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Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Good one....
Fr. John Whiteford gives a good commentary about the "Bittersweet Vindication of Carlos Guerra" given the fact that he called the demise of the contract (as did we) a LONG time ago.
Go check it out HERE.
Go check it out HERE.
Letter to the Editor
Re: "Texas terminating deal with main social services contractor – Medicaid, food stamp duties going back to state; official defends system, admits flaws," Wednesday news story.
The North Texas Food Bank applauds the decision by state Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins to end the contract that outsourced the food stamp program.
Now it's up to the Legislature to make sure the Health and Human Services Commission gets the staff and funding it needs to fix the problems privatization created.
The complicated food stamp program requires an adequate number of trained staff to run. If privatization had resulted in a more effective and efficient program, we would acknowledge that. But it only made things worse, delaying services to thousands of hungry North Texans.
The population served by this important program is our most vulnerable – the hungry, the poor, the elderly and our children. We cannot afford to try to get it right.
Jan Pruitt, CEO, North Texas Food Bank, Dallas
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Editorial: State learns lesson about privatization
Editorial: State learns lesson about privatization
San Antonio Express-News
3/19/2007
Perhaps the best lesson to be gleaned from the experience of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with Accenture LLP is this: Modernization of the state's public services is not necessarily synonymous with privatization.
Privatization has been a mantra of Gov. Rick Perry and the GOP leadership in Austin . In 2005, the state awarded a five-year, $899 million contract to a consortium of companies led by Accenture to run a pilot program for the Texas Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment Services.
The program covered eligibility and enrollment for the Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. But the privatized effort has been fraught with problems.
A report last year from the Center for Public Policy Priorities found that more than a third of people trying to call the eligibility centers were abandoned. The average wait for phone calls was 22 minutes. The consortium's computer system didn't interface with the state's system. And there's a good chance that rather than saving money, this experiment may end up costing Texas taxpayers.
This week, the state and Accenture agreed to cancel the contract. It was the right decision.
The Health and Human Services Commission still needs to modernize the delivery of its services. And a billion-dollar bureaucracy is bound to suffer from waste and inefficiencies that some degree of privatization can help cure.
The pilot program for integrated eligibility ought to offer some practical experience about which functions private contractors can perform and which state workers should perform. A looming question: How much will the terminated contract cost the state?
As the Legislature considers even greater privatization - for Child Protective Services - it should take this experience and the costs of privatization to heart.
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Roper: Privatizing welfare services would put profit above children
Roper: Privatizing welfare services would put profit above children
Austin American-Statesman
3/19/2007
3/19/2007
Texas recently announced the termination of its contract with Accenture, the private company the state hired to enroll Texans in health care, food stamps, and other social services. Though privatization was supposed to save the state money and improve services for families, thousands of the most vulnerable Texans were wrongly denied benefits and the state didn't save a dime.
Despite the failure of this privatization experiment, legislation is still in the works to privatize another essential state service - Child Protective Services, the child welfare arm of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. CPS investigates reports of child abuse and neglect and works to protect these children.
The first opportunity for the Legislature to discuss what to do about privatization will be this week when the Senate Health and Human Services Committee considers Senate Bill 758 by Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville. The bill calls for less privatization, but still moves Texas toward a privatized CPS system.
Historically an underfunded agency, there is no question that CPS needs more funding to hire additional staff and improve services for families. For 10 years, I represented CPS as a prosecutor and children in the foster care system as an attorney ad litem. I saw CPS' challenges firsthand. However, privatization won't solve the problem any more than it helped enroll Texans in public benefits.
A few weeks ago, I went on a fact-finding mission to Florida , which privatized its child welfare system over the past 10 years.
I talked with many of the people who are directly involved in the system, including lawyers, judges, service providers, community-based care agencies, state agency staff members and the guardians ad litem appointed to represent the best interests of the children in foster care. It became clear that privatization is not the solution.
For one thing, privatization is costly. In Florida , child welfare costs have risen. And despite the fact that the private companies promised more competition, better and more innovative services for children and families, more community involvement, more accountability and better outcomes for children, Florida has not seen substantial improvements. In fact, the rate of re-abuse after children have been returned home has risen since private entities took over.
In addition, privatization has failed to prevent the same problems in Florida that plague Texas ' current child welfare system - high caseworker turnover and caseloads as well as inadequate resources for services for families. I heard many stories of inexperienced caseworkers who don't know what they are doing and who don't return phone calls. Even some initial proponents of privatization admitted to me that Florida has made a huge mistake.
Privatization in Florida also has resulted in conflicts of interest. Back here in Texas , pressure to reform CPS by privatizing isn't coming from child advocacy groups or even CPS itself, but from those in the private sector who would make more money in a privatized system.
Inevitably, the desire to make the most money will lead to financial decisions that could trump the best interests of children.
Privatization is risky business. There are no guaranteed results - which is dangerous in a child welfare system that makes life or death decisions regarding children. Decisions made by CPS - whether abuse has occurred, whether to take a child from a parent, whether to return a child to a parent or whether to place the child with a relative or in foster care - should be made by public employees who don't have a conflict of interest.
Those in the child welfare system are the victims of bad choices made by grownups. Texas must make careful, thoughtful choices in the best interest of the children in the state's care. Privatization isn't one of them.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Ah, privatization: Texas provides case study of failure - Daily Kos
FSSA preps for privatization:
Indianapolis - On Monday, more than a thousand state employees will begin working for a computer giant. It's part of the state's efforts to privatize Indiana's welfare system. (more...)
Here's to hoping INDIANA caseworkers/office personnel don't get to experience the same personal hell we have in Texas.
FSSA preps for privatization:
Indianapolis - On Monday, more than a thousand state employees will begin working for a computer giant. It's part of the state's efforts to privatize Indiana's welfare system. (more...)
Here's to hoping INDIANA caseworkers/office personnel don't get to experience the same personal hell we have in Texas.
Valley leaders thrilled at canceling of Accenture contract
(My comments are in red at the bottom-HHSCEmployee)
Valley leaders thrilled at canceling of Accenture contract
March 17, 2007 - 4:11PM
AUSTIN — They said it wasn't working; now they say it's about time.
Leaders from the Rio Grande Valley praised the announcement last week that the state would phase out its contract with Accenture LLP, the company hired to help the state process eligibility applications for human-services benefits and oversee the Children's Health Insurance Program.
In 2005 the state entered into an $899 million contract with a group of companies led by Accenture. State leaders wanted to privatize the eligibility system for Medicaid and food stamps and let Accenture process CHIP applications.
The contract came after lawmakers in 2003 made cuts to the human-services budget.
But problems with the company's performance arose. Advocates of the working poor said families who applied for CHIP benefits found that the company lost and mishandled applications. CHIP enrollment dropped below 300,000 for the first time since the program started, but has since rebounded.
"The continuous mishandling of documents has resulted in thousands of children being dropped from CHIP, Medicaid and other services," said the Rev. John Lasseigne, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in San Juan and a leader of Valley Interfaith. "This has not only produced a loss of federal funding, but more importantly has jeopardized the health of our children."
Responsibility for handling CHIP applications is slated to be gradually returned to state employees.
But the move toward modernizing the state's eligibility centers continues. State leaders heard for several years from angry clients that closing local offices in favor of phone and Internet processing was a burden on people in poor and remote areas.
"Our goal hasn't changed," said Albert Hawkins, Health and Human Services commissioner. "We want to make it easier for Texans to apply for services by modernizing technology and letting citizens choose how they want to submit an application, whether that's in person or by phone, mail, fax or Internet."
Some Valley lawmakers praised the news that the contract would be phased out.
"Unfortunately, decisions made in 2003 devalued some of our most loyal state employees by jeopardizing 2,500 positions, and the result has been disastrous," said Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville.
Lucio and Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, both said the end of the contract was overdue and that state employees have benefits-handling expertise that private companies lack.
Hinojosa said it was high time to make the change.
"I called on state leaders last summer to cancel this contract because the private company was simply not getting the job done," he said.
Now that it's not spending the money on the Accenture contract, the state may have more money available in the long run to enroll more children in CHIP, said state Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, who sits on the House Committee on Public Health.
"When you spend $900 million, you better get your money's worth, and we definitely didn't get our money's worth with Accenture," Gonzales said.
Others argue the termination of the contract just goes to show that privatization works, because government can stop dealing with companies that don't meet expectations.
"If a private vendor fails to meet the agency's expectations, the state can hold that vendor accountable," Mary Katherine Stout, vice president of policy for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said in a statement. "Government employees never face such scrutiny for similar failures."
Leaders from the Rio Grande Valley praised the announcement last week that the state would phase out its contract with Accenture LLP, the company hired to help the state process eligibility applications for human-services benefits and oversee the Children's Health Insurance Program.
In 2005 the state entered into an $899 million contract with a group of companies led by Accenture. State leaders wanted to privatize the eligibility system for Medicaid and food stamps and let Accenture process CHIP applications.
The contract came after lawmakers in 2003 made cuts to the human-services budget.
But problems with the company's performance arose. Advocates of the working poor said families who applied for CHIP benefits found that the company lost and mishandled applications. CHIP enrollment dropped below 300,000 for the first time since the program started, but has since rebounded.
"The continuous mishandling of documents has resulted in thousands of children being dropped from CHIP, Medicaid and other services," said the Rev. John Lasseigne, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in San Juan and a leader of Valley Interfaith. "This has not only produced a loss of federal funding, but more importantly has jeopardized the health of our children."
Responsibility for handling CHIP applications is slated to be gradually returned to state employees.
But the move toward modernizing the state's eligibility centers continues. State leaders heard for several years from angry clients that closing local offices in favor of phone and Internet processing was a burden on people in poor and remote areas.
"Our goal hasn't changed," said Albert Hawkins, Health and Human Services commissioner. "We want to make it easier for Texans to apply for services by modernizing technology and letting citizens choose how they want to submit an application, whether that's in person or by phone, mail, fax or Internet."
Some Valley lawmakers praised the news that the contract would be phased out.
"Unfortunately, decisions made in 2003 devalued some of our most loyal state employees by jeopardizing 2,500 positions, and the result has been disastrous," said Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville.
Lucio and Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, both said the end of the contract was overdue and that state employees have benefits-handling expertise that private companies lack.
Hinojosa said it was high time to make the change.
"I called on state leaders last summer to cancel this contract because the private company was simply not getting the job done," he said.
Now that it's not spending the money on the Accenture contract, the state may have more money available in the long run to enroll more children in CHIP, said state Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, who sits on the House Committee on Public Health.
"When you spend $900 million, you better get your money's worth, and we definitely didn't get our money's worth with Accenture," Gonzales said.
Others argue the termination of the contract just goes to show that privatization works, because government can stop dealing with companies that don't meet expectations.
"If a private vendor fails to meet the agency's expectations, the state can hold that vendor accountable," Mary Katherine Stout, vice president of policy for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said in a statement. "Government employees never face such scrutiny for similar failures."
(HHSCEmployee Comment: Government employees never face such scrutiny for similar failures? When? Let's see, actually- the "Government Employees" were the ones that made it possible for Texas to receive MILLIONS of dollars in enhanced funding due to the accuracy and "correct" handling of cases from the Federal Government. Not only that, if an employee is NOT meeting requirements, they do face scrutiny- which is called TERMINATION. I realize that even responding to a comment made by Ms. Stout is a waste of time, given the "Think Tank" she works for...however, I felt it important that it's said. Texas Access Alliance took on a job it could NOT handle. Period. This is about issuing MILLIONS of dollars in State and Federal Benefits. TAX PAYER MONEY. Accenture/TAA got in this deal TO MAKE MONEY. And they DID- even though the results of this contract have been DISASTROUS to the people we serve. )
____
Elizabeth Pierson covers the state capital for Valley Freedom Newspapers. She is based in Austin and can be reached at (512) 323-0622.
____
Elizabeth Pierson covers the state capital for Valley Freedom Newspapers. She is based in Austin and can be reached at (512) 323-0622.
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Saturday, March 17, 2007
More Texas Access Alliance "stuff"
All DabJab posts regarding Texas Access Alliance are HERE.......what's interesting are some of the posts have information that I've missed on this blog...so it might be worth looking at.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Search Words
I just wanted to note that today I had someone search for my blog with this:
| Search Words | disgruntled state employee blog |
I just wanted to let anyone know who wasn't sure that contrary to what you may believe, I'm not disgruntled. I care about the agency I work for. I care about the clients that we serve. If I didn't, I wouldn't care what was going on in the offices- and rather than try and do something about it, I'd sit around work and gripe about it- and that's not what I'm doing.
Per Dictionary.com:
dis·grun·tle 
/dɪsˈgrʌntl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dis-gruhn-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
/dɪsˈgrʌntl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dis-gruhn-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –verb (used with object), -tled, -tling.
| to put into a state of sulky dissatisfaction; make discontent. |
That's so not my goal here.
Just felt like I needed to clear that up!
Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate
in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.
Human Services chief defends failed contract
© 2007 The Associated Press
(Link: HERE)
AUSTIN — Lawmakers had some tough questions for the state's health and human services chief on Thursday about his decision to sever ties with a contractor hired to help make it easier for needy Texans to receive public benefits.
Members of the House human services committee wanted to know what went wrong with the state's $899 million contract with the Texas Access Alliance, a group of companies led by Bermuda-based Accenture LLP.
Albert Hawkins, head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, announced Tuesday the agency was cutting ties with the contractor after efforts to re-negotiate the troubled contract failed.
"I've been frustrated to hear Accenture's bad and I'll agree Accenture was bad," said Rep. Patrick Rose, the committee's chairman. "But then what comes after Accenture's bad has been: 'But everything's fine.' I don't think our contracting quality control is fine."
Hawkins defended the 2005 contract, saying it included strong performance measures that let the state hold Accenture accountable for technical and operational problems that arose over the past 14 months.
The Texas Access Alliance was hired to help run a new state computer system that would let people apply for benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid over the phone, online or in person.
The project debuted in Travis and Hays counties in early 2006 and was supposed to be implemented in all 254 Texas counties by the end of the year. But technical and operational problems forced Hawkins to indefinitely delay the rollout last spring.
Problems also cropped up when the Texas Access Alliance took over processing applications for the Children's Health Insurance Program, the state's low-cost health insurance program for the children of the working poor.
The problems were so serious that Hawkins announced in December he was slashing the contract by more than $350 million and curtailing the responsibilities given to the group's employees.
But the state and company couldn't agree on the terms of the new contract, he said.
The state plans to sign short-term contracts with Accenture subcontractors to do some of the work over the next two months. Meanwhile, officials will decide what jobs should be done by state workers and what jobs can be outsourced.
Rose, a Democrat from Dripping Springs, said his committee wants to be closely involved in that process. He asked Hawkins to give them a list of lessons learned from the contract's failures and regular updates on decisions about the project's future.
"I think it would be a mistake for us to think that the Legislature doesn't need a larger role in monitoring and overseeing and maintaining quality control over the process," he said.
Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast
with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Indiana Politics
Indiana is also in the throes (it appears) of privatizing......here's what was posted there:
Big Deal: Texas Ends Accenture Contract Early Amid Problems, Lack Of Savings
"'You suggest that this agency has not acted in good faith and has retreated from agreements we reached in December,' Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins wrote Monday in a letter to Accenture. 'This is incorrect. To the contrary, (the options Accenture offered) contradicted many of the agreements Accenture made with the state.'
"As the deal dissolves, Accenture spokesman Jim McAvoy said he doesn't expect either side to blame the other for what went wrong.
"'The state's position on funding wouldn't permit us to successfully operate the program,' McAvoy said.
Big Deal: Texas Ends Accenture Contract Early Amid Problems, Lack Of Savings
"'You suggest that this agency has not acted in good faith and has retreated from agreements we reached in December,' Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins wrote Monday in a letter to Accenture. 'This is incorrect. To the contrary, (the options Accenture offered) contradicted many of the agreements Accenture made with the state.'
"As the deal dissolves, Accenture spokesman Jim McAvoy said he doesn't expect either side to blame the other for what went wrong.
"'The state's position on funding wouldn't permit us to successfully operate the program,' McAvoy said.
Investigation?
Senators seek investigation of troubled social services contract
03/15/2007
I'm going to copy pieces of the above linked article, so I can comment on it (what is below is NOT the full article, that can be found by clicking the link above)...I've taken the liberty of BOLDING that information out of the article that jumped out at me:
"Nearly every state senator has signed a letter asking the inspector general of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate the failed contract with the company hired to privatize the state's social services eligibility system. "
Good. I hope they do a thorough investigation into the relationships of those involved in this
mess. I'm telling you, as a "lay person" who has no inside information to any of this- SOMEONE is getting rich off this disaster.
mess. I'm telling you, as a "lay person" who has no inside information to any of this- SOMEONE is getting rich off this disaster.
The letter, signed by 30 of the 31 state senators, asks the inspector general to conduct an integrity review, and if warranted, a full-scale investigation of both the new computer system and the contract for running it.
I'd like to know which state senator DIDN'T sign the letter. If your DID- send him/her an email thanking them for doing what should have been done A LONG TIME AGO. A full scale investigation into TIERS ought to be quite eye opening to many people on the "outside". The amount of money spent on TIERS is beyond comprehension considering the product that is out there.
Accenture spokesman Jim McAvoy said the company will cooperate fully with the investigation. Commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said the agency will provide any information that is requested.
"It's hard to imagine that there's a document in the building that hasn't already been provided to every losing candidate for governor, the employees union and IBM's attorneys, but we'll keep the copy machine warmed up and ready to go," she added.
Well, at least Stephanie Goodman is keeping her sense of humor. I mean, she WAS trying to be funny, right? "every losing candidate for governor"? Ha ha ha ha ha......I mean, I'm sure Rick
HairPerry asked for information too, didn't he? Oh? He didn't care? I'm sorry. Wait, and "the employees union and IBM attorneys"? Yeah, so when a union full of employees wants to know what's going on and uses their right to see documents to ensure that this scam is put
out there- and the HHSC spokesperson has jokes. That's great. I wonder if she believes her own rhetoric? It's amazing that the same employees that Anne H says have important ideas and input are the employees represented in the public via a spokesperson who is so professional.
"It's hard to imagine that there's a document in the building that hasn't already been provided to every losing candidate for governor, the employees union and IBM's attorneys, but we'll keep the copy machine warmed up and ready to go," she added.
Well, at least Stephanie Goodman is keeping her sense of humor. I mean, she WAS trying to be funny, right? "every losing candidate for governor"? Ha ha ha ha ha......I mean, I'm sure Rick
HairPerry asked for information too, didn't he? Oh? He didn't care? I'm sorry. Wait, and "the employees union and IBM attorneys"? Yeah, so when a union full of employees wants to know what's going on and uses their right to see documents to ensure that this scam is put
out there- and the HHSC spokesperson has jokes. That's great. I wonder if she believes her own rhetoric? It's amazing that the same employees that Anne H says have important ideas and input are the employees represented in the public via a spokesperson who is so professional.
Austin American Statesman
I noticed that the blog was getting quite a few hits from the Austin American Statesman website today- and found where it was linked....you can see it HERE. (It's nothing big, but increases exposure, which is necessary to continue on with the goal of getting HHSC back to the level it used to be).....
Some Links for Today
Accenture, Texas say adios to outsourcing contract - Washington Technology, DC
Texas to Wind Down Outsourcing Deal with Accenture - Computer Business Review
Accenture, Texas Health and Human Services Commission Agree to End.... - Trading Markets
State ends ACCESS contract -Odessa American,TX
Accenture-ating the Positive - Texas Observer Blog
**If you come across any articles today that need to be posted, put the link in the comments!
Texas to Wind Down Outsourcing Deal with Accenture - Computer Business Review
Accenture, Texas Health and Human Services Commission Agree to End.... - Trading Markets
State ends ACCESS contract -Odessa American,TX
Accenture-ating the Positive - Texas Observer Blog
**If you come across any articles today that need to be posted, put the link in the comments!
Another Search you can do
If you want to read some of the other bloggers out there talking about the failure of the Accenture deal, you can click HERE.
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