed to this work, including various experts with backgrounds in vital records data management and governance, improper payments, and public sector technology and innovation. The Data Foundation thanks everyone who participated in discussions informing this report for their input and expertise.

Disclaimer: This paper is a product of the Data Foundation. The findings and conclusions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Data Foundation, its funders and sponsors, or its board of directors. Copyright © 2024 Data Foundation. All rights reserved.