Accelerating and Enhancing Access to Critical Medical Benefits for Low-Income Individuals & Families
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A large U.S. federal health agency administers multiple nationwide healthcare assistance programs that provide coverage to low-income individuals, children, and families with fluctuating incomes. These programs collectively serve tens of millions of beneficiaries and are supported by a dedicated program office responsible for policy oversight, eligibility guidance, and public-facing digital platforms. The agency manages high-traffic informational websites that deliver essential content related to benefits, eligibility, applications, and policy updates to the public.
Goal
The goal of this initiative was to modernize the agency’s web ecosystem to enhance security, improve user experience, and ensure full compliance with accessibility and federal regulatory requirements. This included upgrading to the latest content management system versions, adopting Agile and DevSecOps practices, and leveraging cloud technologies to improve scalability, reliability, and speed of content delivery. The modernization aimed to streamline business processes while maintaining the highest standards of security and accessibility for program beneficiaries.
Challenge
Administering large-scale public benefit programs is inherently complex and continuously evolving due to policy updates, budgetary constraints, public health emergencies, legacy technology limitations, and rising user expectations. The existing web infrastructure relied on outdated technology that limited functionality, slowed content updates, introduced security risks, and created accessibility challenges. These constraints made it difficult to respond quickly to regulatory changes and public information needs.
Solution
Sky Solutions led a structured and comprehensive modernization effort to address these challenges. The outdated technology stack was upgraded by migrating to the latest versions of the content management platform and implementing advanced automated testing frameworks, including Playwright, to ensure performance, functionality, and security.
An Agile and DevSecOps culture was introduced to streamline workflows, accelerate development cycles, and improve collaboration across teams. Content deployment processes were optimized to enable rapid dissemination of timely and accurate information.
Security and compliance were treated as foundational priorities. Robust controls were implemented to meet federal authorization and security standards, supported by significant infrastructure upgrades and cloud-based solutions on AWS to enhance scalability and reliability. The solution also incorporated AI-powered search capabilities through a managed cloud AI platform to improve information discovery.
Sky further established governance standards to ensure ongoing adherence to regulatory and security requirements, alongside executing a carefully planned cloud strategy for managed hosting and platform upgrades.
Accessibility compliance was a critical focus throughout the engagement. Sky ensured adherence to U.S. federal digital standards, government web policies, and W3C accessibility guidelines, including strict compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, reinforcing a commitment to inclusive and equitable access for all users.
A robust CI/CD pipeline was engineered to support test-driven development and proactive security validation. Security and compliance tools were embedded directly into the pipeline, enabling early detection and remediation of vulnerabilities. Single sign-on integration and enterprise-grade content delivery network configuration significantly improved platform performance, reliability, and user experience.
An Agile and DevSecOps culture was introduced to streamline workflows, accelerate development cycles, and improve collaboration across teams. Content deployment processes were optimized to enable rapid dissemination of timely and accurate information.
Security and compliance were treated as foundational priorities. Robust controls were implemented to meet federal authorization and security standards, supported by significant infrastructure upgrades and cloud-based solutions on AWS to enhance scalability and reliability. The solution also incorporated AI-powered search capabilities through a managed cloud AI platform to improve information discovery.
Sky further established governance standards to ensure ongoing adherence to regulatory and security requirements, alongside executing a carefully planned cloud strategy for managed hosting and platform upgrades.
Accessibility compliance was a critical focus throughout the engagement. Sky ensured adherence to U.S. federal digital standards, government web policies, and W3C accessibility guidelines, including strict compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, reinforcing a commitment to inclusive and equitable access for all users.
A robust CI/CD pipeline was engineered to support test-driven development and proactive security validation. Security and compliance tools were embedded directly into the pipeline, enabling early detection and remediation of vulnerabilities. Single sign-on integration and enterprise-grade content delivery network configuration significantly improved platform performance, reliability, and user experience.
Technologies/Methodologies
- Drupal
- Agile & DevSecOps
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Google Vertex
- Acquia Cloud
- DevSecOps
- CI/CD Pipeline
- Accessibility Tools include SiteImprove, ANDI, JAWS, WAVE
- Security Tools compliance with security standards like ATO and FISMA
- Section 508 Compliance
Outcome
This modernization enabled the agency to maintain a fast, secure, and highly reliable digital presence that is available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The improved platform supports faster communication of regulatory updates and benefit changes, ensuring timely access to critical information for beneficiaries.
The initiative significantly enhanced usability and accessibility, making it easier for individuals and families to find, understand, and use available resources. At the same time, the solution ensured continued compliance with stringent security and accessibility requirements, aligning with the agency’s broader commitment to inclusive digital services and equal access for people with disabilities.
The initiative significantly enhanced usability and accessibility, making it easier for individuals and families to find, understand, and use available resources. At the same time, the solution ensured continued compliance with stringent security and accessibility requirements, aligning with the agency’s broader commitment to inclusive digital services and equal access for people with disabilities.
- The public-facing platforms serve millions of users seeking information about healthcare assistance programs.
- More than 93 million individuals are enrolled in the supported programs across all U.S. states and the District of Columbia (as of early 2023).