The government is discontinuing a text messaging platform designed to mass distribute reminders about Medicaid benefits and other programs, the General Services Administration (GSA) confirmed to Fierce Healthcare in a statement.
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allies had sought access to the system, called Notify.gov, and it was rumored the service’s days were numbered.
“GSA will continue to embrace best in class technologies to accelerate digital transformation and modernize IT infrastructure,” said a GSA spokesperson. “This includes understanding what solutions are the most effective and necessary to meet the needs of the public and this administration. With this in mind, Notify.gov, which has not been fully launched and is currently in its beta phase, will no longer be a service GSA provides. GSA is working closely with a small number of impacted partners to transition off the platform with minimal disruption.”
The agency said the decision will lead to better cost-effectiveness and more optimized resources.
Notify.gov is still online at the time of publication, and it's not certain when it will go offline. It is described as a “text messaging platform built for government agencies” that can be sent, in bulk, in the recipient’s preferred language. The platform was developed within the Public Benefits Studio through the GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) division. Notify.gov is the studio’s first offering.
Behind the scenes, the GSA’s GitHub repository showed a not-yet deployed banner saying the service is no longer available as recently as March 6, reported Nextgov/FCW.
Medicaid was one of the most prominent use cases for the platform. The city of Norfolk, Virginia piloted the program and sent more than 8,000 text messages about renewal deadlines and eligibility requirements, but Notify.gov also created text campaigns for families raising children and nutrition education.
The service was to modernize the way government reaches and interacts with people, in accordance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act from 2018 and an Office of Management and Budget memo from 2023 (archived here). Government websites receive 2 billion visits each month, and more than 50% of those are through mobile devices. The platform was expected to help save on administrative costs.
Nonfederal agencies were invited to trial the program as well. Partners signed a one-year memorandum of understanding offering up to 250,000 messages per year.
One worker resigned from the GSA in February after Thomas Shedd, deputy federal acquisition service commissioner and director of the TTS, instructed the employee to give him admin access to the Notify.gov system, reported 404 Media. Shedd is a former Tesla engineer, and the TTS division has been cut by 50%. He is a proponent of introducing “AI coding agents,” trained on government contracts to write software, and remaking government through artificial intelligence.
Granting admin access to Shedd allows him to see personally identifiable information, leading the employee to resign in protest. This is just one example of DOGE team members and political appointees requesting unprecedented access to government systems to the alarm of privacy experts, as it did with the Treasury Department and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
GSA acting press secretary Will Powell told 404 Media Shedd is following all protocols and policies before gaining access to a system and had not accessed Notify.gov.
Medicaid is under heavy scrutiny from lawmakers and could be reduced by up to $880 billion over 10 years, as outlined through the latest House budget resolution.