Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid

Subject: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: leeneia
Date: 13 Aug 21 - 04:16 PM

Here goes. My state just approved expanding Medicaid for the truly poor. The governor, a Republican scoundrel, has been fighting this and will continue to set up roadblocks.

I would like to get computer-literate members of my church to volunteer to sign people up for the program. We will need computers that can operate in a building over 100 years old. We'll need to submit the data and print a confirmation for clients to keep.

I've been looking for cheap computers (less than $100), but while there's a lot of talk, I don't find them to buy.   

The pastor's computer works and mobile phones work, so I assume we are okay as far as WI-FI goes. But is Wi-fi for Apple products different from Wi-Fi for Microsoft products?

Can a smart phone submit data and send a print command?

Subject: RE: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: DaveRo
Date: 13 Aug 21 - 05:57 PM

If this signing up is done on a website, using a browser, and if the building has wifi, then it could be done with an Android tablet. Google 'Android tablet less than $100'. You'd need to check that the website works with the tablet's browser, which might be peculiar to the manufacturer (e.g. Amazon's Fire tablet uses a browser called Silk).

The printing requirement is probably the trickiest. There is no standard. I use a Brother wifi-connected printer and a Brother printing app on this Google Android tablet, but I'm sure other solutions exist.

Any manufacturer's device can access wifi.

Subject: RE: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Aug 21 - 06:35 PM

Thank you leenia regarding your innovative activism for the common man some of whom could not do it without you.

"From an acorn grows..."

Subject: RE: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Aug 21 - 07:24 AM

I'm not sure about printing either. It's not clear what access you have to the Wi-fi network the pastor uses, whether there is a printer you could use on it or, if not, whether you could add one.

I'd guess and network enabled printer and the printer maker's app (which would probably exist both in Android and Apple versions) would be the easiest approach.

--
As for my home mobile printing, I've got 2 approaches I can use. One is mentioned above. The other involves CUPS which is used for Linux printing here. I wrote (and sometimes use) an app years ago that will send print jobs (via share or Google Print Services) to a CUPS server. That one attempts to parse the ppd to get available options for a printer but requires nothing printer specific on the Android device. It should work with most printers that can be shared by a CUPS server.

It's a long while since I've looked for anything closer to that on Google Play but I'd imagine, there would be a few apps around that are more sort of "generic" in nature, targeting a server rather than a specific printer? Whatever, I'd think that is more involved than using a maker's app for the OP.

Subject: RE: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 21 - 09:33 AM

At your church can you set up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic also? In my county in Texas you can make appointments online and go get them the next day, but there are also events where the vaccines and a tech are present to offer them upon request.

Subject: RE: Tech: cheap computing for Medicaid
From: leeneia
Date: 15 Aug 21 - 09:46 AM

Thanks for the ideas. I'll save them, but I've decided that this aspect of the matter should simply be turned over to somebody else.

I'm the kind of person who asks what is the difference between an iPad and an iPod.