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Digital Benefits Network Highlights

What the Digital Benefits Network is Reading on Automation 
By: Jason Yi

  

In 2023, conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) and automation became central in US media and news, raising debates about the potential benefits and risks of new technologies. In our reading and listening, the Digital Benefits Network (DBN) team has been paying attention to how different technologies are used, as well as approaches to automating processes and decision making in benefits delivery, rather than focusing on a specific technology. 
 

Following our facilitated sessions on Automation/AI at BenCon in June, we continue to gather resources and new information, and are sharing a list of several sources—from journalistic pieces, to reports and academic articles— including from colleagues at the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Center on Privacy & Technology, and EPIC.

New and Notable on the Digital Benefits Hub

Check out items recently added to the Digital Benefits Hub

Benefits Delivery in the News

Recent news coming out of the digital public benefits space

General Safety Net and Public Benefits

• New Federal Data Confirm that College Students Face Significant—and Unacceptable—Basic Needs Insecurity (Temple University)
• Biden administration inches ahead on 'life experiences' projects (NextGov)

• Algorithm overlooks Spanish speakers in online SNAP ads (Cornell Chronicle)

• America’s Social Safety Net Is Broken—Here’s How We Fix It With The Farm Bill (Forbes)

• Few Families Receive the TANF Cash Assistance They’re Eligible For (Urban Institute)

• Biden administration warns states on post-pandemic Medicaid coverage losses (The Hill)
• CMS Takes Action to Protect Health Care Coverage for Children and Families (CMS)

• An 'obscene' number of kids are losing Medicaid coverage (CNN)

• “Deemed Newborns:” Collateral Damage in the PHE Unwinding (Georgetown CCF)

• Study: Americans who lost Medicaid likely besieged by false marketing (Insurance News)

• States Need to Improve Language Access for Medicaid Renewals (National Immigration Law Center)

• Florida agencies are accused in a lawsuit of sending confusing Medicaid termination notices (AP News)

• Schools could be getting millions more from Medicaid. Why aren't they? (NPR)

   

• Unemployment fraud, overpayments total $5.2 billion, audit finds (Chicago Tribune)

• Reducing administrative waste in the Unemployment Insurance system (DOL)

• Unemployment Insurance Agency says it's made applying for benefits easier (Michigan Radio)

• ‘Eye-watering kind of fraud’: Improper payments account for third of pandemic unemployment program’s funds (Federal News Network)

• State Partners with U.S. DOL and USPS to Offer ID Proofing for Unemployment Insurance Claimants (Hawai’i DOL)

• Oregon opens applications for new paid family leave program (Axios)

• Colorado's paid leave portal for health care providers goes live (Colorado Politics)

• ‘It helps with my stress’: US basic income project shows signs of success  (Guardian)

• City launches guaranteed income pilot-study for E-TANF beneficiaries in Philadelphia (Philadelphia Sun)

• A Better Way to Help Families (NY Times)

   

Community Spotlight

Please join the Digital Benefits Network and Digital Service Network  for an interactive virtual conversation with Kate Tarling about her book, The Service Organization on September 27th at 9 AM PT | 12 PM ET.

This free event is an opportunity to reflect with the author on how governments can ensure they are centering the people they serve in service design and delivery, and setting up organizations for long term success and sustainability.

If you register before Wednesday, September 13, you have the opportunity to win a free ebook! 

     

Later this month, the Digital Benefits Network will be hosting a series of government-only Rules as Code Roundtables with benefits eligibility and technical practitioners in state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal government agencies. The roundtables will be an opportunity to share and learn with peers how your agency is handling the coding of program rules in eligibility and determination systems. Our team will provide an intro to thinking in a rules as code framework, and how we might build nationally towards standardized data and syntax for rules communication. 

Federal:

September 19th from 1:00pm - 2:00pm ET

State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial:

September 26th from 3:00pm - 4:30pm ET
 

Please email us at rulesascode@georgetown.edu if you are from a state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal agency and would like to participate. We will have future opportunities for non-governmental participation. 

Upcoming Events

APHSA ISM Summit

• Gaylord Palms Resort  & Convention Center. Kissimmee, FL September 10th -13th

2023 NASWA Summit

• Hilton Anaheim, CA September 13th -14th

What We Do

The Digital Benefits Network (DBN) convenes practitioners who work in and alongside every level of government to spark dialogue, share resources, and support better digital delivery of public benefits and services.

Stay Connected

If you have any ideas, feedback or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at digitalbenefits@georgetown.edu. Thank you for being a part of our community. 

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