Digits-2-Digits Industry Day October 10, 2012 D2D Overview / Roadmap / Business Process

Digits-2-Digits 1 D2D Overview / Roadmap / Business Process

Digits-2-Digits Welcome and Introduction VBA Transformation – Setting the Context Describe the D2D Initiative – Business Process – Technical Specifications and workflows Explain the onboard process to use D2D services Orient usage of the following DRAFT D2D informational materials posted on the VAi2 website: – D2D Executive Summary – Data Transfer Agreement (DTA) – Interface Control Document (ICD) Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) Specifications Document Schemas Sequence Diagrams 2

Digits-2-Digits Thanks to Our Sponsor! 3 The VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2) is a flagship program designed to tap the talent and expertise of individuals both inside and outside government to contribute new ideas that ultimately produce new, innovative solutions that advance VA's ability to meet the challenges of becoming a 21st-century organization.

Digits-2-Digits Veteran Relationship Management –Veteran Online Application (VONAPP) Direct Connect –Unified Desktop, Virtual Hold, Scheduled Callback –eBenefits online self-service portal –Stakeholder Enterprise Portal for VSOs Veterans Benefits Management System Post-9/11 GI Bill paperless claims processing System (Long-Term Solution) Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Intake Processing Centers Segmented lanes Cross-functional teams Challenge training Skills Certification (+15-20% Productivity/+4% Quality) Simplified Notification Letter to Veteran New rater decision support tools for consistency –Evaluation Builder –Rules-Based Calculators Electronic Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) Fully Developed Claims STAR-trained Quality Review Teams Paperless CAPRI Records Private Medical Records (PMRs) Impact of Transformation: Improve production by 45-60% = Complete claim in 125 days in Improve quality by 14 points = Achieve 98% claim quality in Improve Veteran Access by shifting resources to new access points + Eliminate homelessness by reducing claims time and services = Earn trust and confidence of Veterans … Priceless! Impact of Transformation: Improve production by 45-60% = Complete claim in 125 days in Improve quality by 14 points = Achieve 98% claim quality in Improve Veteran Access by shifting resources to new access points + Eliminate homelessness by reducing claims time and services = Earn trust and confidence of Veterans … Priceless! People – how we’re organized and trained Process – leveraging “big bang for the buck” improvement opportunities Technology – systems that enable us to do our jobs better (+15-20% Productivity/+4% Quality) The VBA Transformation Plan is focused on improving the speed, quality and efficiency of the Claims Processing system through an intensive and focused effort of over 40+ initiatives.

Digits-2-Digits Transforming call centers into service centers Expanding self-service on multiple channels Maintaining shared record of contacts thorough CRM Identity and Access Management Services Veteran Centric Operations Benefits for Veterans - Better client services - Decreased wait times - Fewer blocked calls - Increased self-service access to VA - Accurate, consistent answers to inquiries - Single sign-on capability Benefits for Veterans - Better client services - Decreased wait times - Fewer blocked calls - Increased self-service access to VA - Accurate, consistent answers to inquiries - Single sign-on capability Benefits for VA - Access to Veteran contact history - User- friendly technology - Ability to transfer calls across multiple service lines - Increased consistency of accurate information to provide to clients - Improved call quality through call recording capability Benefits for VA - Access to Veteran contact history - User- friendly technology - Ability to transfer calls across multiple service lines - Increased consistency of accurate information to provide to clients - Improved call quality through call recording capability Managing knowledge across VA organizations. Modernizing VA telephone services VRM Benefits Veterans and VA Service to Veterans 5

Digits-2-Digits VRM is Changing the Way VBA Does Business 6 VRM is supporting the VBA Transformation by creating access for Veterans, their families and beneficiaries, and providing tools for partners and improving Customer Service for all. Applying new business processes and tools to support greater transparency and efficiencies Electronic Claims submissions via VRM channels will increase dramatically as our products are deployed and work in conjunction with other strategies VDC SEP D2D Enabling “National” standards for consistency for our demographic data Working across Major Initiatives, Administrations and other Departments to support the true end-to-end integration of information and services

Digits-2-Digits VBA VRM Partner Intake Strategy VSO State VSOs Fiduciary Attorney/ POA  Increased accessibility Web-based access Secure Authentication Multi channel approach  Computable data Shared using XML standards Available via VRM/VLER Web Services “Interface” with many systems Electronic claims and related documents VRM/ VLER Others eBenefits Veteran submits claim online SEP VSO w/POA submits individual claim D2D Direct data feed from VSO systems to VA w/MOU Claims processing in VBA

Digits-2-Digits Stakeholder Enterprise Portal (SEP) for our VSO Partners: We Heard You This portal will: Allow VSOs to represent Veterans quickly, efficiently, and electronically Submit a compensation claim (526E) Upload supporting documents Manage dependents – add a child r spouse (21-686c) Certify child’s school attendance ( ) See status of claim See payment History and details Accept/Reject a Power of Attorney (21-22 POA) 8 SEP is a primary web-based access point to VA for our partners.

Digits-2-Digits The D2D Vision D2D will be a generalized data delivery service (like FedEx®) that will enable ANY VA accredited partner to submit digital data captured in ANY VA Form together with associated attachments directly from an authorized partner system to a VA system. 9

Digits-2-Digits The D2D Transformation Eliminate Paper and Reduce Cost and Time CaptureSubmitReceiveValidate Establish Claim and Upload Current Paper Model Future Digital Model CapturePrintPostReceiveRe-Key Scan and Upload Accredited Partner VA 10 Accredited Partner VA

Digits-2-Digits VBA VRM Electronic Intake Strategy Multiple entry channels tailored for each audience type SubmitManageTrack 11 Accredited Partner Veteran D2D SEP eBenefits SEP eBenefits SEP Accredited Partner Processes medium to large claim volumes Has a CMS system Process VA and NON VA Veteran claims Manage and report on their customers Small claim volumes Submit one at a time No CMS system Individual claims

Digits-2-Digits D2D Architecture 12 Accredited PartnerVA GatewayVBMSVA Middleware

Digits-2-Digits D2D Technical Highlights D2D schema inherits the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) core schema to satisfy VA reuse policies for standard compliance and reusability Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) web services is the communications mechanism to operate between the Accredited Partner system and the VLER Gateway VLER Gateway is currently operational for other VA products (i.e., Disability Benefit Questionnaires (DBQs)) Web Services to integrate to VBMS to ingest D2D data and attachments Work to do: – Build the D2D Orchestration service to manage the receipt, ingestion, and confirmation of form data and attachments received from Accredited Partners – Modify the Accredited Partner claim management systems to send form data and attachments to the D2D Orchestration service via the VLER Gateway 13

Digits-2-Digits 14 D2D – Conceptual Model Part 1

Digits-2-Digits Department of Veterans Affairs D2D Overview Oct 10, 2012

Digits-2-Digits D2D Overview

Digits-2-Digits D2D Submissions A Submission is a single “mailing” of a Form and supporting documentation to the VA –One Veteran –One Origination Each Submission has –A Submission ID –Any number of Documents –At least one VA Form XML Each Document has –A unique Transaction ID –A Submission ID that associates it with the Submission

Digits-2-Digits D2D Overview

Digits-2-Digits 19 VLER Technical Specifications

Digits-2-Digits Department of Veterans Affairs Data Access Services Federal Information Sharing Technologies Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Technical Deep Dive Oct 10, 2012

Digits-2-Digits VLER VA’s Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Initiative is … a multi-faceted business and technology initiative that includes a portfolio of health, benefits, personnel, and administrative information sharing capabilities. It provides Veterans, Service members, their families, care-givers, and service providers with a single source of information for health and benefits needs in a way that is secure and authorized by the Veteran or Service member.

Digits-2-Digits Overview VLER DAS (Data Access Services) is a system of middleware services used to transport information between Producer and Consumer applications DAS comprises: –VLER Read Service (VRS) –VLER Gateway –Business Transaction Service (BTS) –Lifetime Event Notification Service (LENS) – future development –Various wrappers interfacing non-VLER systems to above apps

Digits-2-Digits VLER Data VLER Program Mgmt Office identified 400+ types of data for the lifetime record NIEM (National Information Exchange Model) was selected to guide structuring of XML records for exchange. NIEM: –Promotes re-use of XML structures e.g. … –Structures represent things –Adds shared/common semantics to data i.e. computable data Much VLER data is unstructured text, images, PDF, etc.

Digits-2-Digits VRS VLER Read Service (VRS) is a flexible middleware data transport that is part of a Platform as a Service which can be used by any consumer or producer to obtain VLER data. –In service for ISI returning Care Coordinator info –Accesses VLER data in 2 phases First Pass returns a list of available-record summaries –Includes all record data (if record small) –Includes Preview XML (if record data is bigger) –Includes URL of Subject Document (if record is too large to include). Second Pass returns one selected Subject Document (a record) Multiple Second Passes can be performed. –Approach improves performance over returning all records at once

Digits-2-Digits MVI WebLogic Server Cluster DoD Adapter Wrapper VLER-DAS FCMT VA Systems External Systems BHIE Adaptor VRSVAPVistaWebVTA DoD AWCTS VRS Architecture Application Deployment View

Digits-2-Digits Gateway & BTS VLER Gateway is a flexible entry point to VA systems for service requests. VLER Business Transaction Service (BTS) is a flexible middleware process engine which can be used by any consumer or producer to perform orchestration needed to satisfy a request. –About to go into production for the Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) project –Can access wrappers to update data –Will be able to access VRS for reading VLER data –Will be able to access LENS (see below) to issue notifications of change

Outside VA Inside VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) Forms Service VLER Gateway VLER Business Transaction Service (BTS) VLER CDS Write Wrapper (CDS WW) Clinical data Service (CDS) (The interface to HDR) Request to save Examination data ACK or NACK response to CDS WW ACK or NACK response to BTS ACK or NACK response to Gateway ACK or NACK response to DBQ Forms Service VLER Applications Non-VLER Applications Master Veteran Index (MVI) Lookup Veteran IDs Health Data Repository (HDR) Web Service over 2way SSL JMS Web Service over 2way SSL JMS DBQs – The First use of Gateway & BTS

Digits-2-Digits D2D “Requirements”

Outside VA Inside VA D2D Forms Service VLER Gateway VLER Business Transaction Service (BTS) VLER Wrapper for VIERS D2D Service Request: Submit form Submit attachment Confirm submission Check status Request ACK or NACK response to WRAPPER ACK or NACK response to BTS ACK or NACK response to Gateway ACK or NACK response to Forms Service VLER ApplicationsNon-VLER Applications Master veteran Index (MVI) Lookup Veteran IDs Gateway ICD VIERS ICD JMS Web Service over 2way SSL D2D “Design”

Digits-2-Digits On Boarding Two-way SSL is used between external hosts and the VLER Gateway to allow for mutual authentication of hosts. Each external host team must: –Be approved by the VA ESCCB (10 days min). The VLER Gateway SDE Operations Group can assist with this process. –Be added to the F5 “firewall” at the VA network boundary. –Provide the VLER Gateway SDE Operations Group with a CA signed certificate identifying the host. –Maintain the certificate in good standing over the years. –Receive and install the VLER Gateway certificate and maintain it over the years.

Gateway computer Outside VA Inside VA WAN DMZ Forms Service VLER Gateway VLER Business Transaction Service (BTS) VLER Wrapper for VIERS D2D Service Request ACK or NACK response to Wrapper ACK or NACK response to BTS ACK or NACK respons e to Gatewa y ACK or NACK response to Forms Service VLER Applications App Server F5 North (2) WebLogic App Server F5 South (2) The F5 only works with the inbound data flow to do SSL authentication in conjunction with WebLogic on the Gateway computer. Internet FW- North (2) FW VA WAN FW- South (2) BHIE FW (2) H A Inside VA Inside VA AITC Response path Request path MVI Lookup Veteran IDs SSL Details

Digits-2-Digits Request Processing To Gateway & BTS From BTS and onward

Digits-2-Digits LENS The Lifetime Event Notification Service (LENS) is a flexible middleware event notification service which can be used by producers to inform consumers of the occurrence of significant events. –Consumers must register to receive particular event notifications –Producers must register to issue notifications –Producers call LENS with an event notification –LENS distributes the event notification to appropriate consumers (i.e. registered and executing concurrently with LENS)

Digits-2-Digits MVI WebLogic Server Cluster BTS VLER-DAS VA Systems External Systems Consumer LENSVAP Consumer GatewayConsumer Producer LENS Architecture Application Deployment View

Digits-2-Digits Questions

Digits-2-Digits Acronyms List AcronymMeaning AWCTSArmy Warrior Care and Transition System BHIEBidirectional Health Exchange BTS(VLER) Business Transaction Service CAPRICompensation and Pension Records Interchange CDSClinical Data Service CDS RW(VLER) CDS Read Wrapper CDS WW(VLER) CDS Write Wrapper DASData Access Services DBQDisability Benefits Questionnaire DoDDept of Defense FCMTFederal Case Management Tool HDRHealth Data Repository ISIInformation Sharing Initiative LENSLife Event Notification System MSWMaster of Social Work MVIMaster Veteran Index VAPVeteran Authorization & Preferences VBMSVeterans Benefits Management System VLERVirtual Lifetime Electronic Record VRMVeteran Relationship Management VRSVLER Read Service VTAVeterans Tracking Application VADept of Veterans Affairs

Digits-2-Digits Part II Claims Processing Technical Specifications 37

Digits-2-Digits D2D Submission Process Enable asynchronous transfer of many large files Structured Data (XML) Binary (PDF) Files Partner maintains control of submission while documents are being stored to VA assets to ensure complete and proper transfer System-to-system dialogue

Digits-2-Digits D2D Document Schema Main View D2D Document –Transaction ID –Submission ID –Document Type –Veteran Information Name, Date of Birth, SSN –Origination Information Name, Site, Code, ID, etc. –One sub document: Form, Attachment, Manifest or Confirmation

Digits-2-Digits D2D Document Schema Form View D2D Form –Form Type Identifies schema of Form Document –Version –Document Base 64 Encoded XML Document

Digits-2-Digits D2D Document Schema Attachment View D2D Attachment –Binary Document –Tagging

Digits-2-Digits D2D Document Schema Manifest View D2D Manifest –Submission Contents –Timestamps, Errors, Responses, Status

Digits-2-Digits D2D Document Schema Confirmation View D2D Confirmation –Control mechanism for Submission –Process instructions –Results to Partner Application

Digits-2-Digits Questions

Digits-2-Digits ONBOARD PROCESS

Digits-2-Digits Onboard Accredited Partners Accredited partners will onboard and connect to the VA VLER Gateway to submit claims and attachments The Onboarding process includes the following activities: – Security setup such as firewall configuration and access – Testing server to server connectivity – End-to-end testing – Education and training in the D2D service – Agreements and certifications - ensure MOU and DTA are executed prior to onboarding 46

Digits-2-Digits 47 Accredited VSO On Boarding Process VA Firewall VA Gateway SSL Certificates OrchestrationVBMS and CORP VA VSO IP Address 1.Exchange Digital Certificates 2.Add VSO IP address to VA Firewall 3.Test connectivity 4.End to End Testing

Digits-2-Digits On Board Process Tasks and activities to enable claims partner to a.Connect to the VA VLER Gateway b.Submit a test claim using their Claims Management System. Includes the following: Security setup such as SSL certificates, Firewall configuration etc Support during the setup and initial operation Training and education on the D2D services and Specifications Signing of any necessary agreements or certifications prior to initiation of operations such as establishment of the MOU ( Memorandum of Understanding and DTA ( Data Transfer Agreement) 48

Digits-2-Digits On Board Steps Establish Agreements ( MPU and DTA) Identify Accredited Partner Deployment Lead (APDL) Educate Accredited Partner personnel and authorized claims management system personnel Configure technical environment (i.e., Install SSL certificates; Configure firewalls) Configure VA VLER Gateway Firewall Perform End-to-End testing –Develop tests and acceptance criteria –Conduct initial kick-off meeting –Conduct supervised testing –Resolve outstanding issues –Re-test –Obtain Acceptance sign-off –Conduct a live pilot in production 49

Digits-2-Digits Accredited Partner Deployment Lead (APDL) Only one per organization. Serves as the primary point of contact (POC) POC is responsible for development and implementation of D2D at the Accredited Partner Accredited Partner Deployment Lead (APDL) is responsible for all subsidiaries Subsidiaries can use same claim management system or a different claim management systems Key Responsibilities: – Serve as claims management system(s) subject matter expert for organization – Serve as a D2D champion – Serve as primary POC for D2D Operations Team – Evaluate Accredited Partner site readiness – Collect feedback from end users and personal observation, document and provide to D2D Operations Team – Serve as an onsite resource during deployment – Liaise with D2D Operations Team to understand system issues, new releases, and planned milestones and communicates to site – Understand and communicate D2D technical changes to end users and claims management systems vendors – Share lessons learned among the Accredited Partner community 50

Digits-2-Digits NEXT STEPS

Digits-2-Digits Next Steps Establish Working Groups Complete Technical Design and Project Plan Initiate Pilot Programs

Digits-2-Digits DISCUSSION MATERIALS

Digits-2-Digits Open Issues and Discussion 54 IssueDescription VA Form Signature CaptureConsider a signature device at each Accredited Partner location to capture Veteran’s signature required for VA Forms (Ginger; Margaret on how she uses it) Power of Attorney (POA)Review business process work flow to synchronize sending Forms and 526 Evidence Documentation “Partitioning” Discuss options to capture the pertinent sections of evidence that are associated with a claim request 526 Form Submission PeaksUnderstand volume inputs for end of month Other Topics

Digits-2-Digits 55 Veterans Signature 1.Accredited Partner fills in 526 EZ with Veteran 2.Veteran and Accredited Partner sign on Device 3.Accredited Partner saves Form and Signature Signature block Veterans Signature STEP 1 1.Signature attached to Signature block on form 2.Form and Signature saved as PDF and sent with digital data 3.Accredited Partner clicks the “Send to VA” button STEP 2 Send to VA Digital Signature Device Design Option B ased on Retail Store model STEPS When Accredited Partner selects the “Send to VA button “ the following occurs: a.The form data is packaged and sent through D2D b.The form and signature is converted to a PDF and sent as an attachment through D2D c.The Attachment is uploaded to the Veterans efolder VBMS System