Washington State is moving towards a new ID card system to verify eligibility for Medicaid. The Department of Social and Health Services announced that they are switching to as system of plastic ID cards for Medicaid clients similar to those used by private health insurance companies. The free cards will be mailed to Medicaid clients starting in November. Along with the new cards come a computer payer system called ProviderOne will be launched, which will reimburse doctors, clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes for medical assistance services.

Previous to the development of the new ID program, the Medicaid system in Washington relied on paper coupons that were mailed each month to Medicaid clients. The paper coupons were presented to doctors to show that they were enrolled in Medicaid for that month. The new ID cards will make the entire process of verification more streamlined and efficient. Doctors will be able to see the ProviderOne client ID number on the plastic ID card and verify eligibility within the computer system.
With the implementation of the ID cards the state stands to save money. The monthly coupons cost more than $2.5 million per year. The plastic ID cards only need to be mailed once. The cards do not include any personal health information, posing no security risk to the clients if they are lost or stolen. Ultimately the DSHS is hoping to add more services to the card program.