The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to further reduce health care fraud with the implementation of a two-factor identity credentialing system for individuals accessing their records online.

The system is also intended to safeguard users’ identities, supporting the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.” The technology is compliant with NIST’s electronic authentication guidelines and the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA).

The solution, jointly developed by Experian and Symantec, creates a secure method for individuals to access the State and Federal Health Insurance Exchange via the web using a variety of devices, including mobile devices. It is part of a five year contract awarded to Science Applications International Corporation, which has a total value of $78 million if all options are exercised.

Individuals’ identities will be verified, assessed for risk and either allowed or denied entry to the system using Experian’s Enterprise Remote Identity Proofing (ERIP) technology, part of the company’s Precise ID platform. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Credential Services from Symantec, part of the company’s VIP service, provides an additional layer of protection by requiring users to enter a one-time use, six-digit security code to enter the system in addition to a standard username and password.

The government already has recovered more than $2.9 billion from Medicare fraud in fiscal 2011 alone using new technology, reported Breaking Gov in December .

Additionally, CMS’ HITECH Payment File Development Contractor was a finalist in The ACT-IAC’s 11th annual Excellence.gov Awards Program, which recognizes exceptional and innovative IT government programs and projects, Breaking Gov reported.