A state audit confirms that a new computer system was the main cause of a massive backlog in Kansas Medicaid applications. The backlog, which reached nearly 15,000 in early summer, was caused by glitches in the enrollment system and understaffing, according to the audit report. Aaron Dunkel is deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. He says fixes to the system along with increased staffing and training have reduced the backlog to about 3,400 applications.
Many of the backlogged applications came from people who found out they were eligible for Medicaid when they tried to get coverage through the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, marketplace. The next open enrollment period starts November 1st.
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