How to seamlessly integrate AI into state HHS systems
To date, state governments have been hesitant to go all in on artificial intelligence in the health and human services space, and with good reason.
These agencies house high volumes of sensitive data and are responsible for a wide range of initiatives critical to everyday life, including healthcare and social services. Therefore, if AI is applied improperly without sufficient oversight, training and governance, the results could be disastrous.
Agencies can unlock real benefits for constituents by integrating AI — but first, IT leaders must clearly understand the unique risks and rewards this technology brings to HHS systems.
The Unique Benefits of AI for State HHS Systems
The benefits that can be realized from AI in the HHS space are perhaps the greatest anywhere in state government.
Improved Outcomes: State HHS systems' AI implementations have improved outcomes in rehabilitation treatments and holistic care, two areas particularly important for their most vulnerable residents, such as children.
AI can play a transformative role in supporting child welfare by enhancing early detection, decision-making, and resource allocation. By analyzing vast amounts of data from social services, schools, healthcare systems, and law enforcement, AI can identify patterns that signal potential risks to a child's well-being, such as signs of neglect, abuse, or chronic instability, enabling caseworkers to intervene earlier and more effectively.
The technology can also assist in matching children with the most suitable foster care placements, while predictive models can help agencies prioritize cases and allocate limited resources more efficiently.
Efficiency: AI facilitates faster processing and quicker responses for constituents during transactions like applications, eligibility determinations, benefits distribution and appeals. In turn, this reduces the administrative burdens faced by state staff.
One such example is the promise of AI to perform predictive eligibility in integrated systems. AI can proactively identify applicants who are likely qualified for services — often even before a formal application is completed — by pre-populating applications from data held by other state systems. This helps make certain constituents receive all benefits to which they are entitled, without having to even know these programs exist or enter their information multiple times.
Access and Experience: AI can streamline access to programs for those who currently face barriers to enrolling in and using public benefits. The technology can understand and use constituent feedback and mood to personalize support and recommendations, provide more convenient user authentication and access options and generate rapid and accurate responses to important questions on topics such as potential program or eligibility changes.
Reduced Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: AI can help guarantee the right people get the right benefits, alleviating the burden on the pay and chase system. Through AI-powered technologies such as advanced identity proofing, agencies can ensure the person requesting benefits is who they claim to be, while simultaneously streamlining and accelerating eligibility verification.
This enables constituents to access benefits faster while reducing manual errors and ensuring only qualified individuals are considered. Additionally, machine learning algorithms can identify trends linked to known fraud cases, allowing agencies to proactively prevent improper payments.
Potential Pitfalls of AI Implementation
While the positive impacts of implementing AI in state HHS systems could be enormous, and even life-changing for constituents, the risks associated with poor AI integration could be catastrophic.