TIERS

Anyone in Region 7 want to give some insight regarding "rollout" aka "expansion"- how's that going?    You can email- you will be anonymous. This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

State of Neglect: Outsourcing enriches contractors, ex-legislators

This isn't a new article, but a good one nonetheless:   By GREGG JONES / The Dallas Morning News gjones@dallasnews.com For the weak and the vulnerable, Texas has long been an especially hard place. Year after year, national surveys place the state at or near the bottom in such categories as assistance to poor children and the malnourished, treatment of the mentally ill and care of the disabled. This story is part of The Dallas Morning News' 'State of Neglect' series examining how the state determines whom it protects and whom it excludes – and how special interests and their lobbyists strongly influence the writing of laws and the workings of state government.   Texas will pay private companies billions of dollars this year to provide health and human services to its neediest residents. Contractors will coordinate care and process benefits, operate call centers for welfare applicants and cut checks for state health workers.   The national economy may be collapsing, but it's another boom year in the state's effort to outsource functions it once performed.   Government outsourcing in Texas expanded dramatically with 2003 legislation that crunched 12 health and human services agencies into five, negotiated lower prices with drug companies and replaced state workers with private contractors to screen and administer welfare benefits. It has since grown to include such functions as data management across state agencies and payroll processing for state employees.   "Anytime state government can provide the same or better services more efficiently and cost-effectively, the citizens benefit," said Allison Castle, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry.   Some have benefited more than others: Former Perry aides, state agency staff and legislators have gone to work for private companies that have profited from the outsourcing. The architect of the landmark legislation, for example, has earned between $1 million and $2 million as a lobbyist specializing in health care over the past four years.   Former state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth said the result of her legislation, known as House Bill 2292, has been smaller government that still served the needs of vulnerable Texans. "By reducing administrative costs, more money was available for social services programs, the benefits of the poor were protected and funding for foster-care programs actually increased," Wohlgemuth said.   The revolving door from public to private sector does more than enrich former public officials, critics contend.   "It undermines public faith in government when they see that kind of thing happening," said Andrew Wheat of Texans for Public Justice, a liberal group that tracks lobbying and campaign contributions. "It reconfirms the sense that these people are operating on the take and not in the public's best interest."   Policies and profits The state Health and Human Services Commission reported more than $15.5 billion in contracts in fiscal year 2007, according to the most recent figures available from the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislature's fiscal and budgetary office. That was 58 percent of overall state spending on health and human services and an 11 percentage- point increase over fiscal year 2003 contracting.   This year's health and human services budget is $29.3 billion. Commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said nearly $25 billion was for contracts, including payments to doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and private companies.   The belief that outsourcing promotes efficiency and cost savings is one that conservative activists and corporate interests have promoted in Austin over the last decade. It shaped HB 2292.   Gregg Phillips had a foot in both the corporate and political worlds that produced the legislation. He was hired as a senior official at the Health and Human Services Commission just as Wohlgemuth was introducing the first draft of HB 2292. As a deputy executive commissioner at Health and Human Services, Phillips played a leading role in shaping the legislation and promoting some of its more controversial elements. When state Rep. Brian McCall, a Plano Republican, expressed concerns about the plan to replace state welfare administrators with privately run call centers, Wohlgemuth arranged for him to tour an Austin call center that was handling applications for another state program. Phillips was his guide, McCall said.   Later, Phillips directed the agency's business case analysis, which predicted that the call centers would be cost-effective. (The call center program has cost taxpayers more than $250 million and is still not fully functional three years after its launch.)   Phillips was a former Republican Party fundraiser who presided over privatization initiatives as Mississippi's human services chief in the 1990s. A Mississippi legislative committee concluded in 1995 that Phillips had created "an appearance of impropriety" by going to work for a company after awarding it a $557,000 contract while in his state job.   From 1997 until August 2002, Phillips worked on health-care contracts for Deloitte Consulting LLP, a major government outsourcing firm, according to his state personnel file. Chris Britton, a former Republican legislative aide who had worked for Wohlgemuth and had advised Perry on health and human service issues when he was lieutenant governor and governor, was also heavily involved in the legislation.   Just weeks after leaving the governor's staff in late 2002, Britton was hired by Wohlgemuth to perform budget and legislative policy analysis, Britton said in an e-mail response. State campaign finance records show Wohlgemuth paid him $10,000 from campaign funds in 2003. Britton now works for Accenture LLP, another big outsourcing firm that along with Deloitte won contracts with the state after the passage of HB 2292.   Deloitte and Accenture also may have been involved in discussions about the outsourcing legislation. Phillips' office calendar shows that he met repeatedly with representatives of the two companies during the time he was working on the legislation. The Houston Chronicle first reported those meetings in 2005.   In a recent telephone interview, Phillips told The Dallas Morning News that he had "a lot of interaction with a lot of folks" but could not remember whether he met with Deloitte and Accenture while working on the bill.   Deloitte spokeswoman Melissa Norcross Wolf said the company "had no involvement in the drafting of HB 2292."   Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins said Accenture and Deloitte were among many parties interested in HB 2292. He defended the involvement of private contractors in discussions regarding the legislation.   "There's all kind of input that is provided into the legislative process from people who have expertise or those that might be interested in some business opportunity down the road," he said.   Hawkins said he was confident that Deloitte and Accenture did not improperly influence the legislation.   "The drafting process is under the control of the Legislature," Hawkins said. "While we share information about it, it's up to the author and the legislative committees as to what to include in their bills."   In this case, Wohlgemuth and her colleagues included the prevailing orthodoxy on outsourcing state health services, including the use of call centers to process applications for Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance.   Supporters said that would save time and millions of dollars by eliminating the jobs of thousands of state workers who accepted benefit applications in offices around Texas. From March 11, 2003, when Wohlgemuth filed HB 2292 in the Texas House, until it was signed three months later, the bill grew from 20 pages to 300 pages, including more than 150 amendments.   Wohlgemuth told colleagues the bill would "cut out inefficient bureaucracy, streamline programs that belong together, delete the duplication of services provided by the state and make government more user-friendly to the citizens of Texas." It would also save the state $1.1 billion, she said.   That was an irresistible pitch for lawmakers facing a $10 billion budget shortfall.   Landing contracts Once signed, the law set in motion another high-stakes competition as companies vied for contracts, drawing on well-established ties to key lawmakers.   Texas law bans contributions to lawmakers while the Legislature is in session and generally prohibits corporations and labor unions from directly contributing to politicians. But they are allowed to give money through political action committees, or PACs, registered groups set up by corporations, labor unions, professionals and others to accept and make campaign contributions.   The money given to officeholders by the Deloitte & Touche Texas Political Action Committee typifies the sort of targeted contributions made to advance a corporation's interests in Austin.   Since 2002, the Deloitte PAC has contributed more than $270,000 to political candidates and causes in Texas, according to state records. The largest contributions typically go to top officeholders – it has contributed more than $30,000 to Perry since 2004 and $17,500 to House Speaker Tom Craddick, who wields vast influence over legislation. Dozens of other contributions have gone to lawmakers on committees that deal with issues and legislation of interest to Deloitte.   In July 2003, the first month that Deloitte could resume contributions to lawmakers following the end of the legislative session, the Deloitte PAC made only one donation: $1,000 to Wohlgemuth, at the time a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and chairwoman of its subcommittee on health and human services. In September 2003, the Deloitte PAC contributed $1,000 to Rep. Dianne Delisi, then chairwoman of the State Health Care Expenditures Select Committee. She is also the mother-in-law of Deirdre Delisi, the governor's then-deputy chief of staff.   The next month, Deloitte Consulting won the first contract resulting from Wohlgemuth's legislation. The Health and Human Services Commission chose Deloitte as the lead consultant in the consolidation of agencies, a contract worth more than $1.8 million. A $1.2 million consulting contract went to Accenture. And Virginia-based Maximus Inc., another outsourcing firm that has since become a major player in Austin, won a $712,000 contract.   HB 2292's grand prize, however, was a contract to outsource the screening process for welfare benefits and to create call centers for accepting applications. The competition pitted outsourcing rivals Accenture and IBM, both of which hired a well-connected cast of lobbyists that included former legislators or executive branch staff.   In 2005, Health and Human Services awarded the $899 million call center contract to Accenture. IBM formally protested and later sued the state, alleging contract irregularities. IBM later withdrew the lawsuit. It declined to discuss its decision with The News, and Hawkins said IBM's complaints "were unfounded."   About 16 months later, IBM won an $863 million contract to manage state data for Texas. Supporters said the contract would save the state $159 million over seven years. (In October, after the state had already fined IBM $900,000 for failing to complete timely backups, Perry suspended further data transfers to IBM.)   Delayed care     When Accenture's four call centers began taking social services applications in January 2006, delays immediately plagued the system. Thousands of applications piled up, and by May the state halted further rollout of the call centers.   In 2007, the state canceled the contract at Accenture's request. A report by the Health and Human Services inspector general later criticized the agency for a flawed bid evaluation and inadequate contract oversight. It also found the Deloitte-designed software was significantly slower than the old state-run system.   Hawkins had supported the call centers as a way to save $600 million over five years. But problems have indefinitely delayed the system's statewide rollout, and so "we didn't achieve the savings," agency spokeswoman Goodman said.   Instead, Texas spent $30 million dealing with various problems with the Accenture contract and another $10 million on retention bonuses to keep experienced staff from leaving. For less than two years of work on the project, Accenture and its subcontractors were paid about $210 million.   The state paid Deloitte $116.6 million before the company turned the new computer system over to Accenture in 2005, even though there were still more than 500 defects, the inspector general's office later noted. After Accenture gave up the call centers contract, the state hired Deloitte back and is paying the company $115.6 million to help maintain the system through 2010.   Texas hired Maximus to take over operation of the four call centers and to perform other health and human services work. It has paid Maximus $141..2 million over the last two years.   Those who rely on health and human services programs, and their advocates, say the state has saved money through outsourcing but in a way that is seldom discussed: by delaying or denying care to people in need, inadvertently or by design.   Roxanne Anderson, 39, a part-time library aide for the city of Grand Prairie, said she couldn't afford to take her three children – ages 7, 9 and 11 – to the doctor if they weren't covered through the subsidized Children's Health Insurance Program for working-poor families. Anderson said she liked the convenience of a call center in applying for benefits, but lost paperwork at one of the centers resulted in her children losing their coverage for a month in early 2008. Front-line staff at the call centers also don't know much about the program, she said.   "It takes them a long time to find out answers to questions, and quite often I have to get transferred to a second layer," Anderson said.   Celia Hagert, an expert on state social programs at the nonpartisan Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, said these are common complaints since the state began outsourcing applicant screening.   Outsourcing this work raises a potential conflict between a private company's need to maximize profits and the state's emphasis on providing benefits to qualified applicants, regardless of the time or effort required, she said.   Whether that conflict has cost Texas taxpayers is not fully known. Government oversight agencies – particularly the state comptroller and auditor – have analyzed only a few troubled contracts to determine what, if anything, was saved by shifting government functions to private contractors.   A 2006 federal review found that Accenture's call center workers performed so badly that a "high percentage of cases" had to be returned because of missing information and other errors.   A Texas comptroller's office review that same year said the call center project was a case study in poorly executed outsourcing.   "Successful outsourcing relies on two things: well-written contracts that base payment on the contractor's good performance, and strong contract management practices to oversee the contractor's work," the review concluded. "The Accenture arrangement has neither of these. HHSC's lack of proper contracting practices has led directly to project delays, cost overruns and failed service to Texans."   Last month, after 20 months of negotiations, the Health and Human Services Commission announced that the Accenture team had agreed to forgo $70.9 million in payments it was seeking from the state. The team also agreed to repay $20 million and provide a $10 million credit against future work performed by Maximus.   Winners and losers     Health and human services officials said taxpayers have profited from HB 2292, specifically $962 million in savings from the consolidation of state agencies and workforce reductions, as well as the introduction of a preferred drug list for Medicaid patients.   "More importantly, I think, for the long run, we have put in place a more rational structure and way of providing those services that will be cost-effective over years to come," Hawkins said.   Lawmakers, lobbyists, former health and human services staff and former Perry aides have profited in various ways, as well.   Craddick, who became House speaker after the 2003 Republican takeover of the Legislature, secured a call center and a document processing center for the entire system for his hometown, Midland.   Britton, the former Perry aide who now works for Accenture, got part of a state contract awarded to a company founded by Phillips, the former Health and Human Services official. Britton's wife, Tiffiny, a former Texas House and Senate staffer, works for Wohlgemuth's Austin lobbying and consulting firm, Three Point Strategies, according to the firm's Web site. Like Wolhgemuth, her clients are mainly in the health-care sector, Texas Ethics Commission records show.   Since leaving his Health and Human Services Commission position in 2004, Phillips has won government outsourcing contracts from Texas and other states. In 2007, he hired Wohlgemuth for up to $25,000 to lobby for one of his firms, GHT Development Corp. Wohlgemuth, in turn, persuaded a former House colleague to insert an amendment in a bill that would have steered a state contract to GHT Development. That former colleague was Appropriations Committee Chairman Warren Chisum, who 18 months earlier had received a $9,000 contribution from a Wohlgemuth campaign fund, according to Texas Ethics Commission records.   After questions were raised by lawmakers, the amendment was stripped from the final budget legislation.   Phillips denied any attempt to steer a contract to his firm.   "I guess I don't understand what's inappropriate about a private business person hiring someone who's able to help them in the Legislature," he said. "Neither we nor she have violated any rules, laws or anything else."   Wohlgemuth didn't respond when asked about the amendment recently, but in 2007 she told The News: "I was trying to advantage my client."   GHT Development won a $275,000 no-bid contract in 2007 to supply the Texas Youth Commission with an automated placement system for juvenile inmates, state records show. Wohlgemuth had recommended Phillips, according to Jay Kimbrough, who was brought in to reform TYC and now serves as Perry's chief of staff.   A staff report in November by the Legislature's Sunset Advisory Commission found that Phillips' system had experienced such "significant problems" that TYC was still operating its old system.   Wohlgemuth ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Congress in 2004 and resurfaced two months later as a lobbyist. One of her first clients was the Texas Optometric Association. Two years earlier, while still a legislator, Wohlgemuth had voted to cut optometry benefits for the children of working poor. The 2005 Legislature restored them. Wohlgemuth's daughter, Cristen, a former lobbyist, served on the governor's staff from January 2007 until June 2008 when, the governor's office said, she went to work for Chisum.   "Former legislators who lobby do not violate either the spirit or the letter of Texas ethics laws," Arlene Wohlgemuth told The News in an e-mail. "People ... know that when I talk with them on behalf of a client they can rely on two things: first that what I tell them is absolutely truthful, and second that I bring to them only those ideas I believe are in the best interests of the State and her citizens."   Texans for Public Justice, which is critical of lobbyists and the influence of corporate money in state politics, said former lawmakers who use their legislative contacts and expertise for later profit erode confidence.   "Not many of these lawmakers remain there for life, and a shocking number of them wind up in the lobby," Wheat said. "If you have that in the back of your mind, you don't want to offend the biggest lobby interests in the state."   Staff writer Ryan McNeill contributed to this report.   The link to the article can be found HERE This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Texas health and human services chief to retire this year- American Statesman Staff

Texas health and human services chief to retire this year Hawkins called 'budget whiz' but couldn't solve all problems. By Corrie MacLaggan AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, May 15, 2009   The Texas official in charge of everything from food stamps to the troubled institutions for people with disabilities announced Thursday that he will retire this year.   Albert Hawkins, 56, health and human services executive commissioner since 2003, did not say exactly when he'll step down.   "We're all part of something bigger than each of us, something that provides value beyond our measure to millions of Texans," Hawkins told employees in an e-mail Thursday. "I'm proud to have been a part of an organization with such a noble mission."   Hawkins oversees five agencies, 50,000 employees and a $25 billion total annual budget, including state and federal money.   He "has the toughest job in state government," said Scott McCown, executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for low- and middle-income Texans. "He was honest and delivered about as much as this underfunded, overwhelmed state system could deliver."   A former budget director for then-Gov. George W. Bush who also worked for Bush in the White House, Hawkins is known as a budget whiz.   He "has been a quiet but powerful force in state government for decades," Gov. Rick Perry said. "His budget expertise is renowned, and he has brought compassion and a commitment to quality to every job he's had."   State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, who is on the House budget-writing team, called Hawkins "a walking, talking Wikipedia" and a "phenomenal human being."   One of Hawkins' first tasks as commissioner was overseeing the consolidation of the state's 12 health and human services agencies into five, which stemmed from a law written during a 2003 budget crunch that also made cuts to state services.   McCown said that Hawkins didn't solve the state's problems with processing applications for programs such as food stamps and Medicaid in a timely, accurate way. But McCown said that was largely because the Legislature didn't provide money for enough staff.   State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, said lack of financing from the Legislature might also be to blame for problems that the U.S. Department of Justice found at the state schools for people with mental disabilities.   (Mr. McCown, please.  It had nothing to do with "not enough money for staff"- but everything to do with a rush to privatize to line the pockets of Perry's buddies.  The state staff that had BEEN in place WERE processing cases timely and accurately before the entire privatization mess.  Where do you think all that enhanced funding from the feds came from?  No, staff left after they got "pink slipped via email" because the "powers that be" CONVINCED the legs that "private" could do it better, faster, and cheaper.  I wonder what the TRUE numbers are to the amt of money that TIERS/call centers/etc have truly cost Texas compared to what it cost BEFORE all this mess)   In March, Corpus Christi police said they obtained videos showing employees of the state school there organizing fights among residents.   Hawkins drew sharp criticism for an extensive privatization effort: a deal with Accenture LLP (later canceled) to enroll Texans in public assistance. And an agency he oversees was key in the 2008 child-welfare raid on a West Texas ranch owned by a polygamist sect.   (Has Texas gotten their payments BACK from Accenture yet?  Or have they swept all that under the rug?)   Perry has not named a replacement. But Hawkins let the governor know earlier this year that he didn't want to be reappointed, so Perry's office has begun interviewing potential replacements, said Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for Perry.   Among those, Castle confirmed, is Lowell Keig, general counsel for Youth & Family Centered Services, an Austin company that provides health, education and assisted living services to troubled children.   He is a former chief of the attorney general's Elder Law and Public Health division. Keig, who did not return a call seeking comment, has given thousands of dollars to Republican candidates since 2001, including at least $3,000 to Perry's campaign, according to records filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.   (Fabulous, another Perry crony- I wonder if this is all because Perry is going to lose his behind in the next election, and wants to hurry and appoint someone else......)   cmaclaggan@statesman.com; 445-3548 This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Thank Goodness!

HHS Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins to Retire AUSTIN ― Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins today officially notified the Governor of his intention to retire.   "I'm grateful for the opportunity to have served with so many state leaders and legislators who share a passion for public service," Hawkins said. "It has been an honor."   As commissioner, Hawkins oversees the state's five health and human services agencies, which have combined budgets of $25 billion a year and more than 50,000 employees. Gov. Perry appointed Hawkins to the role in January 2003.   "Albert Hawkins has been a quiet but powerful force in state government for decades," said Gov. Rick Perry. "His budget expertise is renowned, and he has brought compassion and a commitment to quality to every job he's had. We are going to miss his leadership."   Hawkins, who has 35 years of experience in state government, led one of the largest reorganizations in U.S. history after the 2003 Texas Legislature consolidated 12 state agencies into five new agencies under his oversight. The reorganization was completed on time and achieved almost $1 billion in savings with no disruption in services.   Under Hawkins' leadership, Texas: (see if you can guess what's MISSING from his accomplishments.....) Reformed child and adult protective services. Texas has hired hundreds of additional frontline employees, improved training, and used technology to link the caseworker in the field to the supervisor in the office. Made the Texas Medicaid program a national model for innovation. Texas has developed electronic Health Passports to help doctors better care for children in foster care, now provides 24-hour access to nursing care and personalized treatment plans for Medicaid clients with chronic health issues, and has made administrative changes that have saved hundreds of millions of dollars. Organized massive and compassionate responses after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike. After Hurricane Ike, the Health and Human Services Commission set up makeshift offices in churches and tents to provide emergency food stamps to storm victims. And Texas was the first state to negotiate a federal waiver to provide assistance to Katrina refugees. While other states waited for Congress to act, Hawkins negotiated a deal that protected Texas taxpayers and provided the storm's victims with much-needed medical coverage and food assistance. Increased federal funding for state services. Federal UPL payments to Texas doctors and hospitals more than doubled and funding for services to Texans who are deaf and hard of hearing increased significantly. Expanded community placements options by working with the Legislature to provide services for almost 20,000 more people with disabilities and special health care needs. Before his appointment as health and human services executive commissioner, Hawkins served as a senior White House aide to President George W. Bush for two years. From 1995 to 2000, Hawkins was the budget director for the Governor's Office, and he worked at the Texas Legislative Budget Board for 16 years.   Hawkins is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Bob Bullock Award for Outstanding Public Stewardship in 2004; Distinguished Alumnus of LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2001; the Texas State Administrator of the Year in 1998; the Whitney M. Young Award from Austin Urban League in 2005; and the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Austin Chapter of Blacks in Government in 2005.   Hawkins earned a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975.  He received a master's of public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in 1978.   This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Texas Overwhelmed Article

Texas overwhelmed by food stamp, Medicaid applications By Corrie MacLaggan | Thursday, April 9, 2009, 08:38 AM   Overwhelmed by an increase in applications for food stamps and Medicaid, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has postponed plans to expand use of a new computer enrollment system, officials said today.   "The national economic situation has certainly arrived in Texas, at least in our offices," said Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the commission.   Statewide, Texas is struggling to meet the 30-day federal standard for processing food stamp applications and the 45-day standard for Medicaid applications. For example, in March, the state met the food stamp deadline for 76.4 percent of applications (95 percent is the goal).   Enrollment in food stamps is up almost 20 percent from a year ago, according to the commission.   The Commission has been gradually expanding use of the TIERS computer system, which was designed to replace a decades-old system called SAVERR that is still in use in many state offices.   TIERS (Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System) is already in place in the Austin area. The El Paso area was scheduled to get the new system next. But the commission's chief, Albert Hawkins, decided to delay the El Paso plan.   Goodman said: "It's tough to make any changes when you're drinking from a fire hose." She said the problem had to do with workload and not the system itself. The state is struggling to meet time standards for applications in both SAVERR and TIERS, she said.   But TIERS has been criticized, and State Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, vice chairman of the House Committee on Human Services, has filed a bill that would halt further expansion of TIERS until cases processed in the system are completed accurately and on time.   "I applaud Commissioner Hawkins' decision to voluntarily postpone the expansion of TIERS so that previous mishaps, which resulted in lapse of services for eligible Texans, can be avoided," Herrero said in a statement.   Herrero's proposal, House Bill 3859, is scheduled to be considered by the human services committee today.   Here are some of the comments from the article:   By Wood Butcher April 10, 2009 12:41 PM | Link to this   I think that we as state and a nation are in deep trouble. Discussion of any issue draws personal insults and slights. Dare to say that a program is unconstitutional, when it is popular and brings in votes, then it becomes a question of politics. I would like to see politics discussed but I would like to see the discussion moderated by someone that knows the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Texas Constitution. We have lost sight of what is constitutional as opposed to what is a vote getter. We can not continue to support an ever larger government and ever increasing programs. The issue is not whether State Workers earn their pay but rather how is there going to be enough money to pay them? As more and more industries and institutions become tax free nationalized bureaucracies versus tax producing industries the money to make up the difference has to come from a shrinking pool of taxpayers. As we demand that our government take over personal well being we do so at our the expense of our personal freedom. When you suddenly start asserting states rights, that are incompatible to the way things were done "Back Home" or "Back Where I Came From", there is a culture clash caused by people not understanding the laws of "Our State".   By Beaula April 10, 2009 9:48 AM | Link to this The people who are getting food stamps while living in big homes and driving nice cars can't own the homes (and could be only days away from foreclosure) or the cars (could be borrowed). There are asset limits to these programs, which can be a real problem for people who have lost jobs, spent their savings, and can't sell the house or the car for more than the loan values. It takes awhile to learn how to live in poverty.   By kd April 10, 2009 9:37 AM | Link to this I am a state employee that left to go to work in the "real world". I more than doubled my salary but I did not enjoy the work. I made more money at the expense of my family. After two years I went back to work for the state but the only difference now is that before with the state I worked 40 hours a week…since being back 3 years I work anywhere from 45-70. And since the overtime has been cut I donate my time after 40 hours. It is against policy to work off the clock but these is no way to meet the demands of the job without the extra time. Remember we are in the business of helping the people of Texas. It may only be 50.00 a month in food stamp benefits but food stamps are a supplement to your income to assist with food cost. And last but not least it is a income based program so if a family is only receiving 50.00 a month it is due to the amount of income they receive monthly.   By Stateworker April 10, 2009 8:13 AM | Link to this Dear Newbieposter — you are seriously misinformed about state employees. All I can say to you is "don't hate!" Most of us work very hard, and for less pay than private employees doing the same kind of work. We do have good benefits, but we definitely earn them, and it is incentive to work for less pay than a private company. As far as we "can't get fired," welllll, let me say, I just saw about 4 people eliminated from our office just recently — kind of scary.   By amabo April 10, 2009 8:03 AM | Link to this Hey Newbieposter, you are a newbie "cushy jobs and unlimited budgets"? What state are you talking about? You should try working in the eligibility system for a few weeks and then decide if you want to call it cushy. It's low pay, non-stop work. As for unlimited budgets; you must be overmedicated. This past year the governor asked all agencies to cut back their budgets by 10% due to the projected shortfall of funds. Welcome to the party, but please do a little research first.   By newbieposter April 9, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this have you ever heard of a State worker that didn't think he/she was overworked and overwhelmed? they have cushy jobs where they can't get fired and unlimited budgets; try working in the real world   By Mary April 9, 2009 5:25 PM | Link to this National TV news reported that in some states people are getting food stamps that live in multi-million dollar homes, and drive very expensive cars. I hope our state doesn't have these type of applicants.   By DL April 9, 2009 3:44 PM | Link to this I would like to see any state politician try to live on $50.00 a week for food stamps, eating 3 square meals a day. No job, no insurance and facing eviction! Now that's what I call an enormous problem. Now what about the computer system???????   By backwards move April 9, 2009 2:46 PM | Link to this Incompetence in updating a software system is typical on how backwards Texas is. Even in a company software or IT changes are really management facilitated process changes. They can typically take years to completey implement. But who in tarnation wants to stick with outdated methods of running state agencies? This is really shocking but not surprising that "confusion, irresponsibility and sheer incompetence " are what is playing into delaying modern technology that could eventually streenline a business (in this case a state agency).   By whatever April 9, 2009 11:19 AM | Link to this Tiers does not work.. If it worked, it would have been rolled out statewide years ago. I say the state should cut their loses and start over. STOP the maddness. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. This insane.   By orlando garza April 9, 2009 10:37 AM | Link to this Stephanie Goodman is paid to tell you that all is well in the State of Texas. Ask her anything about what's really happening and her answer would be "duh?". The criminals in this case is HHSC "executive commissioner" Albert Hawkins and Governor Rick Perry. They should be hung by their toenails for crimes against humanity, namely the People of the State of Texas. These guys and their fat-cat cronies are robbing the State of Texas and lining their pockets with kickbacks and lining the pockets of their private sector co-horts with money that should be used to provide real services to those in need. You would think that after spending over one billion dollars on TIERS that it would be fully functional. Think again..TIERS is no where near being functional…as a matter of fact, it is estimated that it will be ten years before TIERS can be rolled out statewide. TIERS is the reason Texas is in this mess. I hope you do not have to wait in line for assistance because it will be a long wait for you.   By LB April 9, 2009 9:50 AM | Link to this In addition to my previous comment…the adminstrators and supervisors I have worked with to resolve problems have been extremely helpful and responsive to individual client issues. The problem is that there are so many screwed up cases they simply don't have the time or staff to go over every case that should have been handled correctly at the entry level in the first place. How about staffing local offices to full capacity again so clients can actually meet face to face, hand deliver documents, etc. so they don't get lost in the system. I know that the idea of having people apply over the phone was supposed to save money, but the problems created by this have certainly been extremely expensive as well.   By rubert April 9, 2009 9:44 AM | Link to this if we would as americans and start pointing are fingers at the people that are here illegaly just may be we wouldn,t have to support everyone that enters this country illegaly   By LB April 9, 2009 9:38 AM | Link to this Part of the problem with the current system being overwhelmed is that applicants end up having to apply over and over. A person will apply and the application is lost. When the applicant calls to check on why the benefits have not started in the allotted time, they are told we don't have your application, or you didn't send us the proper documentation, etc, etc. I have been working in the social services field for several years and have had more clients that I can remember have these issues with the system. This is on a good day. The last time the state switched computer/data base systems I had clients who were waiting 3 months or more for benefits only to be told the state had never received their applications. I understand that the system is overwhelmed and understaffed. Perhaps the state should concentrate on fixing the existing system (which is done primarily over the phone and through faxing documents) When you have clients submitting applications over and over and clients being removed from eligibility because the state lost their documentation you can begin to see the enormity of the problem.   This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Marquez and Herrero Discuss TIERS Rollout

Marquez and Herrero Discuss TIERS Rollout     FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE KDBC 4 NEWSROOM:   Say HHSC Decision to Halt Expansion is Just a Start   AUSTIN, TX-State Representatives Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) and Marisa Marquez (D-El Paso) held a press conference today outlining a proposal they joint-authored, HB 3859, which will provide oversight for the rollout of the Texas Integrated Eligibility and Redesign System (TIERS).  Last night, the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced that it is postponing its planned rollout of TIERS to Region 10 (El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster Counties).   "In times of economic hardship, as we face today, more Texans are in need of assistance in providing necessities for their families.  For those families, I filed HB 3859 to ensure the health services they are eligible to receive are provided efficiently and continuously," said Herrero.   TIERS is a new computer system intended to streamline and consolidate the application process for vital state services, such as food stamps and temporary assistance for needy families (TANF). In its pilot phase in central Texas, the program has been plagued with design and implementation problems. The program routinely holds up applications beyond federal guidelines, leaving people who are eligible for emergency benefits without them.   "This is an issue that often gets little attention, but it is poised to affect thousands of El Pasoans. I believe strongly that El Paso has to take a stand and demand that this program improve its performance before it is rolled out in our city. We cannot have a situation where technical glitches hold up food and medical care for hard working mothers and families in our area," said Marquez.   As part of HHSC's pilot program, there exist several thousand Region 10 cases already being handled with the new system. Marquez cites the results from those cases to indicate that a lot must be done before expanding the program into El Paso is a responsible action. Of the 64,145 total Region 10 (El Paso) December food stamp cases, only 5,430 (8.5%) were processed in TIERS. Despite this small fraction of cases, HHSC is at only 70.9% of the federal timeliness requirements. The older SAVERR system is handling close to ten times as many cases, and yet it is still processing cases at 92.7% of the timeliness requirements.   "The numbers that HHSC has shared with us do not indicate that TIERS is ready for El Paso. There are still system issues, inadequate staffing, and inadequate training in the program. All of that means that we will likely see the same problems that central Texas has seen--people who are eligible not getting their benefits on time. In this economy, we cannot risk those kinds of delays. That is why I am urging the agency to rethink its plans, and I am encouraged that they have recognized the need to do so in this case," said Marquez.   Marquez has said she will continue to track the issue and has urged the El Paso delegation to monitor the issue closely with her. Herrero and Marquez are laying out bills in the House Human Services Committee today addressing different parts of the eligibility/enrollment system. This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Flood of food stamp applications slows state's conversion to new software

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-tiers_10tex.ART.State.Edition2.4abea62.html  Flood of food stamp applications slows state's conversion to new software 12:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 10, 2009 By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News rtgarrett@dallasnews.com   AUSTIN – State social services officials, buffeted by a recession-driven surge in food stamp applications, have postponed further expansion of a troubled software system for handling requests for public assistance.   Social services czar Albert Hawkins said in a written statement Thursday that in Central Texas a recent conversion of about 75,000 families' cases to the new TIERS system has had "some challenges in achieving the timeliness benchmarks."   Under federal rules, applications for food stamps are supposed to be processed in 30 days.   But last month, Texas met that goal only about three quarters of the time, down from 83 percent of the time a year earlier, said Hawkins, executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.   He cited a 20 percent increase in food stamp enrollment over the past year – 24 percent in Dallas County. Aid applications of all kinds jumped by 14 percent during that time. Hawkins also indicated, though, that state eligibility workers have complained about insufficient mentoring and too little time to practice their skills with software known as Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System, or TIERS.   The state has been shifting food stamp, Medicaid and welfare recipients in Central Texas from an old mainframe computer to TIERS.   It planned to fully convert the El Paso region's caseload to TIERS next. However, Hawkins suspended that rollout indefinitely.   For months, he has been telling lawmakers he was unhappy with processing times and quality at Central Texas state offices.   Hawkins' delay of the switch of El Paso to TIERS also slows conversion of other regions, including North Texas, which was to happen in three phases next year. Commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman, asked if Dallas-area rollouts are affected, said, "Yes, they are also on hold."   Hawkins' move was applauded by lawmakers critical of TIERS.   Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi, who has filed a bill to halt further TIERS rollouts until it meets federal standards for timeliness and accuracy in processing applications, said families facing economic hardship deserve good service.   "I applaud Commissioner Hawkins ' decision to voluntarily postpone the expansion of TIERS so that previous mishaps, which resulted in lapse of services for eligible Texans, can be avoided," Herrero said. This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Vendor Scheduling

Wanted to address this comment as well:   Now local office are told not to send in the applications for the vendor to schedule but to have the local clerical staff schedule them. This is due to vendor scheduling applications untimely and several regions are under corrective action for timeliness directly related to the scheduling by the vendor. Amazing that the vendor was hired to do this work but as always the work has been pushed to the local level. What are they being paid for? I know.  Funny how when it all shakes out, it's the ADVISORS- THE WORKERS- who are put on corrective action, coached, etc for failing to meet timeframes- EVEN WHEN THESE WORKERS DON'T GET THE INFORMATION/APPT TIMELY!  Vendors, from what I understand, will schedule anything in the "next available appt" with NO regard to that particular case, when it's due, etc.  So slots can get filled with May/June 2009 recertifications (for example) and then as April 2009 recerts come in ... THERE ARE NO SLOTS and they are scheduled into May- LATE.  Local offices had control over that type of thing- and having vendor schedule, and not knowing how many apps are going to end up in Midland - it is impossible to plan the workload.   Again, the clients suffer and the workers suffer.  When offices had control over their schedule, they could plan, hold open slots, etc.  Problem is, you can have the local office schedule, but you never know how many clients are sending 1010's to Midland.  When you have a rolled out area, all the recert packets have the Midland return envelope.  So the choice to control it is GONE.    Local offices are on CAPS over this, is the vendor?  The more they push through, regardless of whether it was done right or not, the more they "justify" their position. This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Email regarding 2-1-1

Got this in email, and felt like I needed to respond:   The 211 information and referral option (option 1) actually works quite well. That option has nothing to do with food stamps but gets a really bad rap from frustrations like yours. I really don't mind your expressions of frustration over the TIERS portion, but when you mention 211 in one lump with TIERS, you are dragging the hard won, good work of 211 down with misinformation. Dial 211 from Anywhere in the state, choose option 1 and ask the call specialist to explain the difference. The option 1 folks are wonderful and make a huge positive difference in peoples lives! They are NOT for profit vendors. They work 24 hours a day, and they answer 80 percent of their calls in 60 seconds or less.   To the writer, I'm not talking about the referral service.  I'm talking about the componet of 2-1-1 that handles our client calls.  They are given mis-information, and because they are not state employees and do not know policy- it's next to IMPOSSIBLE to give correct information.  What is equally frustrating is the relationship between them and the local office staff.  Let me give you an example- let's say I interview a client in TIERS.  My case comments have my NAME, MY DIRECT PHONE NUMBER and all the information from the interview.  Because my notices don't print my name, if the client has a question, they call 2-1-1.  Instead of referring that client BACK TO ME personally, the LOCAL worker, they try to answer the question (or verify that information has or has not been turned in- true story:  had a client sent in checkstubs- when scanned, they weren't readable.  Client calls 2-1-1 and is told that information has been received- I try to contact client to ask them to bring checkstubs to LOCAL OFFICE for me, since they were not readable, can't reach client- I leave COMMENTS to that affect.....operator still tells client info there, case should be completed- had to DENY case- all the operator had to do is REFER *MY* CLIENT TO *ME*, but did not)...when you do have the operator refer client to office, they tell them they do not know who the worker is (remember, my NAME is there!) and give them main office number.   That's not client service, no matter how you slice it.   So again, yes- the information and referral service is fabulous.  It is.  Much better updated information than "we" have...but the other side of it?  NOT at all. This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Rollout

I've gotten some feedback of the last batch of "expansion" of TIERS- and it's not great.  I really feel for the staff in those offices, being a worker myself (thankfully, still in SAVERR, but slowly moving more and more into TIERS)....and seeing what it's doing.  I also know ART staff that are in Region 7 right now and trying to help the local offices, and in a word:  chaos.   Again, the push from "higher ups" is to get timeliness back in line...but what isn't considered by them is that when you have local office scheduling, and the vendor scheduling, it turns into a nightmare.  Also, local office staff are having to deal with clients who are thoroughly confused, and will call 211 for information, be given bad information, call the office upset- and you have new workers to TIERS trying to navigate the system and they don't know what to tell the clients EITHER.   I will say again what I've said all along- Texas had a well oiled machine before "jsap" and before TIERS- yes, SAVERR was somewhat antiquated, but it got the job done- timely and efficiently.  After all, Texas was getting enhanced funding for the QC error rate and high marks on timeliness.  And where has that all gone?  QC has gone through the roof, and timeliness is below standards.  TIERS, the way I understand it in a 100% TIERS office, has no real good tracking system for keeping up when cases are due.  It's not like SAVERR where you had a WIP to keep progress on pending cases- you only have the portal (which doesn't distinguish between Food stamp cases and medicaid cases, when it comes to due dates) and old antiquated manual tracking.  It's not enough, is it, to have workers learning TIERS in the midst of a job that won't slow down enough so you learn it well, and also having to manually report cases each day, and cases done, etc.  Nevermind the turnover and all the new folks coming in right now to learn it all in an environment, I would imagine, doesn't provide for much one on one help.   Who suffers in all this?  Why, the clients of course.  What, with TIERS generated notices that ask for things they don't need, and workers who don't even realize TIERS is generating these notices, to clients getting them and not understanding what the hell is going on.  This is client services?    My advice to anyone in the field in a newly expanded office is this:  while we have long been discouraged from encouraging our clients to call the legislators in their area- tell them to.  ESPECIALLY when the Vendor (2-1-1) is giving wrong information.  It makes the local field staff's job so much harder to have to fix something that is messed up.  Not to mention the fact that the state is continuing to expand into TIERS even though the call center that handles changes and Children's Medicaid Renewals are so very behind.  You realize what that leads to, right?  Clients leaning on the local office to do those things that CCC is supposed to do, adding to their already overburdened workload.  I know, for those of you out there that must deal with legislative complaints, that they are a pain.  Because then we (as an Agency) jump through hoops to get those cleared- but in the long run, if a local rep hears enough (much as they heard when Austin rolled), then maybe- JUST MAYBE- something would be looked at more closely.  The powers that be are counting on the fact that a big portion of our population are un or under educated, and are so focused on what WE are doing, that they WON'T call a legislator.   When you take a concept like 2-1-1 to deal with the actual cases, and take away the relationship that can be built between a worker and a client, you lose something in that translation.  I have heard stories where a client is interviewed, leaves the interview, has questions, calls 2-1-1 and is given crazy information.  If the "call center" concept wasn't there, that client would be calling their WORKER for information, and since it's that worker that actually INTERVIEWED the client and KNOWS the client's situation, the information would be closer to being correct.  That's gone.  And what is interesting is the push to NOT tell clients to call 2-1-1 but rather to call the local office, but every notice they get TELLS them to call 2-1-1.  Of course, the call center needs to have numbers, to justify their existence.    Please, email me what is going on.  Again, I have never and WILL never disclose who emails me  information.  Never have.  Never will.  I need my job as well.  I'm just trying to make it better.  This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Star-Telegram is doing a story on the Eligibility Offices- if you would be willing to be interviewed, or want to talk to them....you can email lnorder@star-telegram.com This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.

Long Time!

Been busy!   I hear Region 7 is totally rolled out into TIERS- anyone got any info from any of those offices?   I'll post some this week/weekend This post done through Yahoo! Mail. You can email me at hhscemployee@yahoo.com. Please know all emails are kept confidential, and your identity will never be disclosed.