Advanced AI and ML techniques to modernize the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) approach to fraud prevention

Summary: 

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has modernized its fraud, waste, and abuse prevention methods by employing advanced AI and ML techniques with enhanced analytics. This modernization has increased accuracy by reducing false positives, creating manageable reference lists, and directing investigation and remediation efforts toward activities that effectively address fraud cases.

Client: 

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It administers various benefits programs, including compensation, pensions, and survivors’ benefits, along with services such as rehabilitation, employment and education assistance, home loan guarantees, and life insurance coverage for veterans and their families.

Problem Statement: 

Serving millions of American veterans, the VBA aims to deliver timely, excellent customer service, ensuring that applying for and receiving benefits is as straightforward as possible. However, the VBA’s Benefits Delivery Protection and Remediation (BDP&R) division must also combat fraud effectively. While traditional analytical methods have been used to detect fraudulent activities targeting veterans’ benefits, these methods have become less effective over time. The VBA recognized the need to adopt advanced approaches to counter increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics.

Results: 

• Generated controlled link lists to identify and flag suspicious IP addresses, enabling monitoring for irregular activity.
• Reduced number of fraud cases.
• Achieved nearly 100% accuracy in detecting fraudulent payments.
• Increased accuracy and efficiency of the BDP&R division’s work.

AI Solution Overview:

As fraud schemes evolve, the VBA is partnering with Booz Allen to enhance its fraud detection and prevention systems using AI. Together, they have developed analytical methods specifically tailored to the types of fraud the VBA faces. To streamline this development, Booz Allen utilized aiSSEMBLE, a comprehensive software toolkit that applies engineering principles to AI and ML processes. aiSSEMBLE supports the entire AI lifecycle, including data processing (DataOps), model building and tuning (MLOps), and secure deployment (DevSecOps).

The aiSSEMBLE Baseline leverages intelligent automation to generate over 50% of the code needed for a working solution, facilitating the rapid development of customized solutions that meet specific mission requirements. This approach ensures high quality, consistency, and reduced delivery risk.

References: 

1. Using AI To Protect Veterans From Fraud. https://www.boozallen.com/insights/ai/using-ai-to-protect-veterans-from-fraud.html
2. By using AI, the VA dramatically decreased claims processing intake times, official says. https://fedscoop.com/veterans-benefits-ai-mail-processing/ 
3.  VA Working to Reduce Administrative Burden With AI Pilots. https://www.meritalk.com/articles/va-working-to-reduce-administrative-burden-with-ai-pilots/
4. Enabling AI at mission speed and enterprise scale. https://www.boozallen.com/expertise/analytics/deploy-artificial-intelligence-faster-with-aissemble.html

Industry: Fraud detection

Vendor: Booz Allen

Client: The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

Publication Date: 2020