Don McCubbrey's Blog

Colorado beats Guam with CBMS!

Sherry Allison does a nice job of summing it up in her story which ran in the May 31 issue of the Denver Post, entitled  "Glitch drains aid to needy".  I'll just quote from it, although I'm inclined to call a system that has not worked since it was installed almost five years ago something more than a glitch.

"For five years, CBMS — a database that processes applications for help, including Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps — has been problematic.

"At first, the system chucked some applicants out while overpaying others. State officials remedied that but had to reimburse the federal government more than $9 million in December for the mistakes.

"Counties also complained that CBMS is nonintuitive, that it takes 45 minutes to enter data for one application and that, when moving from one screen to the other, things like names and addresses have to be re-entered.

"Then the recession spawned a demand for help that state and county officials have never seen before. Applications became backlogged in the metro area and Colorado Springs. Advocacy groups warned that people were going hungry. Food pantries were inundated.

"Last year, Colorado ranked 52nd in the nation and its territories — just above Guam — for food-stamp application timeliness, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In some counties — including Jefferson, Denver and Adams — between 20 percent and 40 percent of applicants waited longer than 30 days to get a food-stamp card this spring".

Ms. Allison has another story in the June 6 issue of the Denver Post entitled "State seeks foundations' aid" in which she discusses a meeting State officials held with a group of Denver Foundations which are bearing additional burdens in meeting the needs of the poor while they wait for CBMS to do what it is supposed to do.  Here's one quote:  "They (i.e. the foundations) say they're responding to a dramatic increase in need around the city:  People are showing up at churches, shelters and senior centers hungry and desperate".

Not to worry, everything will be fine in 12 to 18 months.  As you saw in the previous post, the State is taking a thoughtful approach to solving the problem.

The Denver Post's Editorial Page Chimes in on CBMS

An editorial in the Denver post on May 16 called attention to the weirdness of the way a solution to the CBMS fiasco is being pursued.

“Call us mystified by a report from The Denver Post's Allison Sherry that details a rejection by state officials and Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) of a plan by several stressed county offices to use the Web-based application solutions.

"We were moving ahead in a manner that was prudent locally," Frank Alexander, who directs housing and human services in Boulder County, told Sherry. "We'd love to have a solution in place right now."

“Instead, state and HCPF officials are sticking with Deloitte Consulting, with whom they recently signed a four-year, $44 million contract to help rein in the state's expensive and clunky Colorado Benefits Management System”.

“Deloitte consultants say it will take them 12 to 18 months more to make enhancements counties want. But it wasn't until counties started asking for Web-based application solutions that officials added a $4.6 million amendment to that $44 million contract to create a Web-based application program”.

In her story of May 14, 2009, reporter Sherry Allison pointed out that in the meantime, “the current system takes 45 minutes to input information after an applicant has filled out a paper form. It requires people to come down to county offices and wait in line, or pick up applications and mail them in”.

In the same story, John Conley, deputy state chief information officer, said, "Our process has been viewed as lethargic, but I believe it's allowed us to be thoughtful."

Ah, yes.  Thoughtful indeed.

More on CBMS. Can you believe it?

Ta Da. 

Deloitte Consulting is riding to the rescue of CBMS (for only $44 million more than who knows how much has been spent already on this incredible fiasco).

Here's the story from the front page of today's Denver Post.  Please note that today is May 7, 2009, and that CBMS was converted on September 1 2004.  This has gotta been some sort of record.

Here's a link to the story under reporter Allison Sherry's byline.

Delays in food stamps tackled.

We have assurance from State officials that CBMS will be fixed once and for all.  Don't hold your breath.

Ah, yes. The Colorado Benefits Management System

Sorry for the unusually long hiatus.  Guess I haven't had much to say.  But, the Colorado Benefits Management System never lets me down (although it seems I'm the only one it does not let down).

Let me quote from a story in the Rocky Mountain News of December 1, 2008.  As you may know, this is four years and three months after CBMS went live.  Here's the link to the entire story, under the byline of Daniel J. Chacon:  State agency sees spike in numbers using food stamps .  Here's the quote:

"An awful lot of people right now have had their work hours reduced, have been laid off, are unemployed with no work, or are unable to work," said Mark Tandberg, social services director for Adams County.

"Folks are struggling to keep food on the table," he said.

Sometimes, they struggle to get food stamps, too.

Some of Colorado's social services agencies have come under fire in recent years for taking too long to process applicants' paperwork, violating federal protocols.

"We're still not where we need to be, but we are doing better," said Liz McDonough, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Human Services.

"Part of the reason is counties are now doing interviews over the phone, and that's helping with the processing time," she said.

Ed Kahn, special counsel for the Colorado Center on Law & Policy, sued the state DHS more than four years ago for taking too long to process food stamp applications. He said human service agencies have done a slightly better job this year, but roughly 2,000 people a month are still not getting their benefits approved within the required 30-day period ordered by a judge last December. He said he's considering whether to take the state back to court.

Given the economic troubles and growing need for aid, "It's unconscionable that they haven't made enough improvement in this problem," said Kahn.

Thanks, Ed.  Keep at it.  Hopefully, it will end sometime soon.

CBMS and Other Colorado Systems - Status Report as of May 22, 2008

Well, folks, the news is not good, at least for CBMS, but maybe it could be.  Someday.  Maybe.

Ann Imse's story in today's Rocky Mountain News, "Data systems get some glue", discusses the additional responsibilities that Mike Locatis assumes today givng him, by law, oversight of the State of Colorado's 1200 IS personnel and $265 million IS budget.  It includes, of course, fixing the Colorado Benefits Management Systems (CBMS), among several others.  CBMS, as I'm sure you know by now, has been limping along since it's premature conversion on September 1, 2004. 

In response to a query from Ann, Jon Conley, Mike's Deputy, said that "CBMS is fully operational and all major bugs have been worked out".  Ed Kahn, the attorney who has done yeoman work on behalf of the aid recipients supposed to be helped by CBMS, "said it would be "outrageous" to consider CBMS fixed." 

Ann quoted me in the story too.  "Don McCubbrey ......... uses the CBMS mess as a case study of how not to replace a computer system. He said he is "surprised and disappointed" that it still has not been fixed, 16 months into the new governor's term.

"What would the president of Coors have done if EDS (the computer manufacturer) had installed a manufacturing control system and the beer production line shut down?" McCubbrey said. "He would have called the president of EDS and said, 'Hop in your jet and be in my office. You're going to fix this, fast.'

"That should have been done long ago, the professor said. "Ritter has to reset Mike's priorities. Let's get this behind us."

When we discuss the CBMS case in the classroom, my students are astonished that a system so important to the welfare of so many citizens could be dysfunctional for so long.  I don't understand it either.  Read the story.  While you're at it, read Ann's accompanying story: "Glitches take toll on real people".

 

 

 

Hmmmmmm. Maybe CBMS is not doing so well.

Got an email today from a group that is planning to march on the State Capitol on Sunday, April 6th.  Here's what they say on their flyer:

 

 

JOIN US AS WE MARCH ON THE STATE CAPITOL

                                (from the Denver Human Services Offices)

 IN

                        DENVER SUNDAY, APRIL 6^TH, 2008

                                        AT 10:00 AM

 LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD
 

The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) is the computer system used by the state and county human services agencies to determine an applicant’s eligibility for public assistance in the following programs:

• Food Stamps,
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families,
• Aid for the Needy and Disabled,     
• Old Age Pension,
• SCHIP,
• Medicaid.

The database is malfunctioning and there are many negative outcomes including poor customer service, long delays in processing, inaccurate notifications to clients regarding their status, high turnover amongst county staff and denial of access to basic goods such as food and health care. 

The primary focus of the CBMS Coalition is to remove barriers of access as we promote the timely processing of applications for households in need. Our secondary focus is to address the overall culture regarding the delivery of services to these same families.

 We believe that:

• All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.  

• All people deserve working environments that are helpful, encouraging and non-blaming.

We support good customer service—for the internal customers who work within human services and the external customers who find themselves in need of support.

The flyer was signed "Organizer-CBMS Coalition and asked readers to email fixitorditchit@live.com for more information.  Coming up on four years since CBMS converted on September 1, 2004.  Hard to believe.

 

CBMS Lawsuit is Settled

This morning's Rocky had a story by John C. Ensslin entitled "Settlement reached over state's benefits management program." You may recall that shortly after the Colorado Benefits Management Systems (CBMS) took a nose dive after a premature conversion back in September 2004, the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) filed a lawsuit on behalf of clients in an attempt to hold the State accountable for its performance.  The action was led by Denver attorneys Ed Kahn and Mike Cook, working on a pro bono basis. Others working on the case locally included Elisabeth Arenales of CCLP. and nationally, a group from the National Center for Law and Economic Justice based in NY City, led by Marc Cohan.

The article states that according to the terms of agreement:

"* The Department of Human Services will be required to deliver ongoing food stamps to eligible clients within 30 days after their applications are filed. Families eligible for expedited food stamps must receive them within seven days.

* The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing will be required to process applications for Children's Basic Health Plan benefits within 45 days.

* Three times during the 36- month review period, HCPF also will be required to provide a random sample of cases so an independent auditor can review whether or not benefits were correctly approved or denied."

Here is Ed Kahn's comment taken from the article: ""Some problems have been solved," he said. "But the system remains, in many ways, very bad."

I have to wonder why it took three years and a lawsuit to get State managers to set performance benchmarks for service to CBMS clients.  Thanks go to Ed, Mike, and the others for getting at least get this much accomplished on behalf of aid recipients.  Obviously, there is much remaining to be done.  Here's hoping.

Whoops! CBMS just won't go away

In my July 23 post I showed some optimism about the State of Colorado finally making the problems with our infamous Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) go away like a bad dream.  Sorry, it looks like I was wrong.  The Rocky had an article in the December 15 issue, with Myung Oak Kim's byline entitled "Food stamp applications mired in bureaucracy".  A glance at the article will tell you that "more than 1,000 local residents (have) been waiting for months because of bureaucratic snags".  The principle bureaucratic snagger?  You guessed it:   the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS), which was converted on September 1, 2004 (yup, 2004) and still does not work properly. 

Here's more from the story: 

"County welfare agencies continue to violate federal protocols - a problem that dates back almost two years - because of funding shortages and staffing problems, including high caseloads, high turnover and workers' resistance to changing procedures.

"The state's notorious computer system - the Colorado Benefits Management System - compounds the problems because of errors and a complex network of screens that take a long time to navigate.

"CBMS also is sending out erroneous rejection letters to food stamp applicants, causing unnecessary panic.

"It's sending out scores of letters saying applicants are denied food stamps because their cases weren't processed within 60 days. In fact, the cases are still being worked.

"It's a huge problem involving thousands of people," said Ed Kahn, a lawyer with the Colorado Center on Law & Policy who sued the state in 2004 because CBMS was restricting public benefits for low-income residents."

The Rocky even wrote an editorial about it in today's paper, entitled "Food stamp food fight."  Please read it.  It starts out by saying:  "We imagine one of the last things Gov. Bill Ritter wants to hear about is more trouble with the Colorado Benefits Management System - the much-maligned $223 million computer system that was supposed to streamline public benefit programs when it was introduced by the Owens administration in 2004.

"Unfortunately, the bad news keeps coming. CBMS remains a headache for county welfare officials who say that its complicated data-entry requirements needlessly delay benefits to qualified recipients" and finishes with:  "As for CBMS, well, poker players warn against "throwing good money after bad". CBMS may be beyond redemption, and further attempts to rehabilitate it could simply divert resources and energy from the low-income Coloradans that public welfare programs are designed to serve. 

"As for CBMS, well, poker players warn against "throwing good money after bad." CBMS may be beyond redemption, and further attempts to rehabilitate it could simply divert resources and energy from the low-income Coloradans that public welfare programs are designed to serve".

How long do you think a large company in the private sector, Molson-Coors, for example, would put up with a $200 million mission-critical system that was installed 3 years ago and still  does not work properly?   It would have been fixed in days, weeks at the most.  Not years.  What's going on here?

 

New Hope for Colorado's Computer Systems

There's hope for Colorado, folks.  It looks like our newly-elected Governor, Bill Ritter, wants to make sure no more computer system fiascoes occur on his watch.  A very encouraging story appeared in this morning's Rocky Mountain News: Governor seeks to bring order to computer chaos.  Written by Ann Imse and Alan Gathright, it discusses the hiring of Mike Locatis as CIO for the State, and the powers given him under an executive order signed by the governor to exercise the proper management control over all IT development and operations in State government.  I am encouraged by this long overdue move, and think that you will be too.  Read the story.  I may have to quit whining about this topic and focus on the Global Text Project. 

Speaking of Global Text, please take a look at our new website, www.globaltext.org , developed by up2speedsolutions.com.  Joshua Ross, a former student of mine, is the company's president.  He and his team did a great job for us.

CBMS: It Just Won't Go Away

In an earlier post, I mentioned that the State was in litigation with the Feds over alleged overpayments to clients made by the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS).  Well, the State lost its federal appeal and, as a result, has to repay the Feds $11.2 million.  You can read more in Lynn Bartel's story, "State on hook for $11.2 million bill from the feds".  It's from the May 12th issue of the Rocky Mountain News.