On December 21, 2010, State Coverage Initiatives hosted a webinar that allowed states to view a ground-breaking prototype website developed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to support one-stop eligibility determination for their Medicaid and exchange populations. The webinar also covered key policy and design issues related to exchange eligibility and enrollment.
One of the top challenges for states as they look ahead to the implementation of an exchange will be development of the information technology infrastructure to support eligibility and enrollment. On the front end, states will need a consumer-friendly website that enables individuals to choose the health plan that is right for them. On the back end, the website will need to access multiple databases in real time to determine an individual’s potential eligibility.
Wisconsin DHS has – through many months of work – developed a Health Benefit Exchange prototype that has much of functionality that will be required of an exchange website. They have agreed to share not only the prototype but the thinking and key design decisions that went into its development. Aspects of this web model are currently being used in the Wisconsin Medicaid program while others were designed exclusively for use in the exchange.
A recording of the event is available below. Please note that because this webinar was a live demonstration, the presentation slides included on this page are primarily comprised of background information and additional resources.
