The Clinton County Department of Social Services is preparing to implement an artificial intelligence project to streamline operations as the department faces an increased workload to administer new Medicaid work requirements.
Under the comprehensive domestic policy budget bill, which the U.S. Senate narrowly passed Tuesday, many non-disabled, adult Medicaid recipients will be required to either work or volunteer 80 hours per month in order to continue receiving benefits.
The Senate version now goes back to the House for a vote.
President Donald Trump has said he wants to sign the bill Friday, the Independence Day holiday.
The work requirement would apply to those covered under expanded Medicaid coverage under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
The domestic policy bill, commonly known by Republicans as the big beautiful bill, increases the workload for Department of Social Services workers.
Case workers will be required to check a Medicaid recipient’s eligibility twice a year instead of once, and would have added work to check employment status.
Case workers also will incur additional work processing requests for exemptions from the requirement.
The county also will incur the expense of training workers in that process, said county Department of Social Services Commissioner Christine Peters, the incoming county manager, in a telephone interview.
“So, we’re going to have to look at that one,” she said.
The New York State Association of Counties estimated that Medicaid changes will increase county administration costs by 20%, at a time when many county Social Services departments already have staffing shortages and are handling more more cases in the post-COVID 19 economy.
In 2024, county Social Services departments statewide employed 32,803 people, the second lowest level since 2008, when 41,683 were employed, according to state government data.
The lowest level of 32,319 was in 2023.
“Implementation would require a massive new administrative infrastructure at county expense,” NYSAC said in a news release, urging members of New York’s delegation in Congress to reject the proposed Medicaid changes.
Peters said the Clinton County Department of Social Services is currently fully staffed.
She said it is unclear if the county will have to increase staffing in order handle the increased workload.
“We’re going to look at shifting people’s duties and reorganization first,” she said.
It’s possible the AI project and other efficiency initiatives will be sufficient to handle the additional workload.
“So, there could be some efficiency there, but we don’t know yet.”
The virtual assistant AI system would take over answering telephone calls and other routine tasks, reducing the chances of human error, according to a news release from TIPCO Automated Systems, the company supplying the system.
Jefferson County Department of Social Services, which has already implemented the system, reduced staff time by 10 minutes per interaction, the company said.
“I saw this solution as supporting staff and easing some of the burden on both frontline and supervisory staff,” Peters said in the news release. “AI can be scary, but compassionate AI is empowering workers to do higher level tasks that humans should do, such as eligibility determinations.”
The office of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, did not respond to a request for comment for this report.
Stefanik voted in favor of the legislation at the House level.
Medicaid is a joint federal, state and county-funded heath and long-term care insurance program for the poor, elderly and disabled.
The House version, which passed May 22, requires adults under age 65 without children to work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month in order to be eligible for benefits, with certain exemptions.
The Senate version expands that to include adults with children 15 and older.