The recently-enacted health reform law provides for a national expansion of Medicaid eligibility, effective January 1, 2014, that will extend coverage to an estimated 16 million more low-income Americans, primarily uninsured adults, by 2019. In addition, the law requires implementation of a coordinated system for determining eligibility for Medicaid and subsidized coverage in the new health insurance exchanges. With these impending new demands on Medicaid eligibility and enrollment processes, and continuing strains on state resources stemming from the recession, the impetus to streamline and automate Medicaid systems has never been greater.

In a recent report, “Optimizing Medicaid Enrollment: Perspectives on Strengthening Medicaid’s Reach under Health Reform,” the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured explored how the Medicaid program might be improved to prepare it for its expanded coverage role. Springing from that work, this new series profiles innovative applications of technology in Medicaid in selected states, illustrating a range of approaches states can adopt to enhance their systems and gear up to implement the Medicaid expansion and health reform overall. This second in the series examines ACCESS, Wisconsin’s online tool for applying for the state’s health coverage programs for low-income people, known as BadgerCare Plus, as well as other assistance programs.

Full Report: Optimizing Medicaid Enrollment: Spotlight on Technology (PDF | 403.5 KB)

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). Optimizing Medicaid enrollment: spotlight on technology.