This example examines Miami-Dade County's initiative to streamline digital applications for LIHEAP, aiming to improve accessibility and efficiency for residents seeking energy assistance.
An event recap from one of FormFest 2024's breakout sessions featuring speakers from the state of Maryland's Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Policy Rules Database (PRD), developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the National Center for Children in Poverty, consolidates complex rules for major U.S. federal and state benefit programs and tax policies into a standardized, easy-to-use format. This database allows researchers to model public assistance impacts, simulate policy changes, and analyze benefits cliffs across various household scenarios using common rules and language across different programming platforms.
The Policy2Code Prototyping Challenge explored utilizing generative AI technology to translate U.S. government policies for public benefits into plain language and code, culminating in a Demo Day where twelve teams showcased their projects for feedback and evaluation.
A modernized public benefits system would better serve program participants, administrators, policy makers, and taxpayers. This paper proposes a set of principles both define the desired future state and outline the values that shape decision making along the way. Practices describe the processes needed to achieve modernization.
Github repository for Policy Rules Database, which encodes up-to-date rules and provisions for all major federal and state public assistance programs, taxes, and tax credits.
This article discusses Code for America’s research into the user experience of applying or Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, WIC, and LIHEAP in the United States. They found that user experience applying for benefits programs varies greatly by (and often within) each state.
Benefits Data Trust (BDT) is a nonprofit that connects people to public benefits through a streamlined, phone-based application system called Benefits Launch, which reduces redundant questions and speeds up the process for multiple programs. BDT's approach, supported by a custom-built rules engine, has facilitated over 800,000 benefit enrollments, helping secure over $9 billion for eligible households across seven states.
This report outlines the guiding principles, policy priorities, and tools for the National Collaborative for Integration of Health and Human Services, aimed at improving health and well-being outcomes through the integration of health care and human services programs.
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
This session from FormFest 2024 focused on how to help people get the assistance they need from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ work on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Maryland Social Services Administration’s work to improve welfare support for kinship caregivers.
