Minnesota is a good example of an organization that started small in its drive to integrate benefits programs. For instance, its recent statewide rollout of its online integrated benefit application website, MNbenefits.mn.gov, started as a pilot in 2020 with Code for America. The pilot encompassed two counties including Hennepin County, where Minneapolis is located. The pilot later expanded to four counties, then 16 and a tribal nation. The final roll out, which took 12 months to implement, included the state’s 87 counties and three tribal nations.
Building on our February 2022 report Benefit Eligibility Rules as Code: Reducing the Gap Between Policy and Service Delivery for the Safety Net, the Beeck Center’s Digital Benefits Network (DBN) recently held a convening to share progress and potential in digitizing benefits eligibility and to begin addressing how a national approach could be started.
This brief describes the TANF Data Collaborative (TDC), an innovative approach to increasing data analytics capacity at state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies.
This presentation explores the balance between security and user experience in digital benefit account creation and authentication, highlighting insights from a forthcoming playbook focused on SNAP and Medicaid portals.
The team developed an AI solution to assist benefit navigators with in-the-moment program information, finding that while LLMs are useful for summarizing and interpreting text, they are not ideal for implementing strict formulas like benefit calculations, but can accelerate the eligibility process by leveraging their strengths in general tasks.
In December 2024, the Digital Benefits Network released an updated open dataset on authentication and identity proofing requirements across various public benefits applications to highlight best practices and areas for improvement in identity management.
This session from FormFest 2024 focuses on accessibility, featuring British Columbia’s work to improve legal form usability and tips from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction on making forms more accessible overall.
This report explores innovative solutions and insights from CMS Innovation Center's Hackathon series to address the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural, Tribal, and geographically isolated communities.
This brief outlines the U.S. federal government’s framework to identify, reduce, and address administrative burdens through a series of executive orders, legislative actions, and updated policies focused on improving customer experience and increasing access to government benefits.
The report documents how grantees implemented specialized Transitional Living Programs for LGBTQ youth and young adults aging out of foster care, highlighting approaches, challenges, and lessons learned.
