Public Access to Online Enrollment for Medicaid and SCHIP


 

Publication Date: June 2003

Publisher: California HealthCare Foundation

Author(s): Kirsten Wysen

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

This report profiles the efforts of five states to use the Internet to enroll individuals in Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP). To date, with eight states operating online enrollment programs and another eight states with pilots underway, California's online enrollment system, known as Health-e-App, has been the only state system that does not allow use by applicants themselves. This report identifies opportunities for California and other states to adopt an online enrollment system. In addition to profiling states that permit public access to their online systems, the report also examines issues that have posed challenges to states as they have developed their systems for use by individuals. These issues include security, signature collection, and the gathering of supporting documentation.