National Briefing: Eligibility and Enrollment System Redesign: Lessons Learned for Implementing the Affordable Care Act
Maximizing Enrollment: Transforming State Health Coverage Event
8:30-11:00 am, December 10, 2010
Union Station, Columbus Room, Washington DC
The Affordable Care Act presents dramatic opportunities and challenges for states in transforming eligibility and enrollment systems for existing public coverage as well as new subsidies that will be available through Exchanges. Over nearly two years eight states participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Maximizing Enrollment for Kids national program have focused attention and resources on their health coverage enrollment and retention systems. Building on an assessment of system strengths and weaknesses, these states have begun to implement new improvement strategies to streamline their systems. Lessons learned from their efforts to simplify processes, be more data-driven, develop technology to support client-centered systems, and promote a culture of coverage are relevant for other states which are working toward improved systems to successfully implement health reform.
This national briefing will focus on these early lessons learned from the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids grantee states that may help other states and federal policymakers in their efforts to redesign eligibility and enrollment systems to implement health care reform. Representatives from the National Program Office at the National Academy for State Health Policy and two Maximizing Enrollment for Kids grantee states will share key themes to date and their experiences in the following areas: Simplifying eligibility; Tracking and integrating coverage across multiple programs; Focusing on retention; and Shifting to a culture of coverage.
Moderator: Catherine Hess, Program Co-Director, Maximizing Enrollment for Kids/NASHP
Speakers:
- Andrew Hyman, Coverage Team Director, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Alice Weiss, Program Co-Director, Maximizing Enrollment for Kids/NASHP
- Cindy Mann, Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Director of the Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey and Certification
- James (Jim) Jones, Deputy Administrator, Division of Health Care Access and Accountability, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- Robin Callahan, Director of Member Policy and Program Development, Massachusetts Office of Medicaid
- Jocelyn Guyer, Co-Executive Director, Georgetown Center for Children and Families
Streamlining Eligibility and Enrollment: Models for Health Reform Implementation
Wisconsin’s Health Reform Models and Maximizing Enrollment Experience
Transforming Enrollment Systems: Massachusetts’ Experience
Medicaid and CHIP: On the Road to Reform
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
