Equity in the Digital Age: How Health Information Technology Can Reduce Disparities

While enormous medical and technological advancements have been made over the last century, it is only very recently that there have been similar rates of development in the field of health information technology (HIT).This report examines some of the advancements in HIT and its potential to shape the future health care experiences of consumers. Combined with better data collection, HIT offers signi?cant opportunities to improve access to care, enhance health care quality, and create targeted strategies that help promote health equity. We must also keep in mind that technology gaps exist, particularly among communities of color, immigrants, and people who do not speak English well. HIT implementation must be done in a manner that responds to the needs of all populations to make sure that it enhances access, facilitates enrollment, and improves quality in a way that does not exacerbate existing health disparities for the most marginalized and underserved

Express Lane Eligibility and Beyond: How Automated Enrollment Can Help Eligible Children Receive Medicaid and CHIP

Explores how new options for automated strategies could help identify uninsured children, determine their eligibility for Children's Health Insurance Programs or Medicaid, and enroll and retain them to increase enrollment while lowering operating costs

Egyptian electronic government: The university enrolment case study

E-government projects have potential for greaterefficiency and effectiveness of government operations. For thisreason, many developing countries governments have investedheavily in this agenda and an increasing number of e- governmentprojects are being implemented. However, there is a lack of clearcase material, which describes the potentialities and consequenceexperienced by organizations trying to manage with this change. TheMinistry of State for Administrative Development (MSAD) is theorganization responsible for the e- Government program in Egyptsince early 2004. This paper presents a case study of the process ofadmission to public universities and institutions in Egypt which is ledby MSAD. Underlining the key benefits resulting from the initiative,explaining the strategies and the development steps used toimplement it, and highlighting the main obstacles encountered andhow they were overcome will help repeat the experience in otheruseful e-government projects.Keywords—Case studies, Egypt, Electro

Public Service Delivery: Role of Information and Communication Technology in Improving Governance and Development Impact

The focus of this paper is on improving governance through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the delivery of services to the poor, i.e., improving efficiency, accountability, and transparency, and reducing bribery. A number of papers recognize the potential benefits but they also point out that it has not been easy to harness this potential. This paper presents an analysis of effective case studies from developing countries where the benefits have reached a large number of poor citizens. It also identifies the critical success factors for wide-scale deployment. The paper includes cases on the use of ICTs in the management of delivery of public services in health, education, and provision of subsidized food. Cases on electronic delivery of government services, such as providing certificates and licenses to rural populations, which in turn provide entitlements to the poor for subsidized food, fertilizer, and health services are also included. ICT-enabled provision of information to enhance rural income is also covered

Improving the Delivery of Key Work Supports: Policy & Practice Opportunities at a Critical Moment

Examines the consequences of a lack of coordination and seamless service delivery across support programs. Outlines policy, procedural, and data utilization options and best practices to expedite receipt of benefits across programs, as well as challenges

Maximizing Health Care Reform for New York's Immigrants

As New York State works to implement health reform, key opportunities exist to expand coverage options for immigrants. This NYSHealth-supported report, written by the New York Immigration Coalition in conjunction with Empire Justice Center, presents the choices New York State policymakers will need to make to preserve and promote immigrants' access to health care coverage and to mitigate disparities between citizens and noncitizens in health care.The report emphasizes the options in areas in which states have a high degree of flexibility, including eligibility classifications; documentation and verification policies and practices; marketing and outreach; and oversight and monitoring. It also includes recommendations for ensuring access to care for those immigrants who will remain uninsured even after health reform is implemented. Among the report's recommendations:Shape the State's eligibility classification to ensure the broadest possible inclusion of immigrants under the Affordable Care Act. Currently, immigration status definitions, and eligibility for public benefits, vary by federal and state program rules. The report recommends the cases in which New York can apply the more expansive eligibility standards.Develop mechanisms for verifying citizenship and immigration status while protecting confidentiality and due process. Enrollment into public insurance programs and the Health Benefit Exchange will require verification and documentation of status. The report recommends specific options for verification that also maintain privacy.Conduct tailored, active outreach and marketing to engage immigrants and enroll them in health insurance coverage programs. Given the tremendous racial, ethnic, cultural, and language diversity of the State's residents, a range of tailored approaches can meet the unique needs of immigrant communities.Secure the safety net and charity care programs. Undocumented immigrants and some others will remain uninsured even after health reform is implemented, so the safety-net system of care will remain important to New York State's health care infrastructure

Building an On-Ramp to Children's Health Coverage: A Report on California's Express Lane Eligibility Program

Documents the successes and current policy and procedural barriers to enrolling eligible but uninsured children through California's Express Lane Eligibility initiative, which has been piloted in 72 schools in five school districts across California

Patent Pending: How Immigrants Are Reinventing the American Economy

The future of the American economy rests on our ability to innovate and invent the new products that will define the global economy in the decades ahead. This report seeks to highlight one key aspect of this challenge that is often overlooked: the crucial role that foreign scientists, engineers, and other researchers play in inventing the products and dreaming up the ideas that will power the American economy in the future. As the magnet for the world's brightest minds, America has prospered greatly from the global innovators who have come here to do research and invent products. However, many of these innovators face daunting or insurmountable immigration hurdles that force them to leave the country and take their talents elsewhere. The problem is particularly acute at our research universities, where we train the top minds, only to send them abroad to compete against us.This report aims to quantify both the role that foreign-born inventors play in the innovation coming out of US universities, and the costs we incur by training the world's top minds and sending them away. University research is responsible for 53% of all basic research in America. Much of this research leads to patented inventions, new companies, and jobs for American workers

Implementing National Health Reform: A Five-Part Strategy for Reaching the Eligible Uninsured

Recommends outreach strategies for Medicaid and subsidies, including identifying the eligible through tax forms, partnering with states to give hands-on assistance, designing consumer-friendly enrollment systems, and maximizing interagency coordination

Assessing the Evidence About Work Support Benefits and Low-Income Families

Reviews research on factors affecting participation in work supports such as Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, and childcare subsidy programs; the programs' payoff, and state benefits of modernized delivery systems