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Public Benefits

People should have access to the care and support they need to lead safe and healthy lives.

The goal of this work is to help state and national partners — especially legal aid organizations and nonprofit attorneys — to interrogate, litigate against, and improve public benefits technologies (e.g., for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP). We have seen how technology can hinder or support access to benefits, as well as how implementing new technologies can hide political discretion in allocating resources. Because of this, we do proactive research into better approaches to expanding access, while helping to address immediate problems with technologies used today for benefits administration.

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Calculated Need

Miriam Osman, Emily Paul, Emma Weil

Our report on eligibility algorithms for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services found that automated eligibility determinations are not designed to meet people’s needs. Rather, they are political and budgetary tools designed to control access to state-provided home care benefits.

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Latest work in this issue area

All work in this issue area
A Technical Guide for States to Reduce Procedural Terminations from Medicaid’s Work Reporting Requirements

The Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub brings together legal and technical expertise to fight for access to public benefits and to make sure technology does not limit that access.

Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub

Advocates' Guide to Automated Notices

The Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub brings together legal and technical expertise to fight for access to public benefits and to make sure technology does not limit that access.

Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub

Case Study Library

The Case Studies Library is a resource for advocates to learn about real examples of benefits cuts caused by benefits technology and what people have done about it.

Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub

Comments on the Social Security Administration's proposed rule on use of electronic payroll data

With Legal Aid of Arkansas, we submitted comments to the Social Security Administration on their proposed rule to use payroll data to allow people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to opt in to automated reporting to meet wage reporting requirements for these programs.

Emily Paul and Emma Weil