The team designed and launched a prototype for a new
Federal notification service, Notify.gov (now available in beta),
to be used by State and local agencies that administer Federal
programs. As envisioned, these agencies will be able to send
text messages at crucial points throughout the benefits
application and renewal process to help families know about,
enroll in, and re-certify for the Federal programs that provide
them with support.
For the first iteration of the prototype, the team has been
collaborating with the City of Norfolk (Virginia) Department
of Human Services to co-design a texting campaign. The end
of the Public Health Emergency led to changes in eligibility
rules for multiple Federal programs, including Medicaid and
CHIP. In Virginia, the notification service will help thousands of
Virginia families learn about Medicaid renewal deadlines and
requirements to enable eligible families to maintain health
insurance coverage.
Piloting text message
notifications for
critical updates
2022 LIFE EXPERIENCE DESIGNATION CYCLE
Collaborating agencies:
HHS (OC, ASPA), USDA
(FNS), SSA, Treasury (BFS,
IRS), HUD, GSA
Foundation:
Discovery Research &
Life Experience Charter
HAVING A CHILD AND EARLY CHILDHOOD
Ensuring new families get critical,
timely, and complete reminders and
information during crucial early years.
-STATE GRANTS MANAGER
[Notify.gov] is the answer to a
thousand conversations we’ve
been having– it’s what we’ve
been asking for and needing.
Pure excitement!”
“
“[Notify.gov] is the
right fit at the right
time. It’s user-
friendly and gives
us an opportunity to
try something with
support, which we
don’t often get.”
-STATE EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTOR
2022 LIFE EXPERIENCE DESIGNATION CYCLE
Piloting text message notifications for critical updates
DESIGN PHASE MILESTONES
DESIGN PHASE PROJECT MEASURES
Milestone Status Notes
Established and developed agencies’
authorities to send text messages for critical
updates such as deadlines and program
information.
Completed. Notify.gov is currently operating under a one-year pilot. Partner MOU
agreements have been signed at both the Federal (i.e., FNS) and State/local levels
(i.e., Was
hington DHS).
Partnered with a benets program to send the
rst pilot messages via the notication service.
Completed. The team’s rst pilot partner, the City of Norfolk (Virginia) Department
of Human Services, has been sending text messaging reminders about Medicaid
renewals following the unwinding of the national Public Health Emergency.
Assess the success of the pilots and provide a
deliverable of lessons learned.
In progress. The timing changed from FY 2023 Q4 to FY 2024 Q2. GSA’s Oice
of Evaluation Sciences expects to conduct an impact evaluation of the Norfolk
pilot to measure if introducing text messaging improves the experience of
families during the Medicaid renewal process and whether and how it reduces
interruptions in coverage.
Expand product features to help scale the
impact of the notification service.
In progress. The timing changed from FY 2023 Q4 to FY 2024 Q2. The team is
conducting interviews with State and local agencies at every step of the process
to inform expanded product features, wraparound support oerings, and how to
scale and sustain Notify.gov, the notication service.
Design Phase Measure Assessment Approach & Data
December 2023 Status
Percentage of families who opt to receive text
messages.
Administrative data from Notify.gov on pilot
participation.
Too early to assess.
Increase in programs utilizing SMS for the rst
time or a new use case.
Administrative data from Notify.gov on pilot
participation.
Too early to assess.
Increase in follow-through and completion of
benet applications (and/or renewals) or other
prompted actions, such as scheduling doctor’s
appointments, relative to those not receiving
notications.
GSA’s Oice of Evaluation Sciences plans to conduct a
randomized evaluation using existing administrative
data from Notify.gov and the City of Norfolk.
Too early to assess.
Decrease in administrative burden compared to
those without the notication service.
GSA’s Oice of Evaluation Sciences plans to conduct a
randomized evaluation using existing administrative
data from Notify.gov and the City of Norfolk.
Too early to assess.
Improve experience measures such as trust and
satisfaction with services in pilot populations
compared to those not utilizing the service.
Too early to assess.
Decrease administrative costs for the
government (reducing “churn” and
re-applications).
Too early to assess.
The project will pilot a Federal notification service
that will enable Federal benefits programs to use text
messages (SMS) to send reminders and guidance to
subscribers at crucial points throughout the benefits
enrollment and renewal process.
Customer pain point:
Families need improved access to accurate and timely
information while navigating benefits programs.
Instead, some families encounter information and
resources that are diicult to digest, mistimed, or
unreceived. Application and re-enrollment timelines
and requirements can be complex and mistimed;
some never receive any information. As a result, some
eligible families do not apply for benefits they are
eligible for or lose them too soon.
Key outcomes:
A successful notification service will streamline
information about available resources and reduce
the administrative burden on families navigating
benefits programs. Outcome measures will include
families’ responses to the pilot notification (such as
if they choose to receive messages and engage with
them), whether program participation increases, and
whether program churn decreases.
Design phase project measures:
• Percentage of families who opt to receive text
messages
• Increase in programs utilizing SMS for the first time
or a new use case
• Increase in follow-through and completion of
benefit applications (and/or renewals) or other
prompted actions, such as doctor’s appointments,
relative to those not receiving notifications
• Decrease in administrative burden compared to
those without the notification service
• Improve experience measures such as trust and
satisfaction with services in pilot populations
compared to those not utilizing the service
• Decrease administrative costs for the government
(reducing “churn” and re-applications)
The notification service pilot aims to improve the
customer experience for families through better
communication, reduce administrative burdens, and
increase eligible families’ access to benefits.
Target milestones in 2023 include:
• Evaluate and develop agencies’ authorities to
operate the notification service
• Partner with up to three benefits programs to send
the first pilot messages via the notification service
• Assess the success of the pilots
• Expand product features to help scale the impact of
the notification service
Primary deliverables in 2023 include:
• Pilot the design and launch the service
• Pilot metrics to evaluate the service
• Develop a synthesis of lessons learned during pilot
Having a child and early childhood
Piloting Text Message
Notifications for
Critical Updates
Project Summary
Project Objectives
Measures of Success
2022 LIFE EXPERIENCE DESIGNATION CYCLE
Collaborating agencies:
HHS (OC, ASPA), USDA (FNS),
SSA, Treasury (BFS, IRS),
HUD, GSA
Foundation:
Discovery Research &
Life Experience Charter