Simplifying the application process for public assistance programs can achieve true government efficiency
Each year, millions of Americans spend a significant amount of time applying to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other public assistance programs to meet their basic food and health care needs. The arduous process of completing forms, interviews, verifications and potential appeals—which often must be repeated for each program a person applies to—places a…
Millions of Americans annually dedicate considerable time to applying for Medicaid, SNAP, and other public assistance programs to secure essential food and healthcare needs. The lengthy application process, involving forms, interviews, verifications, and possibly appeals, often repeated across multiple programs, places a significant administrative burden on applicants and state agencies processing these applications.
A new commentary by researchers from Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Children's HealthWatch, published in a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health focusing on government efficiency, contends that the existing application process results in a "lose-lose" situation. Eligible applicants, frustrated by the time-consuming nature of the applications, frequently abandon them, missing out on the opportunity to enhance their health, thereby undermining the purpose of these services.
The researchers, Dr. Cristina Gago, Dr. Richard Sheward, and Dr. Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, argue that developing a user-friendly multibenefit application facilitating the submission of a single application to multiple public assistance programs could save valuable time and resources, embodying true government efficiency. They emphasize the need to redefine government efficiency and focus on removing barriers rather than cutting support, especially as public assistance programs face significant funding cuts and stricter eligibility standards and work reporting requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The authors propose four recommendations to enhance multibenefit application design, including shortening applications, incorporating autopopulated responses from previous applications, updating systems to identify complex cases, and enabling eligibility screening before full applications. They stress the importance of technological improvements, such as mobile-friendly applications with clear visuals and the ability to save information, and intentional design considerations for diverse populations, particularly those historically facing significant barriers to access.
Comprehensive user testing to ensure the effectiveness of these changes is also crucial. Implementing these design changes, however, requires substantial time for research and development and robust funding for staffing, training, infrastructure design, participant engagement, and more. With the OBBBA imposing stricter eligibility standards, such as requiring states to share the cost of SNAP benefits (previously federally funded) if error rates rise above a certain threshold, the authors highlight the financial consequences for states and applicants. Since OBBBA's passage in July 2025, over 4 million Americans have lost their SNAP benefits.
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