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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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Supplemental Evidence to our Federal Trade Commission Deloitte Complaint

Upturn, National Health Law Program, & Electronic Privacy Information Center

New evidence has been submitted in the complaint Upturn jointly filed with the National Health Law Program and EPIC to the FTC regarding Deloitte’s automated eligibility determination system in Texas that have caused people to lose Medicaid coverage.

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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

Federal Trade Commission Deloitte Complaint

Upturn joined the National Health Law Program and EPIC in an FTC complaint to address issues with Deloitte’s automated eligibility determination system in Texas that have caused people to lose Medicaid coverage.

National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and Upturn

Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub

We’re partnering with Legal Aid of Arkansas and the National Health Law Program to provide tools for advocates to fight harmful benefits technology and to build a community of advocates and technologists working to challenge tech that keeps people from accessing benefits.

Upturn, Legal Aid of Arkansas, and the National Health Law Program

Comments on Medicaid administration technology

We submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ request for information on Access to Care and Coverage for People Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. These comments focus on the ways that the technology used to administer Medicaid — in particular, Medicaid Long-Term Services & Supports — can increase barriers to accessing care.

Emily Paul and Emma Weil