The Social Health Authority (SHA) has introduced biometric fingerprint verification for children registered as dependants under the national health insurance scheme in a move aimed at strengthening identity checks and curbing fraud.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, the authority said the new verification process will apply to children aged between seven and 17 years. Parents and guardians will first be required to give consent before their children’s fingerprints are captured.
According to SHA, fingerprint registration will take place at healthcare facilities contracted by the authority whenever a child visits for treatment. The biometric data will then be used to confirm the child’s identity and ensure that medical services are being accessed by the rightful beneficiary.
In cases where the fingerprints cannot be authenticated, the health facilities shall use the identification number of the contributor alongside one-time passwords (OTP) to authenticate the identity of the beneficiary.
According to SHA, the data collection and storage of the biometric details of members shall comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act as security and privacy measures for the beneficiaries have been put in place.
The adoption of fingerprint authentication is among the measures being taken to ensure accountability in the health insurance scheme in response to frauds and misuse of members’ details.
To support the exercise, the government has already deployed more than 8,000 biometric scanners to public health facilities across the country through the Digital Health Agency.
SHA has also acknowledged that many members have not updated their personal details and information relating to their dependants on the system. The authority says the biometric exercise will help build a more accurate and verified database while ensuring healthcare benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.