Integrated Eligibility Application

The Challenge

Vermont residents applying for health and human services benefits faced a fragmented landscape: multiple separate paper forms for health plans, pharmacy coverage, long-term care, and healthcare financial assistance — each with its own structure, terminology, and processing path. For many Vermonters, especially those with limited digital access, paper and in-person applications remained the primary channel. The Vermont Department of Health Access needed to consolidate these forms into a coherent, unified eligibility process that worked for applicants and reduced administrative burden on staff.

Our Approach

The team conducted extensive onsite discovery to understand the purpose of each form, the populations using them, and the processing workflows that followed submission. Common elements were identified across programs, and user flows were developed to serve both applicants completing the forms and VDHA staff processing the results. Plain language and readability were central design priorities throughout — the forms needed to be genuinely usable by people navigating stressful circumstances. The work was validated through three rounds of in-person testing with real applicants and staff, ensuring that design decisions were grounded in observed behavior rather than assumptions.

The Result

Completed in February 2019, the consolidated application enabled self-selection of health benefit programs or comprehensive health screenings supporting both MAGI and non-MAGI eligibility determinations. The redesigned forms simplified completion for applicants while reducing data entry and processing time for VDHA staff — representing a critical first step toward full benefits integration across Vermont’s health and assistance programs.