Kahn heads the organization that certifies state MMIS deployments for federal matching funds, which pay as much as 90 percent of the cost of these projects. She’s determined to change how states implement MMIS, promoting a move from custom, big-bang development to a less risky alternative.
Change can’t come too soon. The price tag on MMIS projects ranges from $50 million to more than $150 million, making the systems one of the largest IT investments for states. These projects typically take years to complete, and they often stretch far longer than planned. A 2012 analysis released by Colorado said “21 of the last 21 MMIS implementation projects over the last 10 years have been late, over budget, failed or some combination thereof.”
Kahn advocates breaking massive traditional MMIS projects into pieces that can be completed one at a time, preferably using off-the-shelf products or even cloud-based services. The modular approach is intended to make MMIS easier to deploy and update, along with opening the door to new solutions that improve outcomes for Medicaid programs.
Kahn’s organization proposed new MMIS certification rules last year that support modularity, and it’s working with a group of states interested in trying the technique. Like any transformational change, the shift to modular MMIS won’t come easy. State Medicaid agencies will confront challenges around integration, change management, procurement and more. But if they can make the shift, taxpayers and Medicaid patients may feel a lot better.
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