Overview

This study investigates how reducing administrative burdens through policy changes is associated with citizen beliefs. Following the end of the public health emergency, Minnesota expanded automatic (ex parte) Medicaid renewals for the aged, blind, and disabled population with sufficient administrative data to determine eligibility, while others had to complete the traditional application process. Using administrative and survey data, the study finds that individuals benefiting from ex parte renewal reported lower burdens, more favorable evaluations of Medicaid, and higher trust in government.

Approach

This study combines administrative data and survey responses to examine how differences in administrative experiences influence citizen beliefs. A survey was sent via text message to 16,174 clients in Minnesota's aged, blind, and disabled population, as their renewal period approached. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was embedded within the ex parte group, where half of the ex parte renewal clients received an informational stuffer alongside their renewal notice.

The stuffer was not associated with changed beliefs. However, individuals who experienced ex parte renewal reported significantly lower burdens, validating the use of subjective assessments to reflect objective differences in administrative burden. These clients also expressed more favorable evaluations of Medicaid and greater trust in government, suggesting that reduced administrative burden is associated with improved civic beliefs. The nature of the research design is not causal, and so the differences may reflect systemic historical experiences of those who were assigned for ex parte renewal rather than the renewal itself. Nevertheless, the findings represent some of the most promising evidence about the relationship between burden reduction and trust in government. 

Funder: Tech & Public Policy (TPP)