« Ind. Courts - Delaware Circuit Judge Robert Barnet Jr. issues final sentence | Main | Ind. Courts - "Bradford sworn in for last term as Porter County judge" »
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Ind. Gov't. - Issues continue with state's new welfare eligibility system
A lengthy report today in the Evansville Courier & Press, reported by Bryan Corbin and Eric Bradner, includes the following quotes:
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers say they continue to be inundated with complaints from constituents about the state's new welfare eligibility system.It was supposed to allow Hoosiers in need to sign up by phone or online for Medicaid, food stamps or welfare benefits, but lawmakers field frequent complaints the system loses clients' documents, causes long delays, furnishes incorrect information and is hard for the elderly and disabled to navigate.
Complaints about the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's welfare modernization program have both Democrats and Republicans proposing the Legislature halt the program from expanding until problems are fixed. * * *
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, whose administration negotiated the privatization contract for welfare modernization to deter waste and fraud, was not pleased that legislators of his own party might try to pass a bill to put his program on hold.
"Let me just say, they'd better come here first (to the governor's office) because we are not turning around on this very important reform," Daniels said Dec. 19.
In late 2006, the Daniels administration awarded a team of vendors led by IBM Corp. a $1.16 billion, 10-year contract to process applications for Medicaid, food stamps and welfare benefits that 1.1 million Hoosiers receive.
Replacing most of the caseworkers in county welfare offices, the new system encourages clients instead to apply for benefits on the Web or by phoning call center representatives in Marion, Ind., although county welfare offices remain open.
The privatization rollout has reached 59 counties, including Southwestern Indiana. It has not reached 13 counties in northwestern and north-central Indiana and 20 counties in central Indiana. The date of the next rollout hasn't been decided.
With Evansville already in the rollout area, local legislators say they field multiple complaints each week from constituents and health care providers about problems obtaining or keeping Medicaid benefits, food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Legislators routinely ask the FSSA to review cases to correct mistakes.
While the phone- and Web-based application options work fine for some clients, they are harder to navigate for the elderly or mentally disabled, who might lack Internet access or computer skills. Being placed on hold for long periods is burdensome to those who rely on prepaid cell phone minutes, they said. * * *
FSSA officials repeatedly have stressed they are aware of the complaints and are working hard to address them. The outgoing FSSA secretary, Mitch Roob, said Oct. 22 that legislators' proposals to pause the modernization rollout would be "very unhelpful" and a step backward.
Daniels said the old welfare system was plagued with fraud and abuse, and Indiana faced tens of millions of dollars in federal government penalties if changes weren't made.
"Let me tell you what: They (the legislators) are hearing complaints from people who made money off the past system. That's where the complaints are principally coming from. It wasn't a bad system; it was the worst in America," Daniels said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 31, 2008 08:45 AM
Posted to Indiana Government