Texas Agency Seeks $300 Million to Address Medicaid Enrollment Issues

Texas plans to request $300 million to improve its Medicaid enrollment system amid significant delays and backlogs

Texas Agency Seeks $300 Million to Address Medicaid Enrollment Issues
Texas Agency Seeks $300 Million to Address Medicaid Enrollment Issues

Texas: Health advocates are often on the front lines, trying to get lawmakers to keep public services running smoothly while also pushing for improvements.

So, when the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced it would ask for $300 million to fix the messy Medicaid application process, it got a lot of folks excited. Nonprofits are really hoping this will help streamline things.

If the funding goes through, it could mean hiring over 1,000 new workers and upgrading an outdated computer system. This would make it way easier for Texans to apply for Medicaid, food stamps, and other essential programs.

Right now, people are waiting months to get enrolled, but with these changes, it could be cut down to just weeks. That’s a big deal for many families.

Peter Clark from Texans Care For Children said this is a top priority for them as the Legislature gets ready to meet in January. They really want to see improvements in the Medicaid eligibility system.

The request comes after a huge backlog of applications piled up when the federal government ended a pandemic policy that had kept many people enrolled without needing to renew. A lot of Texans lost their Medicaid coverage because they couldn’t get their paperwork in on time.

The agency pointed out that federal rules say food stamp applications should be processed in 30 days and Medicaid ones in 45 days. But that hasn’t been happening since 2019.

As of late November, the wait time for Medicaid applications was 71 days, with nearly 132,000 applications still pending. By early December, it had improved slightly to 59 days.

The agency’s request highlights that the TIERS system has been neglected, especially during the pandemic. They believe that fully funding this request will help them catch up and improve the experience for clients.

Every year, staff members file around 50,000 maintenance requests for the enrollment system. The agency is asking for at least 1,772 new positions, but they haven’t detailed how they’ll spend the rest of the $300 million. If approved, they could also get an extra $100 million from the federal government.

In the past year, the health agency has hired over 2,100 eligibility workers to tackle the backlog, and they’ve reported that more than 96% of those positions are filled. Thanks to these efforts, they managed to clear the food stamp application backlog last month.

When people apply for Medicaid or food stamps, they can do it online or through an app. But then, a state worker has to manually enter all that info into a really old computer system called TIERS, which is a total pain.

It’s a slow process, and it’s been a problem for years. The system was supposed to save money when it was introduced, but it’s been nothing but trouble since day one.

Last year, the flaws in the system became even more obvious when Texas removed more Medicaid recipients than any other state after the pandemic. It’s a tough situation for low-income families, especially kids and the elderly.

Using TIERS can be so tedious that workers often have to re-enter the same information multiple times just to get a 30-page application submitted. It’s frustrating for everyone involved.

Texas has a long history of making enrollment difficult, and it often takes hours or even days for caretakers to get everything submitted after gathering all the necessary documents.

Bernadette Segura from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid helps people apply for benefits, and she says there are still delays, even if they’re shorter than before. Clients often have to resubmit documents because the state claims they never received them.

One father waited over a year for food stamps, and it took an appeal to finally get them. Applying for help requires a lot of patience and tech skills, which not everyone has.

While waiting, many folks rely on local food banks, which also help with applications. Language barriers can also be a big issue, as applications are only available in English and Spanish, leaving out many non-English speakers.

Segura believes there’s a real need for translations in other languages. The system can be confusing, and applicants often get overwhelmed by contradictory notifications.

Forester from Texans Care For Children says they don’t need more people; they need better technology to make the process smoother for everyone.

This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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