CHIP and Medicaid Self-Assessment Toolkit for States
This Diagnostic Toolkit Helps States Identify Ways to Improve Enrollment and Retention of Children in Medicaid and CHIP
Last updated 2010
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) created this toolkit based on the diagnostic assessments made by each of eight states that participated in the Maximizing Enrollment program. These resources are designed to guide states through an assessment of their enrollment and retention processes and identifies procedures to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvements. Although this diagnostic tool was developed prior to the Affordable Care Act, states may find some materials useful in determining where to target limited resources to reduce enrollment barriers and increase program efficiency.
The Self-Assessment Toolkit is designed specifically for states, and also interested stakeholders so they may gain additional perspective during the assessment process. It can be used to provide states with access to information about enrollment and retention simplifications, best practices, and tools to enroll more eligible individuals.
The toolkit includes four modules that states can use to identify issues and develop improvement plans.
The four modules include:
Process Mapping
Process Mapping: This module guides states in mapping and evaluating their Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and renewal processes from beginning to end. Many state agencies have found that process mapping can serve as a useful tool in their efforts to understand how their current systems, policies, and procedures are working and identify opportunities and concerns.
Diagnostic Assessment Protocol
Diagnostic Assessment Protocol: This module includes a detailed questionnaire that can help states better understand their current strengths and help identify opportunities for improvement in each of six areas of activity.
Stakeholder Questionnaires:
Stakeholder Questionnaires: This module includes sample questionnaires that states can use to engage various stakeholders on their views of current Medicaid and CHIP enrollment systems, policies, and procedures. States can download, print, and, e-mail these questionnaires; distribute them to stakeholders; and use their input in making final assessments and developing improvement plans.
Improvement Plan Meeting Kit:
Improvement Plan Meeting Kit: This module provides states with a checklist for convening a meeting of interested state agency staff members, state leaders, and stakeholder partners to review and discuss the findings from the other three parts of the toolkit. It also includes improvement and work plan templates that can help meeting participants reflect and prioritize the lessons learned about opportunities to improve enrollment and retention of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.

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