Policy & Practice | Summer 2025

NO TIME TO WAIT

A Dynamic Approach for Smarter, Faster Eligibility Operations

By Sean Toole

T

he legendary Warren Buffett notably said that “the most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.” Unfortunately, when it comes to administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, we’re not just digging: we’ve upgraded to a backhoe. Across the country, state agencies are working harder than ever, pouring more time, money, and effort into eligibility systems that weren’t designed to solve the problem we’re actually facing: how to serve more people, faster, with fewer staff. It’s not for lack of trying. It’s because we’re optimizing for the wrong outcomes. And now, the pressure is building. Timeliness isn’t great. Error rates aren’t acceptable. Backlogs exist in many programs. Federal agencies are (rightly) frus trated. And families are still stuck waiting weeks for benefits. Let’s be clear: we can’t fix this by continuing to patch and prop up systems built for a different time and a different set of goals. It’s time to stop digging and start designing what’s actually needed.

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Summer 2025 Policy & Practice