A US-based health insurance company embarked on a mission to enhance its anti-money laundering (AML) operations across 10 different countries while efficiently screening a vast database comprising 95 million records against sanctions and politically exposed persons (PEP) lists. The company aimed to establish a long-term partnership that could align with its global business expansion strategy. Seeking a highly customizable and adaptable solution that could comply with the diverse AML and data protection regulations in each country of operation, the health insurer turned to FinScan to address its main challenges and goals.
Goal: Global AML Compliance
The health insurance company encountered several significant challenges and set ambitious goals:Global AML compliance: Operating across 10 countries meant adhering to distinct AML regulations, necessitating the ability to screen against various AML lists and apply differing levels of due diligence.
Customization and adaptability: To ensure compliance with the diverse regulatory landscapes, the company required a solution that could be tailored to the specific AML and data protection requirements of each country.
Data protection concerns: Stricter data protection laws prompted the need for a hybrid approach to implementation, balancing data security, scalability, maintenance, and cost-efficiency requirements.
Language and character variability: The company needed to be able to screen data in any language and character set, including native character sets, to achieve accurate results.
A Comprehensive Solution
The health insurer implemented FinScan as its AML screening solution, which helped the company adopt a comprehensive approach:
Hybrid implementation: In countries like Thailand, China, South Korea, and Taiwan, an on-premise implementation was chosen to retain sensitive patient data locally due to data protection regulations. For its US and Canadian divisions, a cloud-based approach was preferred for scalability, ease of maintenance, and cost-effectiveness.
Customized AML screening: FinScan enabled the company to integrate with Dow Jones AML lists and create its own specific lists tailored to its unique needs. This included screening against federal regulatory bodies, state-specific lists, Medicare and Medicaid blacklists, and politically sensitive lists like The Crimea and occupied Ukraine to avoid questionable vendors.
Native-to-native screening: In select countries such as South Korea, Thailand, and China, the health insurer leveraged FinScan’s advanced native-to-native screening capabilities when native lists were available. This allowed direct screening of native characters for greater accuracy.
Transliteration technology: When native data was absent, FinScan’s transliteration technology enabled the company to translate and screen lists, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
FinScan Delivers Tangible Success
The implementation of FinScan brought about remarkable results for the health insurance company, including:
Global expansion success: The company’s global expansion continued successfully with the ability to swiftly integrate AML operations into FinScan when acquiring new businesses. A total of 155 data feeds were seamlessly connected, facilitating smooth transitions.
Efficiency and cost savings: Professional services were rarely needed for integration, saving the company time and resources. Existing FinScan implementations were efficiently repurposed for acquisitions requiring separate AML operations, reducing the need for extensive professional support.
High accuracy: Over two decades, the health insurer has relied on FinScan to configure lists relevant to each country’s regulatory regime and source applications, achieving precise results, regardless of language, culture, or character set, contributing to the company’s ongoing success and compliance with AML regulations.
In summary, the health insurance company’s partnership with FinScan has enabled it to effectively address challenges, achieve goals, and maintain a strong position in the global market while ensuring compliance with diverse AML and data protection regulations.