Entrepreneur Streamlines Medicaid Application Process to 12 Minutes

Peter Justen's data-driven platform reduces 200-question forms to just 20 questions, saving states billions annually

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Peter Justen, CEO of Ameritrust Solutions, has developed a technology platform that transforms the lengthy and complex Medicaid application process. By utilizing verified third-party data, Justen's system reduces the typical 200-question application to just 20 essential questions, completing the entire process in just 12 minutes. This innovation creates a "budget positive" scenario for states and hospitals, saving billions in administrative costs while ensuring vulnerable populations receive essential healthcare faster.

Why it matters

The traditional Medicaid application process is plagued by bureaucratic inefficiencies, with processing times stretching 4-6 months and only 14-17% of applications being fully completed. This creates a lose-lose scenario, burdening intake workers, costing states billions, and leaving those who need care the most without timely access. Justen's solution disrupts this broken system, demonstrating how technology can streamline government services and redirect critical resources to better serve the public.

The details

Ameritrust Solutions' platform starts with a clean slate, asking applicants only about 20 essential details and then auto-populating the remaining fields using verified third-party data sources like tax and credit information. This approach ensures federal compliance while drastically reducing the time and effort required. For a state like Texas, implementing this efficiency could save an estimated $2 billion annually, funds that could be redirected to infrastructure or education.

  • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its fiscal year 2025 improper payment estimates in January 2026.

The players

Peter Justen

The CEO of Ameritrust Solutions, a GovTech entrepreneur focused on fixing broken government systems that prevent people from accessing critical benefits.

Ameritrust Solutions

A company founded by Peter Justen that is modernizing Medicaid and public benefits applications by replacing paperwork-heavy processes with verified data automation.

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What they’re saying

“We take the 20 questions, get to know enough about you, and then use verified data to populate the application for you. Instead of taking months to process, we do it in 12 minutes.”

— Peter Justen, CEO, Ameritrust Solutions (Disruption Interruption)

“Washington DC is the land of unintended consequences. A program starts with good intentions, but reconciliation bills become 1,500 pages long. You're asking an 85-year-old woman to fill out a 200-question application with supporting documentation. The system is stacked against them.”

— Peter Justen, CEO, Ameritrust Solutions (Disruption Interruption)

What’s next

Ameritrust Solutions is working to embed its streamlined Medicaid application process into hospital intake systems, allowing facilities to get patients approved before procedures occur and turning potential bad debt into paid claims.

The takeaway

Peter Justen's innovative approach to Medicaid applications demonstrates how technology can dismantle bureaucratic inefficiencies and ensure vulnerable populations receive essential healthcare faster. By leveraging verified data to automate the process, Ameritrust Solutions is creating a 'budget positive' scenario for states and hospitals, saving billions in administrative costs while improving access to critical services.