COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

 

DATE:

February 9, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 24, 2004

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services

 

SUBJECT:

One-e-App Implementation Grant and Donation of Computer Equipment from the California Healthcare Foundation

 

Recommendation

    1. Adopt a resolution accepting a grant and donation of computer equipment from the California Healthcare Foundation for the "One-e-App" application

    2. Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request for $25,000

 

Background

The Children's Health Initiative (CHI), with Human Services Agency's (HSA) leadership, has worked to develop the "One-e-App" (One Electronic Application), ensuring that health insurance enrollment and eligibility determination are seamless and user-friendly. The One-e-App is a locally driven web-based system for streamlining enrollment into a range of publicly funded health programs. It enables families to apply for Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids and the San Mateo Medical Center WELL program using only one on-line application form.

San Mateo is the first county in California to launch the One-e-App. Other counties are beginning to investigate the feasibility of implementing the program in their community, leading them to turn to San Mateo for assistance. As a result, the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF), which owns the rights to the One-e-App, is supporting San Mateo County in its effort to implement this new application and provide technical support to other counties. CHCF has made a grant to support San Mateo County's work. It donated computer equipment to ensure the County has the technological capacity to widely implement the "One-e-App."

 

Discussion

The CHCF funding of $60,000 will enable San Mateo County to work in partnership with CHCF to: convene at least one site visit of interested counties; respond to written and verbal requests from these counties regarding information on One-e-App implementation; provide user-acceptance functionality to all components of the first phase of the One-e-App system; and assist with testing of additional programs as they are developed.

 

The CHCF-donated equipment is valued at approximately $8,000 and will expand the number of community-based application assistors who have the tools to enroll families through this new web-based system. The equipment will be housed and maintained by the Health Services Agency, working with ISD, and used by a combination of application assistors from Health Services, Human Services, San Mateo Medical Center, and CBOs. The items donated are one Dell desktop computer and three Dell Lattitude notebook computers.

 

The donation was reviewed by the Information Service Department to assure compatibility. ISD will maintain the equipment, as they do with other equipment in Health Services. Most of the equipment will not be operated on the county network, but will be used to connect directly to the internet from remote locations.

 

Vision Alignment

Acceptance of the grant and the computer equipment for the "One-e-App" keeps to the commitment of Ensuring Basic Health and Safety for all and goal number 5: Residents have access to health care and preventive care. They contribute to this commitment and goal by providing an easy enrollment process for health care coverage for children and adults.

 

Fiscal Impact

Approval of these items has no impact on the County General Fund. The CHCF grant award is for $60,000 for the period of February 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004. $25,000 will be used in the current fiscal year. The other $35,000 will be included in the Health Services Administration's recommended FY 2004-05 budget. The donation of computer equipment reduces the expenses of the CHI program by providing equipment that would otherwise have to be purchased. There will be ongoing expenses associated with this donation, including maintenance charges from ISD. The maintenance expense of these notebooks as well as the existing notebook computers is approximately $2,400 per year and is included in the 2003-04 budget for the Children's Health Initiative, and will be included in future years' recommended budgets.