Louisiana

Louisiana: Louisiana MaxEnroll Initiative

The Louisiana MaxEnroll Initiative, led by the LaCHIP/Medicaid Eligibility Division of the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), seeks to further streamline enrollment and renewal processes to increase the number of eligible children enrolled in the state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs by targeting those who are eligible, but uninsured. 

The initial phase of the Maximizing Enrollment program focused on an assessment of the strengths and opportunities for improvement in each grantee state’s enrollment and retention systems. Louisiana’s assessment revealed the following:

Strengths:

• Electronic case record system
• Data matching with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
• Implementation of numerous simplification policies, including administrative and ex parte renewals.

Challenges:

• Identifying and enrolling eligible uninsured children
• Interagency coordination

Goals for Improvement:

• Use technology to further streamline eligibility and enrollment
•  Implement Express Lane Eligibility (ELE)
•  Improve outreach methods for hard-to-reach populations
• Standardize administrative procedures; ensure effective communication of changes statewide
• Implement Presumptive Eligibility (PE)

Key Activities:

• Enhance the functionality of the online application
• Simplify the paper application in both English and Spanish
• Develop Clearance Summary (ENQUIRE) to aggregate verification information for analysts
• Partner with state agencies to advance  ELE
• Develop information technology systems for implementation of ELE
• Utilize findings from focus groups and field research to improve outreach and enrollment methods for hard-to-reach populations
• Analyze rejection/denial data for trends and train staff to reduce inappropriate rejections/denials
• Procure a new online system for policy and procedures to promote standardization
• Improve staff training and standardize performance expectations to reduce local variability
• Identify and work with providers to design a PE model
• Edit existing systems for PE implementation

Alignment with Reform:

• Although the state’s administration declined funds[1] to establish a state health insurance exchange, Louisiana is committed to further increasing efficiency within the state’s enrollment systems to enroll eligible children.
• DHH is focused on developing anintegrated information technology architecture across the department Medicaid is working toward achieving real-time eligibility determinations
• Expand ELE and PE for the new Medicaid population
• Identify effective

Click here for a profile of Louisiana’s Medicaid and CHIP programs and to learn about the state’s enrollment and renewal simplification strategies.

“Enrolling all eligible uninsured children in SCHIP and Medicaid is important to Louisiana citizens and remains to be a priority of my administration.” – Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, 2008