26-1-121.5. Public assistance funding model - workload study - evaluation - report - definitions - repeal. (2) (a) On or before August 15, 2022, the state department and the department of health care policy and financing, in consultation with county departments, shall develop a scope of work for the comprehensive assessment of best practices related to the administration of public and medical assistance programs, including, but not limited to, policies, processes, size and structure of the workforce that administers the programs, information systems infrastructure, and data to ensure improved access by eligible individuals to public and medical assistance programs, timeliness of applications processing, administrative efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
(b) On or before November 1, 2022, the state department, after consultation with the department of health care policy and financing and county departments, shall enter into an agreement with a third party to:
(I) Conduct the comprehensive assessment within the scope of work developed pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section;
(II) Evaluate the existing policies, processes, size and structure of program workforce, information systems infrastructure, and data for the administration of the public and medical assistance programs at the state and county levels;
(III) Make recommendations for changes to state and county public and medical assistance program policies, processes, size and structure of program workforce, and information systems infrastructure to ensure improved access by eligible individuals to public and medical assistance programs, timeliness of applications processing, administrative efficiency, and cost-effectiveness; and
(IV) Make recommendations related to the ongoing evaluation of the public and medical assistance program system, including appropriate metrics for determining whether the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the system has improved as a result of the implementation of recommendations made pursuant to this subsection (2)(b)..
(c) On or before July 1, 2023, the state department shall submit the results of the comprehensive assessment and recommendations required pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section to the department of health care policy and financing, the county departments, and the joint budget committee.
(d) On or before November 1, 2023, the state department shall submit an analysis of the fiscal impact of implementing the recommendations required in subsection (2)(b) of this section to the joint budget committee. The analysis must include a determination of the feasibility of implementing the recommendations, a timeline for implementation, and cost of implementation for each fiscal year included in the timeline. The analysis must also include a discussion of any concerns expressed by the state department, the department of health care policy and financing, or the county departments related to the comprehensive assessment and recommendations described in subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b) of this section.
(e) This subsection (2) is repealed, effective June 30, 2024.