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Mathematica Evaluating State and Federal Efforts to Modernize Social Services
Studies to Measure Performance in Increasing Benefits Access and
Awareness, Use of Technology
Contact: Amy Berridge, (609) 945-3378
PRINCETON, NJ—January 28, 2011—The recession has added new strain to America’s social service delivery system. Unprecedented numbers of vulnerable Americans are applying to federal and state programs due to high unemployment, food insecurity, and the lack of health care coverage. Even before the downturn, agencies struggled with outmoded administrative processes and shrinking resources. To provide more with less, agencies are adopting streamlined business models such as web-based enrollment tools and eliminating in-person interviews. These models reduce administrative costs while expanding program access. At the same time, states are employing new types of outreach to ensure programs reach those in need.
Mathematica Policy Research is using its signature nonpartisan data collection and analysis to assess how well these new initiatives are serving the growing number of Americans seeking nutrition, health care, and employment assistance through the social safety net.
In two projects for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA, FNS), Mathematica’s nutrition experts are evaluating improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP—formerly the Food Stamp Program) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
Assessing Alternatives to Face-to-Face Interviews in SNAP—Individuals who apply for SNAP benefits are required to complete an in-person eligibility interview, to help ensure that they provide accurate information and understand program rules. In recent years, most states have asked the federal government for permission to conduct eligibility interviews by telephone, saving millions of dollars in administrative costs. If the eligibility interviews were eliminated altogether, states might save even more money. Building on previous research on federal food and nutrition programs, Mathematica has been awarded a nearly $2 million contract with the USDA, FNS, to conduct the first study of whether eliminating the eligibility interview altogether reduces client’s understanding of program rules or changes the accuracy of information they provide. Scott Cody, associate director of research, directs the project.
Improving the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)—In 2004, legislation required states and local education agencies (LEAs) to begin using direct certification to enroll children automatically in the NSLP if they lived in households receiving SNAP or other public assistance benefits. While direct certification has increased since the legislative mandate, it’s still not universal. In school year 2009-2010, 83 percent of NSLP districts—which included 97 percent of all students in NSLP schools—directly certified children in SNAP households. Most states also now employ computer data-matching techniques—electronically matching names and other identifying information of children in SNAP (or other programs) against a student enrollment file, to directly certify eligible students. Mathematica has been awarded a $1 million contract with USDA, FNS, to study ways to improve direct certification and provide a comprehensive picture of methods employed across the country for the NSLP—one of the nation’s largest food and nutrition assistance programs. This information will help FNS, state child nutrition directors, and LEAs recognize promising trends, understand new approaches, and identify steps needed to improve their direct certification efforts. Kevin Conway, project director in Mathematica’s performance management group, is leading this study.
Mathematica’s projects to determine best practices for streamlining and improving access to public benefits span both national and state efforts to improve and expand these services during this difficult economic time.
Streamlining Enrollment in Social Service and Health Programs in California—In recent years, several states have streamlined enrollment and case management procedures for programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program), and welfare. Some states have saved millions of dollars in annual administrative costs by simplifying eligibility rules, developing online enrollment procedures, centralizing back-office operations, and using community organizations as application sites. At the same time, several states have struggled with the introduction of new technology and the reorganization of staff roles. A Mathematica report, partially funded by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), compiles interviews with officials and advocates in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. As California plans major changes in its enrollment process for public health and social service programs, the study, led by Scott Cody, was conducted to inform the efforts of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
Using Web-Based Tools and Outreach to Help Vulnerable Populations Access Public Benefits—Faced with difficult economic conditions, the elderly, people with disabilities, and at-risk families—groups already among our nation’s most vulnerable—are driving demand for increased public benefits. Technology holds promise for streamlining access to these benefits through web-based tools like online application portals and eligibility screeners. Using the web as an outreach tool can also help raise awareness of supports and services. Mathematica is documenting existing online benefit access improvement and outreach tools used by a range of social service providers, identifying the most promising ones, and looking for ways to expand or replicate them. Senior researcher Jacqueline F. Kauff leads this nearly $275,000 project for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
Health Insurance Coverage for Children at Risk—Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offer eligible children health insurance, yet many either don’t enroll in these programs, or remain enrolled for only a short time, because of administrative hurdles. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s program, Maximizing Enrollment for Kids (MaxEnroll), aims to help states reduce barriers to covering children in Medicaid and CHIP through adoption of best practice policies and procedures for enrolling and retaining children in coverage. In a $1.2 million contract with the foundation, Mathematica is examining the change over time in program applications, enrollment, and retention as states adopt these best practice policies and procedures. Researchers are also focusing on how specific policy changes—for example, shifting from a county-based renewal system to a more centralized process—impact enrollment and retention of children in the MaxEnroll states. Christopher Trenholm, associate director of health research, leads this project.
About Mathematica: Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, provides a full range of research and data collection services, including program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation, and program performance/data management, to improve public well-being. Its clients include federal and state governments, foundations, and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cambridge, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., has conducted some of the most important studies of health care, education, international, disability, family support, employment, nutrition, and early childhood policies and programs.
For more information, contact Amy Berridge, (609) 945-3378.