Dozens of Texas organizations are urging legislators to invest in overhauling the state’s enrollment system for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) next session.
More than 60 groups — including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Tarrant Area Food Bank and the Texas Hospital Association — wrote a letter in support of a Health and Human Services Commission state budget request for funds to improve processes and hire staff to address the state’s backlog of Medicaid and SNAP applications.
The letter states that the public-facing website Your Texas Benefits and the state's internal system, Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS), are "unreliable" and "notoriously inefficient" for both Texans looking to enroll or renew, as well as state employees processing applications.
The delays “undermine the financial stability of Texas health care provider” and create “significant consequences for Texans,” the groups said.
“The system requires a growing number of HHSC enrollment staff to process applications,” the letter reads. “It creates long delays in implementing policy changes passed by the Legislature. The outdated technology leads to delays, backlogs, and other challenges with Medicaid applications for children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors.”
The federal government generally requires SNAP, or food stamp, applications be processed within 30 days. Agencies that process Medicaid requests must decide eligibility within 45 days for most applicants.
But the state has not met federal guidelines for either since 2019, according to the Texas Tribune. The wait time as of Dec. 5 for Medicaid applications to be processed was around 59 days. It was an improvement from Nov. 22, when the wait time was 71 days and with 131,869 applications were awaiting completion.
Federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have warned the state agency that it is out of compliance.
The state HHSC requested about $300 million to meet federal timeliness standards for the two programs, as well as the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Diana Forester, health policy director for the nonprofit Texans Care for Children, said legislators should ensure children who are eligible to sign up can do so without delays.
“It’s time to bring this technology into the 21st century so the enrollment system actually works properly for Texas families,” Forester said in a news release Wednesday.
Other area organizations have highlighted the need for improved processes for SNAP and Medicaid.
Texas is one of five states that has not streamlined its SNAP reporting system, according to the North Texas Food Bank. The group recommends a simplified, technology-embracing 6-month eligibility check system. North Texas Food Bank estimates the change could save the state over $33 million a year.
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