Report Guides State HIX, Medicaid Expansion Plans

A new report offers guidance to states on the technology infrastructure to support health insurance exchanges and expanded Medicaid programs authorized under the Affordable Care Act.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School and the National Academy of Social Insurance wrote the report, which examines work and lessons learned from early innovator states. Five major recommendations are:

* Agreement on a common vision, strategy and I.T. development plan is necessary to meet quick deadlines;

* Careful assessment of a state’s internal and external I.T. resources should be done;

* Integration of policies and technologies between an exchange and the Medicaid program is a complicated but pressing challenge;

* Leveraging federal resources, reusing technologies developed by other states and federal agencies, and participation in multi-state collaboratives can accelerate development and reduce costs; and

* Proceeding with development despite political uncertainties is necessary to meet implementation deadlines.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided funding for the report, available here.