Medicaid Member Feedback

Purpose: Our Medicaid Member Engagement team and the Medicaid Member Engagement Committee (MMEC) offered this survey from May 1 - May 30, 2025, in partnership with the Justice Well Program, to find out how members felt about their ND Medicaid coverage. 

Participation: 67 people took our online survey about their experience with ND Medicaid coverage and support. Respondents, or those who took our survey, were largely between the ages of 18-44, spoke English primarily, and lived in Burleigh, Cass, or Grand Forks counties. Over half of the respondents were caregivers to ND Medicaid members. 

Results:  

Enrollment
Members found our enrollment process to be somewhat difficult, but our renewal process to be easier.

Customer service
We learned that our members experienced courtesy and respect when calling our Customer Support Center. Members informed us that they only sometimes find what they are looking for when calling the Customer Support Center and usually find what they need when visiting our website and reading our notice.

Access
Members are divided on how easy the Self-Service Portal (SSP) is to use. Members felt it was very easy to find and get general, mental, substance use, home and community-based, and specialist health services. They reported that it was more challenging to find and get special medical equipment and long-term care. They felt it was most difficult to find and get dental and transportation services.

Improvements
Our members want the MMEC to focus most on additions or changes to covered services, the eligibility and enrollment process, access to care, and ND Medicaid communications such as our notices, emails, and newsletters.

Plan: We look forward to applying this feedback to our current work and plans for future practices. We continue to involve the MMEC as we aim for member satisfaction. We plan to have future events where our members can be involved in shaping ND Medicaid! 

Purpose: Our Medicaid Member Engagement team and the Medicaid Member Engagement Committee (MMEC), in partnership with the Justice Well Program, held this listening session in May 2025 to find out how members felt about their ND Medicaid coverage and how they would like the MMEC to represent them. 

Participation: 130 people joined our virtual listening session. Several members from our team were present, including our Member Liaison, Tribal Liaison, Medicaid Executive Director, and Policy Analyst. 

Results: 

Focus
We learned members feel we should focus on health disparities, civic engagement, barrier reduction, and helping members find providers. 

Access
Members want more information on eligibility, renewals, asset recovery, transitioning coverage groups, and provider enrollment. We should improve access to preventive care, dental, home and community-based services, durable medical equipment, nursing facility bed holds, transportation, long-term care, behavioral health, and coverage for incarcerated and post-release members. Improving the navigation, layout, and content of our Self-Service Portal (SSP) and website will help members. Members say the Medicaid Member Handbook is a good resource, but we should clarify denials, income guidelines, and the eligibility process.

Communications
Members shared they are most likely to learn about Medicaid news through Medicaid Member E-News, their provider, mail, and our website using dashboards and pages with chronological updates. Our provider and member notices should be easier to understand. Members feel we should better promote our Medicaid Member E-News, Customer Support Center, and the SSP. 

Process
Members asked us to streamline the need for client ID numbers. They also want to find contact information easily, need stronger support, and better response times for their concerns. Members also want more information about support staff for out-of-state and other services. Members felt providers can be better supported through improved communications and incentives. 

Plan: Members want another focus group, survey, and listening session to assess the improvement process. We look forward to applying this feedback to our current work and plans for future practices. We continue to involve the MMEC as we aim for member satisfaction. We plan to have future events where our members can be involved in shaping ND Medicaid! 

Purpose: Our Medicaid Member Engagement team and the Medicaid Member Engagement Committee (MMEC), in partnership with the Justice Well Program, held a focus group in June 2025 how members would like the MMEC to represent them. 

Participation: 15 ND Medicaid members were invited to our virtual focus group to recommend best practices for the MMEC. Members were joined by our Member Liaison, Tribal Liaison, Policy Analyst, and Coverage Policy Director.

Results: 

How the committee should operate
The MMEC should have members who are rural, aging, justice-involved, speak limited English, and are foreign-born. MMEC memberships should include those with small children, disabilities, and dual eligibility between Medicare and Medicaid. 

Members felt the MMEC should be a supportive and meaningful team, fostering collaboration, empowerment, and member-value. Committee members should clearly and openly share their lived experiences. They should be accountable, request regular evaluation, and continue to celebrate success. Burnout can be avoided by educating, preparing, and not overwhelming members with too much information.

The MMEC Guidelines should introduce a summary before sharing detailed information. Members suggested a recorded reading of the Guidelines for those who absorb information best in this manner. 

How we should conduct our meetings
Meetings should avoid power dynamics, save enough time for sharing, and encourage collaborative decision-making. Competition and conflicts should be avoided and disagreements should be worked through.

This committee should support better health outcomes by increasing inclusiveness, expanding accessibility for services, enrolling more rural providers, and connecting ND Medicaid members to our staff and enrolled providers.

The MMEC Guidelines should introduce a summary before sharing detailed information. Members suggested a recorded reading of the Guidelines for those who absorb information best in this manner. 

How we can promote awareness of our committee
The MMEC should be promoted using postcards, emails, fliers, and interactions with members and providers. Flyers should be placed in exam rooms at rural and tribal clinics, food pantries, and libraries. This committee should have a presence at conferences, seminars, and workshops. The MMEC should use social media and influencers to story-tell the members’ experiences through videos.

Plan: We look forward to applying this feedback to our current work and plans for future practices. We continue to involve the MMEC as we aim for member satisfaction. We plan to have future events where our members can be involved in shaping ND Medicaid!