Enrollment

Prior to the Maximizing Enrollment program, the participating states had made strides in improving enrollment for children.  Through the Maximizing Enrollment program, each state’s ultimate goal was to enroll all of the eligible but uninsured children in Medicaid and CHIP.  The states’ key strategies for doing so were focused on further streamlining enrollment processes in public health coverage programs with specific attention on minimizing barriers for families and achieving further efficiency for program staff.  States implemented policy and system changes designed to reduce paperwork and increase enrollment of eligible individuals.  They also explored the use of technology to overcome administrative barriers to enrollment. Specific strategies included:

• Revamping application forms that serve multiple health coverage programs so they are easy to understand for individuals and families;

• Creating consumer-facing online accounts that allow individuals to submit information electronically, like a change of address or choosing a health plan;

• Implementing Express Lane Eligibility (ELE) to use eligibility data collected by another health or human services program to enroll eligible individuals in Medicaid or CHIP.  

This website includes many resources including recorded webinars and national briefings, as well as reports and meeting presentations that share details on the Maximizing Enrollment states enrollment efforts and lessons they learned in implementing them.