Arizona Launches Online Enrollment for Public Health Insurance Programs
Arizona yesterday launched a pilot test of an online enrollment system for public health insurance programs. The program, called Health-e-Arizona, is designed to improve access to programs such as Medicaid and to speed eligibility determination and enrollment. The program is based on the Health-e-App system, which was developed by the California HealthCare Foundation and first used in California last year. The system allows applicants to complete the enrollment process in English or Spanish and provides an immediate preliminary assessment of eligibility (CHCF release, 6/17). In a pilot of the system last year in San Diego, outreach workers used notebook computers with wireless modems to offer access to Health-e-App in community centers, libraries and individual homes. A Lewin Group analysis of the pilot found that the program reduced the number of application errors by nearly 40% and reduced the time between application and final eligibility determination to 13.5 days, compared to 18 days for paper applications (Lewin Group release, 6/12/01). The Arizona pilot is a joint venture among Community Health Center Collaborative Ventures, Arizona's Health Care Cost Containment System and the state Department of Economic Security. Deloitte Consulting, which developed Health-e-App for the California HealthCare Foundation, helped the organizations adapt Health-e-App to meet Arizona's requirements (CHCF release, 6/17). For more iHealth & Technology stories, visit iHealthBeat.org, a new Web publication sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation.
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