This session explored tech solutions and strategies for efficient, cost-effective income and work verification, with a focus on leveraging and enhancing states’ existing Medicaid income verification and eligibility processes. Panelists shared different approaches to technology deployment and systems integration that efficiently leverage and match available data across systems, reduce administrative burden, and support compliance. The second half of the session featured breakout room discussions to allow states to learn from and share with their peers.

Speakers:

• Jeramia Garcia Ramadan, Director of Governance and Innovation, Arizona Department of Economic Security
• Tim Shaw, Director, Benefits Transformation Initiative and Senior Policy Advisor, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program
• Jennifer Wagner, Director of Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

This session examined how states can adopt more nimble approaches to procuring and implementing technology to support work requirements. Panelists discussed expedited procurement options, including regulatory and compliance considerations, vendor management strategies, and innovative state approaches.

Speakers:

• Emily Ricci, Deputy Commissioner/Medicaid Director, Alaska Department of Health
• Daniel Varela, Project Analyst, Alaska Department of Health 
• Andrea Mueca, Project Manager, Alaska Department of Health 
• Tracy Mack, Business Manager, Alaska Department of Health 
• Waldo Jaquith, Government Delivery Manager, U.S. Digital Response

This session explored strategies to use data for automatic verification of medical frailty exemptions from Medicaid work requirements. Speakers highlighted considerations for states related to defining, accessing, and using the Medicaid Management Information System diagnosis, claims, and encounter code definitions for medical frailty. The session also explored strategies for incorporating other data sources for medical frailty verification — such as managed care organization records, health information exchanges, and all-payer claims databases — and for streamlining non-ex parte verification pathways.

Speakers:

• Sarah Esty, Senior Advisor, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program and Principal, SEE Solutions
• Hannah Katch, Founder and Principal, Katch Strategies
• Ari Ne’eman, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Ben Sommers, Huntley Quelch Professor of Health Care Economics, and Professor of Medicine, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health/Harvard Medical School

This session explored CMS tools to support states in work requirements implementation. These include Eligibility Made Easy (Emmy), an interface that allows reporting and verification of community engagement activities, and Emmy API, the verification hub that enables states to access data sources to support eligibility determinations.  Speakers discussed how these tools work, described how they can support states, outlined the technical assistance available from CMS, and highlighted early state experiences using these tools.

Speakers:

• Ming Ligh, Digital Services Expert, Digital Service at CMS
• Jessie Counts, Executive Director, Human Services, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
• Chappell Smith, Administrator, Human and Community Services Division, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
• Claire Harlam, Staff Product Designer, Skylight
• Jeff Greenland, Principal Software Engineer, Skylight

This session explored early state learnings on the technical implementation of Medicaid work requirements. State officials and other experts reviewed their experiences creating efficient tech pathways for income and work verification, maximizing automation of Medicaid renewals, developing systems to track volunteer hours and participation in education programs, and managing a consistent exemptions process. Drawing on lessons from state work-requirement initiatives prior to H.R. 1 as well as current H.R. 1 planning efforts, states offered insights and takeaways to help states prepare for federal work requirement implementation over the next year.

Speakers:

• Sarah Esty, Senior Advisor, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program and Principal, SEE Solutions
• Nicole Hudson, Director, Office of Oversight & Program Coordination, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Wesley Merritt, Merritt Solutions, LLC; formerly Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Quality and Vendor Relations, Georgia Department of Human Services
• Stephanie Denning, Deputy Director, Medicaid Operations Office, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
• Sarah Lampe, President and CEO, Prime Health