Systems Assessment

Whether a state is successful in its efforts to improve enrollment and retention of eligible children can depend not only on their choice of strategies pursued to achieve that goal, but also on the strength of the policies, procedures and systems implemented to support the chosen strategies. In a climate of limited resources, many states lack sufficient data to make informed choices that will prioritize implementing the most effective strategies given the state’s circumstances. Maximizing Enrollment aims to provide grantee states with a diagnostic assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and retention systems before any additional strategies are pursued. The intent is to give states enough information about what they are doing well, what is not working, and where their challenges lie before any changes are pursued, to help the state choose the most effective strategies for improvements in future years.  
 
The first phase of Maximizing Enrollment will entail the application of a standardized diagnostic assessment protocol (DAP) to examine grantee states’ systems, policies and procedures to enroll and retain eligible children. This protocol has been developed and will be applied by an outside contractor, Health Management Associates, under the direction of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).  The assessment will provide each grantee and NASHP with a basis for developing state-specific strategies, work plans and benchmarks for improvement in later phases of the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program.   
 

The assessment will include a review of state policies, procedures and systems in effect, as well as interviews with key officials, state and local employees and stakeholders, and review of other sources, such as state reports, for background. After the assessments are complete in late summer 2009, a summary report will be published to highlight overall trends, including best practices and common areas for improvement, among grantee states. 

 
By the end of 2009, Maximizing Enrollment will produce a standardized self-assessment tool that states can use to assess their own strengths and weaknesses as they consider options for improvement.  Check this page for reports and information throughout the year as more become available.