Dear Human Services Agency Head:
Too many barriers stand in the way of clients getting the services they need. “Interoperability”—a national effort of technological and programmatic coordination—is poised to eliminate many of those barriers. To help States in this critical effort, ACF introduced its first Interoperability Toolkit earlier this year. Today we are providing an updated version of this toolkit with several key additions described below.
The most critical emerging development is the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. This Act can have a tremendously positive impact on the operation of ACF programs—if we act now. Billions of dollars are being invested in upgrading health information technology. The Affordable Care Act provides us the opportunity to upgrade and link human services efforts to health care reform—an essential step toward ensuring the future well-being of low-income Americans.
States and the federal government are building Health Insurance Exchanges that will be used to provide affordable insurance options and determine eligibility for millions of people. Many of those who use these Exchanges will also be eligible for human services programs. If we develop our systems in a way that is aligned with the new, required health care systems, we will be able to more efficiently connect people to the services they need—and we will do so at a lower cost.
The updated version of the Interoperability Toolkit provides the latest regulatory and policy guidance that supports efforts to link human services and Health Insurance Exchanges, including:
- A letter from CMS, FNS and ACF leaders explaining the need for time-limited exceptions to OMB Circular A-87. These exceptions will permit States to integrate human services eligibility processes into their Health Insurance Exchange and Medicaid/CHIP systems without cost-allocating the common development costs benefiting multiple programs.
- An article published in the August 2011 edition of APHSA’s newsletter, “Health Reform and Human Service Interoperability: The Times, They Are A-Changing.” This special report describes my commitment to, and perspective about, interoperability.
This new release also contains key documents from the original version, including:
- The White House Memorandum on Flexibility
- ACA Section 1561 Recommendations
- Expedited Advance Planning Document Process
- Enhanced Medicaid Funding Requirements
- National Human Services Interoperability Architecture
- National Information Exchange Model
ACF, along with our federal partners at CMS and FNS, recognizes that human problems are not a series of discreet conditions, each occupying its own silo and addressed by a specific government remedy. People’s needs spill over programmatic lines and bureaucratic procedures.
Interoperability addresses this problem by placing clients at the center of the services we provide and limiting barriers between programs. When interoperability works, everyone wins.
The federal government is making tangible improvements in the ability of States to create interoperable systems. The toolkit is meant to provide you, as human services leaders, with invaluable information on these improvements. I urge you to take advantage of these opportunities and use the materials contained in the toolkit to forge or expand on relationships with health colleagues to link human services programs with health efforts to benefit our residents. The Interoperability Toolkit can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/interop/toolkit.pdf.
ACF is committed to providing the technical assistance and other help you need to make interoperability successful. Additional information regarding how best to use the Toolkit along with ‘frequently asked questions’ and other guidance is being prepared and will be disseminated soon. I look forward to working with you on this critical service-improvement effort.
Regards,
George Sheldon
Acting Assistant Secretary
Administration for Children and Families