Overview of Benefit Sentinel

Benefit Sentinel is comprised of four complementary components that work together to provide a comprehensive, high-performance, and secure solution to query and retrieve decedent data.

Components

Customer-Based Module (CBM)
InfoPump
InfoNexus
InfoSync

Customer-Based Module (CBM)

The CBM is located at your business and is the source of data for the InfoPump. It provides:

Social Security Number (SSN) (if available)
Date of Birth (DOB)
Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, Suffix
Zip Code (if available)

Using the starter database provided during the onboarding process, your IT team revises standard database Views that access beneficiary data. This approach shields your other sensitive beneficiary data from InfoPump.

InfoPump

The InfoPump runs at your business. It extracts data from the CBM and pumps data to the InfoNexus.

InfoPump is Plug-n-Play. It runs as a silent Windows Service. InfoPump requires either the Oracle, SQL Server, or MySql database. (Note: MySql database is Open Source and available free of charge.)

InfoNexus

InfoNexus is the heart of Benefit Sentinel’s data processing and matching system. It includes:

Decedent Master File (DMF): Contains over 103 million records sourced from SSA's Limited Access Death Master File (LADMF). The DMF is continuously updated and will soon include records from international decedent databases.
National Identification Numbers (NIN): Includes Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for U.S. citizens, with plans to expand to NINs used by other countries. This feature ensures comprehensive coverage of identification numbers.
National Location Numbers (NLN): Includes zip codes for U.S. citizens, with future plans to expand to international location data. This feature enhances the precision of location-based matching.
Interment Locator: Contains data on cemeteries, funeral homes, and obituaries, providing detailed location information as available.

InfoNexus retrieves data from these sources to perform matching against incoming batches from InfoPump. The system is designed for high-speed, high-volume processing with minimal manual intervention.

Data Processing and Matching

As batches are processed, they are compared against the DMF. Once a match is found, the customer's local InfoPump database is updated with match data, and the batch is marked as completed in the InfoPump log. This process is part of our pull service operation, ensuring accurate and timely updates.

Note that data in the NLN and Interment Locator may not always be available for a given decedent. Additionally, we are in conversation with other countries to source their decedent records.

API Access for Secure SSN Matching

For customers who wish to maintain strict data privacy, Benefit Sentinel offers an API as part of InfoNexus. This API allows you to use Social Security Numbers (SSNs) exclusively for matching against the DMF without providing any other beneficiary information.

Focused Matching: Use only SSNs for data matching to ensure that no additional beneficiary information is exposed or required.
Enhanced Data Privacy: Protect sensitive information by limiting the data used in matches to SSNs only.
Comprehensive Documentation: Access detailed documentation and support for integrating the API securely and effectively.

This API feature is designed for organizations needing to match data while strictly controlling the exposure of sensitive information. For more information on the API and how to implement SSN-only matching, please contact us.

Benefits of InfoNexus

Comprehensive Data Coverage: Access to a wide range of data sources, including NIN and NLN, for accurate matching and verification.
High-Speed Processing: Efficient handling of large volumes of data with minimal delays.
Secure Integration: API access for matching using SSNs only, ensuring data privacy and protection.

InfoSync

InfoSync manages the addition of decedent data as it becomes available.