Over the past several years, I have had the pleasure of participating as a technical assistance faculty member for Maximizing Enrollment, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with technical assistance and direction provided by the National Academy of State Health Policy. The program works intensively with eight states to (as the name suggests): “maximize enrollment” of people (and particularly children) eligible for public coverage programs. As this four-year initiative winds down, the lessons learned are being documented in a series of reports. The first of these, “Harnessing Technology to Streamline Enrollment” fits nicely in our Tech Tuesday blog series. 

The report documents the experience of the eight state grantees (AL, IL, LA, MA, NY, UT, VA and WI) in using technology to streamline enrollment and retention. Max Enroll states, as well as others, have been on the move over the past decade to harness technology to improve program performance and efficiency, which has been a key ingredient in our nation’s success in covering children. We see many, if not most, of the innovations pioneered by the states being fast-tracked through new rules that will move states toward real-time, data-driven eligibility and enhanced federal funding for systems development and implementation.

As we know, despite all the great things that technology can do, it is not without its challenges. The report also shares lessons learned that will help states as they consider current and future technology improvements. At 31 pages, it’s not a quick read (I have to admit that I haven’t had a chance to read it thoroughly). But here are some of the key lessons learned:

• Let policy drive the technology
• Technology does not eliminate the need for the “human touch”
• New technologies require new approaches and processes
• Involve local staff in the change process
• Plan for security protections
• Leadership and vision are essential
• Changes take time

All of these ring true for me. Over the coming months (and, yes, probably years), we’ll be working to further improve how technology is used and to adopt future innovations that have yet to be conceived. In the meantime, taking a hard look at the experience of leading states helps other states avoid pitfalls and accelerate the pace at which technology is harnessed to maximize enrollment.

[For more on this topic, view the Tech Tuesday blog series by Tricia Brooks or download the CCF-Consumers Union IT Toolkit.]