As states issued stay-at-home orders, “Closed due to COVID-19” signs went up in many places, including some HHS offices. With their physical doors locked, state leaders realized they needed a way to keep their virtual doors open to provide access to health care and other life-saving benefits. States pivoted quickly, continuing to serve the people […]
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To say that state governments are stretched thin right now might be a bit of an understatement. Leaders and staff are working harder than ever — often in makeshift office space hastily carved out in their own homes. COVID-19 is an all-consuming fight. Adding one more item to an already long list of state “things-to-do” […]
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As states move forward with plans to overhaul aging Medicaid Enterprise Systems (MES), collaboration is only going to increase in importance. That’s why organizations like the National Association of State Procurement Officers (NASPO) are working to streamline Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) procurement. In NASPO’s case, they’re harnessing resources from multiple states to create cooperative […]
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I’ve noticed over the last few years that among health care professionals, there’s a lot of discussion around artificial intelligence (AI): how it works, what it can do for the industry, and how to implement it strategically. It’s that last piece — figuring out the most effective way to start an AI initiative — that […]
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No matter the size of the state nor the type of system being developed, large government technology projects seem to share the same time frame: long, convoluted and often very different from the end users’ initial goals. To learn why, we studied a number of Medicaid Managed Information System (MMIS) development projects from across the […]
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“Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” “Don’t boil the ocean.” “Less is more.” Pick your cliché about avoiding the risk of trying to do too much and accomplishing little. The fact is, all clichés have some truth to them — and “starting small” can lead to big results. Health and Human Services (HHS) […]
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Across the challenges and complexities of Medicaid, few phrases roll off the tongue in this community with more negative overtones than “electronic visit verification” (EVV). To the casual listener, these three words may be jarring to the ear, conjuring up “Big Brother images,” a Governmental oversight “gotcha” mentality based on distrust – all of which […]
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One of my favorite quotes about the importance of encouraging innovation doesn’t include the word “innovation” at all. It’s Albert Einstein’s cautionary observation: “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” He’s right, of course, in so many ways. Whenever we’re trying to achieve breakthroughs, the key […]
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For HHS agencies, the focus is on improving lives To slightly misquote Benjamin Disraeli, there are lies, damn lies, and analytics. Okay, let me say it another way. It’s not that “analytics” are actually lies, but – like “statistics” in Disraeli’s time – they can be misleading and, if not used and interpreted properly, can […]
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There are only 51 of them in the entire country, but their reach affects millions and their impact is profound. Cumulatively through the years, these systems have cost states billions of dollars and consumed thousands of hours of productivity. They’ve caused headaches, heartburn and sleepless nights for agency IT experts, financial executives and policy analysts […]
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