ALLENTOWN, Pa., Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CAI, a global services firm, today announced two contract expansions with the Delaware Division of Social Services (DSS), part of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). The expansions double the size of CAI’s Medicaid processing team and its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Case Reading team, adding capacity and a stronger pre-issuance quality check as new federal policy under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) puts state budgets directly on the line for benefit payment accuracy.

Why This Matters for Delaware

OBBBA fundamentally changes the financial calculus behind Medicaid and SNAP administration for every state, and Delaware is no exception:

  • Less federal cushion: Beginning in 2027, the federal administrative cost match drops from 50% to 25%, meaning Delaware will cover 75% of its own program operating costs while simultaneously working to bring its error rate down.
  • More caseload complexity: OBBBA also tightens Medicaid and SNAP eligibility rules and Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirements, adding new casework and ways for errors to enter the system.
  • New cost-sharing exposure: Starting in 2028, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% must absorb a share of their own benefit costs; 5% for rates between 6-8%, rising to 15% above 10%.

How CAI Is Responding

  • Medicaid Processing Expansion: OBBBA’s tightened eligibility requirements are driving a surge in Medicaid casework. CAI is expanding its Medicaid processing team to absorb the increase, building on its existing Medicaid partnership with DSS.
  • SNAP Case Reading Expansion: In November 2025, CAI began reviewing SNAP renewal approvals for eligibility accuracy before benefits are issued; under the expanded contract, CAI will now also review all SNAP intake approvals, extending the same pre-issuance check across both case types.

“Our work with Delaware DSS goes back to the Medicaid Unwinding effort in 2020, and that history is exactly why the state turned to us again as OBBBA reshaped the stakes for Medicaid and SNAP administration,” said Abe Hunter, chief revenue officer and president, public sector at CAI. “Scaling both teams lets DSS meet this moment without slowing down the casework Delawareans depend on. We’re proud to keep building on a partnership that’s already shown what it can deliver under pressure.”

A Track Record to Build On

DSS is expanding programs that are already delivering measurable results. Since January 2026, CAI’s SNAP Case Reading program has reviewed more than 7,000 cases and intercepted more than 2,000 errors before benefit issuance, protecting over $190,000 in SNAP dollars from incorrect issuance. Based on CAI’s internal case tracking, the program’s error rate has stayed below 7% in five of the last seven months. This is distinct from Delaware’s officially reported Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) error rate, but one that signals progress toward the 6% threshold that determines whether the state avoids OBBBA’s benefit cost-sharing obligations entirely.

On the Medicaid side, CAI’s partnership with DSS dates back to the state’s 2020 Medicaid Unwinding effort, when CAI helped review passively renewed Medicaid coverage for more than 47,000 Delawareans without worker intervention, with 96% of confirmations processed within 45 days. In fiscal year 2025, CAI managed roughly 30% of DSS’s approximately 3,800 monthly Medicaid renewals and 25% of its roughly 38,200 annual Medicaid-only Federally Facilitated Marketplace applications.

“OBBBA changed what’s at stake for Delaware in a way we couldn’t afford to treat as business as usual,” said Lisa Schieffert, deputy cabinet secretary, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. “Expanding our work with CAI means we can meet that challenge with a partner who already understands our systems and our residents.”

CAI has served state health and human services agencies for more than 40 years, delivering Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefit program support across the public sector. For more information on CAI’s health and human services capabilities, visit:

https://www.cai.io/industries/health-and-human-services

About CAI

CAI is a global services firm with over 9,000 associates worldwide and a yearly revenue of $1.3 billion+. We have over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for our clients, colleagues, and communities. As a privately held company, we have the freedom and focus to do what is right—whatever it takes. Our tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors.

Learn how CAI powers the possible at www.cai.io

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Kellie Mater
Chief Marketing Officer, CAI
media.inquiries@cai.io


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