Saturday, May 13, 2006
Do you ever wonder why the Austin American Statesman doesn't cover the Accenture mess?
Well, guess where Stephanie Goodman once worked?
A reliable source reports that she was a big management suck-up (Big surprise as we know she did that at DHS - before the Wohlgemuth / Phillips / HB2292 / redistricting / Accenture / HHSC reign - and obviously during...) and that "her s*** didn't stink." This also explains how she deals with the media - goes straight to the top to complain & doesn't waste her time talking to the columnists or reporters (peons). She tries to find one minor factoid or something she thinks they can't prove in writing & requests a complete retraction.
And you know what? I don't think I have yet to see that Accenture has fulfilled the terms of their contract. Where are the savings? If they are there, why would HHSC and Accenture complain to anyone? Why are they upset that Grandma wants to do an audit?
Seems to me like they might have something to hide.
T E X A S S T A T E E M P L O Y E E S U N I O N
MAY 15, 2006
NEWS Bulletin
Call centers on hold as air goes out of IEES bubble
MAY 4: HHSC announces the cancellation of layoffs plus retention pay, more positions
HHSC responded to calls from TSEU & many legislators with an announcement that:
The disastrous roll-out of the call center plan in Travis and Hays counties magnified the already widespread doubts about the program.
At least 30 state legislators have signed one of the several letters to state officials calling for a moratorium on roll-out steps, and for investigations of the Accenture contract.
HHSC has been forced to put the whole plan on hold.
May 10: New “Business Process” plan moves all work back to local offices.
The near-complete stand-down of the call centers is laid out in the “Interim Business Processes for the New Integrated Eligibility System.”
Some of the key points are:
There will be no reductions in eligibility staffing for at least the next twelve months. HHSC will add 1000 additional state eligibility employees to the previously announced total of about 2900 after full implementation of the new system. The announcement says that there are currently 4800 eligibility employees in the system, so a future total of 3900 means a reduction of about 900 by full implementation.
HHSC will begin a program of bonuses to convince current employees to stay. State employees will be assigned to the Midland call center to make sure that callers get accurate information.
No new cases will be processed through the San Antonio call center.
TAA contractor staff will get new training because they have been unable to give accurate information to callers.
“All work in progress and any new applications for requests for assistance submitted prior to May 10, 2006 will be handled through TLM to the appropriate office or customer care center. However, no work will be returned to the vendor.”
All applications and redeterminations for Food Stamps, TANF, Adult Medicaid, etc will be processed at local HHSC offices.
Some TAA/contractor staff will be assigned to local HHSC offices to enter data into a work log and perform similar functions. It is not clear what other work the contractor will be doing.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS:
Problems with the TIERS/IEE/TAA/Call Center plan are not minor start-up bugs. They show the plan does not & will not work.
The State of Texas should not continue to throw good money after bad by continuing to fund the Accenture contract. Accenture is not doing the work they were hired to do. When state employees can’t do our jobs, we get fired. The same should be true for this Bermuda based corporation that is expecting pocket almost $1 billion of Texas taxpayers’ money.
Instead of dumping more state money into the Accenture rat hole, HHSC should hire and train state employees to staff the local offices and rebuild an eligibility system that works.
WHAT TO DO NOW:
Push every co-worker to join the union. This is a major victory, but there is more work to do. The ones who sat back because they thought it was hopeless need to help make the victory complete by joining now.
Contact your state representative & senator ASAP.
Tell them: “My name is _________. I vote in your district. I am calling to ask you to stop the Health and Human Services call center plan. It is a waste of taxpayer money and it destroys services for Texans. We are in a staffing crisis at HHSC. We need your help to hire more staff to replace the hundreds of state employees who have left. What will you do to get HHSC to hire more staff & stop the call center implementation?”
From A Reliable Source:
The word from a reliable source is that FNS Dallas is now investigating the overpayments in TIERS that have been occuring for more than 1 year.
Again, from reliable sources, no fix has been implemented so the overpayments continue & OIG is not attempting to recover these overpayments because of the difficulty is determining what occurred on a case action in TIERS. FNS will consider these agency errors due to system problems.
Therefore, they are state liabilities that must be paid out of state, NOT federal, funds. A year ago, the estimate of this liability was $1.4 million.
Also, word is that FNS Regional Administrator William Ludwig sent HHSC Commissioner Hawkins another "Dear Al" letter in the past few weeks - denying retroactive funding for the call center initiative to the tune of $24 million!
Therefore, Al will have to break the news to the lege that the $24 mil must come out of the state coffers! Ms. Strayhorn will not like that. Go one-tough-grandma!
Again, from reliable sources, no fix has been implemented so the overpayments continue & OIG is not attempting to recover these overpayments because of the difficulty is determining what occurred on a case action in TIERS. FNS will consider these agency errors due to system problems.
Therefore, they are state liabilities that must be paid out of state, NOT federal, funds. A year ago, the estimate of this liability was $1.4 million.
Also, word is that FNS Regional Administrator William Ludwig sent HHSC Commissioner Hawkins another "Dear Al" letter in the past few weeks - denying retroactive funding for the call center initiative to the tune of $24 million!
Therefore, Al will have to break the news to the lege that the $24 mil must come out of the state coffers! Ms. Strayhorn will not like that. Go one-tough-grandma!
Friday, May 12, 2006
Another Friday over with - a 10 hour day now. I can't believe how much work there is now! If I hadn't had such a headache and wasn't so tired, I'd probably still be there.
We're losing a few more of our "temps"......and a couple more regular staff. They're going to CPS. They're actually happy about it. Once upon a time, CPS was viewed as the last resort. After all, they bear the weight of responsibility for so many children, and the blame when they system fails (and I don't mean just in CPS, mistakes are made by the courts also). Their turnover rate used to be much higher than ours. Now we're abandoning ship to get out of HHSC.
(I always said I was going to ride this ship down.)
There was a hail-storm in the news yesterday. I'm not finding much today, but I did get to catch up on Lost via MSNBC.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11102238/
Well, I think it's Miller Time now. Enough HHSC for the day.
We're losing a few more of our "temps"......and a couple more regular staff. They're going to CPS. They're actually happy about it. Once upon a time, CPS was viewed as the last resort. After all, they bear the weight of responsibility for so many children, and the blame when they system fails (and I don't mean just in CPS, mistakes are made by the courts also). Their turnover rate used to be much higher than ours. Now we're abandoning ship to get out of HHSC.
(I always said I was going to ride this ship down.)
There was a hail-storm in the news yesterday. I'm not finding much today, but I did get to catch up on Lost via MSNBC.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11102238/
Well, I think it's Miller Time now. Enough HHSC for the day.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Legislators want welfare agency to explain woes
Web Posted: 05/11/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Guillermo X. GarciaExpress-News Staff Writer
Lawmakers pressed the state's welfare agency Wednesday to answer questions they have raised over a troubled state plan to privatize parts of the agency's eligibility system for assistance programs.
Legislators said they are angry and concerned with ongoing problems in the state's effort to streamline the processing and screening of welfare applications.
The lawmakers were reacting to a move made effective Wednesday by the Health and Human Services Commission that will have state employees performing intake functions that were being done by Texas Access Alliance, a group of companies led by Accenture LLP, a Bermuda-based private company.
They also want to know how much the state has paid under its $899 million, five-year contract with Accenture, which contracted to take on the processing of applications for such programs as Texas' low-cost insurance program for children, Medicaid and food stamps via the Internet or through four call centers.
Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said he was so bothered by "this experiment with people's lives that is simply not working," that he will introduce a bill that would nullify the Accenture contract.
Also Wednesday, Reps. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, and Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, wrote in a letter to Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn that they are "deeply concerned about the viability of the agency's plans as they are currently conceived."
They asked Strayhorn's office to investigate whether the state is properly overseeing Accenture and to find out how much Accenture has been paid and how much work it has completed.
"We believe the people of Texas deserve a closer look at the HHSC integrated eligibility plan," they wrote. "Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are funding a problem-plagued plan that threatens the health and safety of our citizens."
Strayhorn, who is running for governor as an independent and is a harsh critic of Gov. Rick Perry, jumped on the request.
"The Accenture contract appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services for our most vulnerable Texans and profiteering" at taxpayer expense, she said.
In yanking some of the contractor's functions, HHSC acknowledged that it has encountered a host of unforeseen problems and that a fix will take longer than expected.
Detractors of Accenture's work point to a decline in enrollment numbers as proof that the new system is not working.
Statewide, the rolls of the Children's Health Insurance Program have dropped from more than 500,000 in 2004 to nearly 330,000 this year. There are 1.3 million uninsured children in Texas, according to the U.S. Census.
"To say that the program is not working is not accurate. This is truly a disaster," Hinojosa said.
"Whatever savings the state is going to realize, it is going to come off the disenfranchised people who are not getting the service because of all the snafus."
The rollout of the program, following a pilot program in Travis and Hays counties, has been placed on hold indefinitely, and state workers have taken over some of the work the private company was performing.
In signing the contract, Texas officials last year predicted that the state would save $646 million over five years.
It is not clear how much the state now projects it will save.
Uresti said he wants HHS Commissioner Albert Hawkins "to terminate this contract, or present us with a backup plan that works, because I fear that Texas taxpayers are going to be left holding the bag" if projected savings are not realized.
ggarcia@express-news.net
TEXAS STATE EMPLOYEES UNION
EMAIL BROADCAST UPDATE TO MEMBERS May 11, 2006
Strayhorn announces audit of Accenture contract
Texas Controller of Public Accounts Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced on May 11 that heroffice will investigate the $899 million contract to operate human services eligibility call centersand provide other services. The state contract with Accenture has been heavily criticized byTSEU, advocacy groups, and numerous legislators. The criticism has increased as the disastrousroll-out of the call center plan in Travis and Hays counties highlighted the many problems withthe TAA/IEE/ Accenture/call center plan.
The investigation was requested by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D - El Paso) and Reps. Carlos Uresti(D- San Antonio) and Carter Casteel ( R - New Braunfels).
Following is the text of the article from the Austin American Statesman:
***************************************************
Strayhorn says she'll audit state contractorAccenture under fire for CHIP, call center contracts.
By Liz AustinAUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Thursday, May 11, 2006
At the request of three lawmakers, state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn plans toinvestigate the contractor processing applications for Texas' low-cost insurance program forchildren and running the state's new benefits eligibility system.
The contractor, Texas Access Alliance, is a group of companies led by Accenture, aBermuda-based technology consulting firm.
"The Accenture contract, to me, appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reducedaccess to services . . . and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers," said Strayhorn, who hopes tounseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November.
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, asked her Wednesday to conduct a comprehensive auditand performance review, saying it could "shed some light on the ongoing problems that arenegatively affecting tens of thousands of Texans."
Later in the day, state Rep. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, and state Rep. Carter Casteel, R-NewBraunfels, said in a letter to Strayhorn that they're "deeply concerned about the viability of theagency's plans" for its new eligibility system.
More than 30,000 children have left the Children's Health Insurance Program rolls since Dec. 1,and total enrollment has dipped below 300,000 for the first time since 2001, when the programwas in its infancy.
Advocates blame enrollment declines on the contractor, citing complaints that applications werelost, payments were not credited to the proper accounts and families have been improperly deniedbenefits.
An Accenture spokesman and Texas Health and Human Services Commission spokeswomanStephanie Goodman said they had not heard about Shapleigh's request and could not immediatelycomment.
In the past, state officials have defended the consortium, saying it did not start handlingapplications until January, after the decline began.
Technical and operational problems have also dogged the other program the consortium isrunning, forcing the state to twice delay the rollout of a new computer system that lets peopleapply for benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Familiesover the phone, online or in person.
Using the new system, the state planned to replace 99 of its 310 eligibility offices and 2,900 of its5,800 eligibility workers with four private call centers.
The system was unveiled in January in Travis and Hays counties and was supposed to beimplemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposedto be using the new system by the end of the year.
But Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has called for two30-day delays, saying he wants to see better training for customer service representatives at callcenters, a process to more quickly resolve complicated cases, better reporting tools to track casesand staff workload and improved data collection.
Strayhorn has been sparring with state leaders over the limits to her authority to investigate stateagencies. Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled last week that she is limited by state law toreviewing agency expenses, receipts and disbursements. ***************************************************Copies of the letters requesting the investigation will be posted on TSEU's web site.
******************************************************************************
By Liz AustinAUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Thursday, May 11, 2006
At the request of three lawmakers, state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn plans toinvestigate the contractor processing applications for Texas' low-cost insurance program forchildren and running the state's new benefits eligibility system.
The contractor, Texas Access Alliance, is a group of companies led by Accenture, aBermuda-based technology consulting firm.
"The Accenture contract, to me, appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reducedaccess to services . . . and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers," said Strayhorn, who hopes tounseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November.
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, asked her Wednesday to conduct a comprehensive auditand performance review, saying it could "shed some light on the ongoing problems that arenegatively affecting tens of thousands of Texans."
Later in the day, state Rep. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, and state Rep. Carter Casteel, R-NewBraunfels, said in a letter to Strayhorn that they're "deeply concerned about the viability of theagency's plans" for its new eligibility system.
More than 30,000 children have left the Children's Health Insurance Program rolls since Dec. 1,and total enrollment has dipped below 300,000 for the first time since 2001, when the programwas in its infancy.
Advocates blame enrollment declines on the contractor, citing complaints that applications werelost, payments were not credited to the proper accounts and families have been improperly deniedbenefits.
An Accenture spokesman and Texas Health and Human Services Commission spokeswomanStephanie Goodman said they had not heard about Shapleigh's request and could not immediatelycomment.
In the past, state officials have defended the consortium, saying it did not start handlingapplications until January, after the decline began.
Technical and operational problems have also dogged the other program the consortium isrunning, forcing the state to twice delay the rollout of a new computer system that lets peopleapply for benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Familiesover the phone, online or in person.
Using the new system, the state planned to replace 99 of its 310 eligibility offices and 2,900 of its5,800 eligibility workers with four private call centers.
The system was unveiled in January in Travis and Hays counties and was supposed to beimplemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposedto be using the new system by the end of the year.
But Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has called for two30-day delays, saying he wants to see better training for customer service representatives at callcenters, a process to more quickly resolve complicated cases, better reporting tools to track casesand staff workload and improved data collection.
Strayhorn has been sparring with state leaders over the limits to her authority to investigate stateagencies. Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled last week that she is limited by state law toreviewing agency expenses, receipts and disbursements. ***************************************************Copies of the letters requesting the investigation will be posted on TSEU's web site.
******************************************************************************
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State's Privatization Fiasco
Dear Editor,
To its credit, the Chronicle has been extensively writing about the privatization fiasco at HHSC, perhaps the only publication educating the public about the tax dollars wasted in this endeavor. I wish to extend this goal by informing the public about a similar boondoggle concerning HB 1516, enabling the Texas Department of Information Resources to privatize numerous state services. This plan will be detrimental to many Texans and must be addressed. Therefore, I have crafted a Web site with background information about DIR's nefarious plans (www.geoci ties.com/momus_98) and encourage all persons to speak out against this plan. It is important that people know how the state plans to spend the tax dollars it has collected.
Eric Harwell
To its credit, the Chronicle has been extensively writing about the privatization fiasco at HHSC, perhaps the only publication educating the public about the tax dollars wasted in this endeavor. I wish to extend this goal by informing the public about a similar boondoggle concerning HB 1516, enabling the Texas Department of Information Resources to privatize numerous state services. This plan will be detrimental to many Texans and must be addressed. Therefore, I have crafted a Web site with background information about DIR's nefarious plans (www.geoci ties.com/momus_98) and encourage all persons to speak out against this plan. It is important that people know how the state plans to spend the tax dollars it has collected.
Eric Harwell
Guerra, Garcia and now Strayhorn
First, they try to discredit the reporters.
Now they are trying to keep State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn from doing her job.
I don't know about you, but I am tired of the conspiracies and dirty contracts! Let the auditors do their work. I can only guess that the reason they don't want the contract investigated is that the dirty dealings behind them will come to light.
Now they are trying to keep State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn from doing her job.
I don't know about you, but I am tired of the conspiracies and dirty contracts! Let the auditors do their work. I can only guess that the reason they don't want the contract investigated is that the dirty dealings behind them will come to light.
Senator Asks Strayhorn to Audit State Contractor
Liz Austin
Associated Press
5/11/2006
AUSTIN - At the request of three lawmakers, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn plans to investigate the contractor in charge of processing applications for Texas' low-cost insurance program for children and running the state's new benefits eligibility system.
The contractor, Texas Access Alliance, is a group of companies led by Accenture, a Bermuda-based technology consulting firm.
Strayhorn, who hopes to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November, said Wednesday the review will be a top priority for her staff.
"The Accenture contract to me appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services ... and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers," she said.
Democratic Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso asked her Wednesday to conduct a comprehensive audit and performance review, saying it could "shed some light on the ongoing problems that are negatively affecting tens of thousands of Texans."
Later in the day, Democratic state Rep. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio and Republican state Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels said in a letter to Strayhorn that they're "deeply concerned about the viability of the agency's plans" for its new eligibility system.
"Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are funding a problem-plagued plan that threatens the health and safety of our citizens," they said in the letter. "Our taxpayers and vulnerable citizens deserve to know how they will be affected by these questionable policy changes."
More than 30,000 children have left the Children's Health Insurance Program rolls since Dec. 1, and total enrollment has dipped below 300,000 for the first time since 2001, when the program was in its infancy.
The state granted a reprieve to another 28,000 children late last month after finding out families reapplying for CHIP were given too little time to respond to letters requesting enrollment fees or missing information.
Advocates blame the CHIP enrollment declines on the contractor, saying parents have complained that applications were lost, payments were not credited to the proper accounts and families have been improperly denied benefits.
"The stakes are high and these mistakes cannot continue," Shapleigh said.
Commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said the agency has briefed Strayhorn's staff on the project and will provide additional information about the contract.
"We remain committed to our core goals for this project - to finally provide Texans with a choice in how they apply for services, to modernize a system developed in the 70s and to generate administrative savings that can be redirected into services," she said in a statement.
Technical and operational problems have also dogged the other program the TAA is running, forcing the commission to twice delay the rollout of a new computer system that lets people apply for benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families over the phone, online or in person.
Using the new system, the state planned to replace 99 of its 310 eligibility offices and 2,900 of its 5,800 eligibility workers with four call centers run by the TAA.
The new eligibility system was unveiled in January in Travis and Hays counties and was supposed to be implemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposed to be using the new system by the end of the year.
But Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has called for two 30-day delays, saying he wants to see better training for customer service representatives at call centers, a process to more quickly resolve complicated cases, better reporting tools to track cases and workload and improved data collection.
He also decided to keep 1,000 of the state workers and pay retention bonuses to help keep state staff in place during the transition.
TAA spokeswoman Jill Angelo said the group of companies is "increasing access to state services while eliminating duplication, fraud and abuse and is saving taxpayers money."
"We are happy to work with the state and the client on any review," she said.
Strayhorn has been sparring with state leaders over the limits to her authority to investigate state agencies. Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled last week that she is limited by state law to reviewing agency expenses, receipts and disbursements.
Strayhorn, who investigated and released a critical report on the performance of the Texas Residential Construction Commission earlier this year, said Shapleigh's request is completely different and clearly falls within the scope of her job.
Shapleigh asked the State Auditor's Office to investigate the CHIP enrollment declines but was told the agency didn't have the resources to initiate a review.
Associated Press
5/11/2006
AUSTIN - At the request of three lawmakers, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn plans to investigate the contractor in charge of processing applications for Texas' low-cost insurance program for children and running the state's new benefits eligibility system.
The contractor, Texas Access Alliance, is a group of companies led by Accenture, a Bermuda-based technology consulting firm.
Strayhorn, who hopes to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November, said Wednesday the review will be a top priority for her staff.
"The Accenture contract to me appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services ... and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers," she said.
Democratic Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso asked her Wednesday to conduct a comprehensive audit and performance review, saying it could "shed some light on the ongoing problems that are negatively affecting tens of thousands of Texans."
Later in the day, Democratic state Rep. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio and Republican state Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels said in a letter to Strayhorn that they're "deeply concerned about the viability of the agency's plans" for its new eligibility system.
"Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are funding a problem-plagued plan that threatens the health and safety of our citizens," they said in the letter. "Our taxpayers and vulnerable citizens deserve to know how they will be affected by these questionable policy changes."
More than 30,000 children have left the Children's Health Insurance Program rolls since Dec. 1, and total enrollment has dipped below 300,000 for the first time since 2001, when the program was in its infancy.
The state granted a reprieve to another 28,000 children late last month after finding out families reapplying for CHIP were given too little time to respond to letters requesting enrollment fees or missing information.
Advocates blame the CHIP enrollment declines on the contractor, saying parents have complained that applications were lost, payments were not credited to the proper accounts and families have been improperly denied benefits.
"The stakes are high and these mistakes cannot continue," Shapleigh said.
Commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said the agency has briefed Strayhorn's staff on the project and will provide additional information about the contract.
"We remain committed to our core goals for this project - to finally provide Texans with a choice in how they apply for services, to modernize a system developed in the 70s and to generate administrative savings that can be redirected into services," she said in a statement.
Technical and operational problems have also dogged the other program the TAA is running, forcing the commission to twice delay the rollout of a new computer system that lets people apply for benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families over the phone, online or in person.
Using the new system, the state planned to replace 99 of its 310 eligibility offices and 2,900 of its 5,800 eligibility workers with four call centers run by the TAA.
The new eligibility system was unveiled in January in Travis and Hays counties and was supposed to be implemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposed to be using the new system by the end of the year.
But Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has called for two 30-day delays, saying he wants to see better training for customer service representatives at call centers, a process to more quickly resolve complicated cases, better reporting tools to track cases and workload and improved data collection.
He also decided to keep 1,000 of the state workers and pay retention bonuses to help keep state staff in place during the transition.
TAA spokeswoman Jill Angelo said the group of companies is "increasing access to state services while eliminating duplication, fraud and abuse and is saving taxpayers money."
"We are happy to work with the state and the client on any review," she said.
Strayhorn has been sparring with state leaders over the limits to her authority to investigate state agencies. Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled last week that she is limited by state law to reviewing agency expenses, receipts and disbursements.
Strayhorn, who investigated and released a critical report on the performance of the Texas Residential Construction Commission earlier this year, said Shapleigh's request is completely different and clearly falls within the scope of her job.
Shapleigh asked the State Auditor's Office to investigate the CHIP enrollment declines but was told the agency didn't have the resources to initiate a review.
Comptroller's Statement on Legislative Request to Investigate Accenture Contract
Office of State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn
5/10/2006
AUSTIN -- "The Accenture contract appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services for our most vulnerable Texans, and profiteering at the expense of our Texas taxpayers. The governor implemented this plan in haste. He fired state employees before he knew if the company could handle their jobs, and now the agency is bringing back those very state employees to fix the mess.
"I clearly have the statutory responsibility for all fiscal concerns of the state and this is certainly one of them. I am going to do a review and audit of the Accenture contract. I will be asking for information and I will share all that information as I get it.
"Let me set the record straight on what the governor's office continues to say. The governor has been saying that this was an eTexas recommendation, and it was not. The eTexas recommendation was very, very limited. The eTexas recommendation said that we should use call centers for CHIP and children's Medicaid only. It did not lay off a single state employee in over five years. What the governor did, and the governor did it in haste, was put all eligibility services---TANF, food stamps, long-term care---he put all eligibility services in call centers.
"And the result is we've got the perfect storm here - wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services and profiteering at the expense of Texas taxpayers. It is clearly my responsibility to look after the fiscal concerns of this state. I will review and audit the Accenture contract."
5/10/2006
AUSTIN -- "The Accenture contract appears to be the perfect storm of wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services for our most vulnerable Texans, and profiteering at the expense of our Texas taxpayers. The governor implemented this plan in haste. He fired state employees before he knew if the company could handle their jobs, and now the agency is bringing back those very state employees to fix the mess.
"I clearly have the statutory responsibility for all fiscal concerns of the state and this is certainly one of them. I am going to do a review and audit of the Accenture contract. I will be asking for information and I will share all that information as I get it.
"Let me set the record straight on what the governor's office continues to say. The governor has been saying that this was an eTexas recommendation, and it was not. The eTexas recommendation was very, very limited. The eTexas recommendation said that we should use call centers for CHIP and children's Medicaid only. It did not lay off a single state employee in over five years. What the governor did, and the governor did it in haste, was put all eligibility services---TANF, food stamps, long-term care---he put all eligibility services in call centers.
"And the result is we've got the perfect storm here - wasted tax dollars, reduced access to services and profiteering at the expense of Texas taxpayers. It is clearly my responsibility to look after the fiscal concerns of this state. I will review and audit the Accenture contract."
Commission Employees to Again Compile Benefit Application Files
Associated Press
5/10/2006
AUSTIN - State workers are taking back the job of compiling files for those applying for state benefits in Travis and Hays counties.
The programs include Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
The task had been outsourced to a contractor as part of the rollout of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's new eligibility system.
The system debuted in the Austin area in January and was supposed to be implemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposed to be using the new system by the end of the year.
But technical and operational problems have forced the agency to twice put off expanding the program.
Officials say state workers are taking back the work because the contractor couldn't process cases quickly enough. The contractor will resume the job after improving its technology.
Note from Blogger: They've been working on the technology for years now. How many more years are we going to give them? Accenture has had too many contracts cancelled by other States, countries and even the US Marines! Why did we even hire them?
5/10/2006
AUSTIN - State workers are taking back the job of compiling files for those applying for state benefits in Travis and Hays counties.
The programs include Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
The task had been outsourced to a contractor as part of the rollout of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's new eligibility system.
The system debuted in the Austin area in January and was supposed to be implemented in 20 more Hill Country counties in late April. All 254 Texas counties are supposed to be using the new system by the end of the year.
But technical and operational problems have forced the agency to twice put off expanding the program.
Officials say state workers are taking back the work because the contractor couldn't process cases quickly enough. The contractor will resume the job after improving its technology.
Note from Blogger: They've been working on the technology for years now. How many more years are we going to give them? Accenture has had too many contracts cancelled by other States, countries and even the US Marines! Why did we even hire them?
Telling the truth.....
It appears that the heads of HHSC are really and truly bothered that the apparent failure to the call centers have become public knowledge! They have been contacting the editors of the papers that have reporters who are publishing the truth. It seems HHSC is trying, in vain, to discredit these reporters.
Sorry, folks. They speak the truth!
Those of you who know about the problems at the call centers, whether you issue or receive benefits, please contact these editors and tell not to let HHSC strong-arm them.
They hired their reporters to report the truth. Let them do their jobs. We are tired of the propoganda, the waste of our tax dollars and we live in America - where we have the RIGHT to speak our minds!
Sorry, folks. They speak the truth!
Those of you who know about the problems at the call centers, whether you issue or receive benefits, please contact these editors and tell not to let HHSC strong-arm them.
They hired their reporters to report the truth. Let them do their jobs. We are tired of the propoganda, the waste of our tax dollars and we live in America - where we have the RIGHT to speak our minds!
Opinion: Health and Human Services Only Giving Call Centers the CHIPs Carlos Guerra San Antonio Express-News
5/11/2006
Word spread quickly on Wednesday that a Texas Health and Human Services Commission directive was pulling most of the work that Accenture-run call centers were supposed to do to replace 2,900 state workers and shutter about one-third of the agency's field offices.
"The (state's) benefits offices will complete and process Food Stamps, Adult Medicaid, Children's Medicaid and Medicaid Eligibility for Elderly and People with Disabilities," it orders. "All work will be completed end to end by state staff." (Emphasis mine.) As I was wading through the 13-page memo, sent by a state worker who like most of his or her colleagues must remain unnamed after being warned against talking to reporters, another e-mail arrived.
"Don't you love it when you're right and ahead of everyone else?" it said.
It hasn't been difficult.
In truth, since I first wrote about House Bill 2292 - a 2003 bill that sought to replace state workers and field offices with contractor-run call centers and made social-service programs harder to get - I have received more than 1,000 e-mails about it.
A few were mean-spirited communiqués, including some from self-proclaimed Christians who either never learned or forgot the biblical admonitions to care for the sick, give water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, clothe the naked and give shelter to the homeless, among other things.
Most calls, letters and e-mails, however, were from people whose dignity will be shattered - or who may not survive - if they lose their Medicaid or Child Health Insurance Program coverage, Temporary Aid to Needy Families or Food Stamps.
Many find it easy to dismiss them as malingerers and ne'er-do-wells eager to avoid work and live on the dole. But virtually all of them are children of working-poor families - most often, families headed by single mothers - and seniors who wore out their bodies laboring for outfits that never provided benefits or pensions. Others are people with disabilities, many of whom fantasize about working hard.
Along the way, I also received a steady stream of communiqués from Texas Health and Human Services workers who care deeply enough about their clients- ahem, "customers," as the agency prefers they be called - and who, like many teachers, eschew higher-paying jobs to do the work they love.
Their tips have been invaluable.
Most recently, the missives have started coming from employees of the call and computer centers at the heart the $899 million state contract awarded to Bermuda-based Accenture LLC for the call centers that will now have only CHIP applications to mess up.
"Thank you for holding Accenture's feet to the fire," one wrote Wednesday.
"I am an employee assigned at the (call center) in San Antonio and I cannot believe the lack of planning, and just plain screw-ups of the past few months that I have seen. Everything changes, and we are reminded that 'flexibility is key to this job.'
"It has not been uncommon for one procedure to be stated at the beginning of the day and change by noon," the $8-per-hour worker wrote. "Any business with such a plan of execution would fail within months. I often ask myself:
How much more flexible must these dropped clients be forced to be without the benefits they need?"
I have been asking that for months.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/cguerra/stories/MYSA051106.01B.Guerra.1cf42cff.html
Word spread quickly on Wednesday that a Texas Health and Human Services Commission directive was pulling most of the work that Accenture-run call centers were supposed to do to replace 2,900 state workers and shutter about one-third of the agency's field offices.
"The (state's) benefits offices will complete and process Food Stamps, Adult Medicaid, Children's Medicaid and Medicaid Eligibility for Elderly and People with Disabilities," it orders. "All work will be completed end to end by state staff." (Emphasis mine.) As I was wading through the 13-page memo, sent by a state worker who like most of his or her colleagues must remain unnamed after being warned against talking to reporters, another e-mail arrived.
"Don't you love it when you're right and ahead of everyone else?" it said.
It hasn't been difficult.
In truth, since I first wrote about House Bill 2292 - a 2003 bill that sought to replace state workers and field offices with contractor-run call centers and made social-service programs harder to get - I have received more than 1,000 e-mails about it.
A few were mean-spirited communiqués, including some from self-proclaimed Christians who either never learned or forgot the biblical admonitions to care for the sick, give water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, clothe the naked and give shelter to the homeless, among other things.
Most calls, letters and e-mails, however, were from people whose dignity will be shattered - or who may not survive - if they lose their Medicaid or Child Health Insurance Program coverage, Temporary Aid to Needy Families or Food Stamps.
Many find it easy to dismiss them as malingerers and ne'er-do-wells eager to avoid work and live on the dole. But virtually all of them are children of working-poor families - most often, families headed by single mothers - and seniors who wore out their bodies laboring for outfits that never provided benefits or pensions. Others are people with disabilities, many of whom fantasize about working hard.
Along the way, I also received a steady stream of communiqués from Texas Health and Human Services workers who care deeply enough about their clients- ahem, "customers," as the agency prefers they be called - and who, like many teachers, eschew higher-paying jobs to do the work they love.
Their tips have been invaluable.
Most recently, the missives have started coming from employees of the call and computer centers at the heart the $899 million state contract awarded to Bermuda-based Accenture LLC for the call centers that will now have only CHIP applications to mess up.
"Thank you for holding Accenture's feet to the fire," one wrote Wednesday.
"I am an employee assigned at the (call center) in San Antonio and I cannot believe the lack of planning, and just plain screw-ups of the past few months that I have seen. Everything changes, and we are reminded that 'flexibility is key to this job.'
"It has not been uncommon for one procedure to be stated at the beginning of the day and change by noon," the $8-per-hour worker wrote. "Any business with such a plan of execution would fail within months. I often ask myself:
How much more flexible must these dropped clients be forced to be without the benefits they need?"
I have been asking that for months.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/cguerra/stories/MYSA051106.01B.Guerra.1cf42cff.html
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
More information in the Media
Has anyone wondered why no-one listened to us when we've been talking about this for a few years now?
LONGVIEW NEWS-JOURNAL
Friday, May 05, 2006
Pot shots: Sometimes officials make it too easy to pass up taking a few potshots:
— The next time Texas decides to privatize a social service program let's hope that lawmakers also decided to privatize the oversight of the transition.
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has once again delayed privatization of his agencies' eligibility and enrollment systems and is scrambling to hold on to up to 1,000 state employees who were scheduled to lose their jobs. In the mean time, people applying for benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy families, continue to have problems with the new, privately operated call centers.
Not only are new clients having problems getting enrolled for vital services, but people already in the system have been mistakenly losing benefits, including the coverage provided by the state's long-troubled Children's Health Insurance Program.
— It must be election year — members of Congress are dragging out their trusty wedge issues just in time for some heated summer sound bites to set the stage for the November election. Republicans are already working on the perennial effort to send an amendment prohibiting desecration of the American flag to the states. Observers say the measure — which always passes in the House — doesn't stand any better chance in the Senate than it has in the past. If it can stir up a few members of the increasingly disillusioned base, however, there is obvious political capital to be gained. Republicans also are expected to raise the possibility of amendments to ban same-sex marriage and abortion — again with little to gain other than agitated voters.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have their own wedge issue. They are expected to push anew for expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research — one of the few measures for which President Bush has vowed a certain veto. The House has already adopted such a measure, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has dragged his feet, even though he said last year that he supported expanded research.
— Here's a possible cure for Medicare. According to a study released Thursday, the percentage of eligible employees enrolled in private sector health plans slid from 85.3 percent in 1998 to 80.3 percent in 2003. One possible explanation might be the 41 percent increase in individual insurance premiums during that five-year span. As more people find themselves outside the health care system, will our steadily increasing average life-spans take a U-turn?
— Feeling secure in the homeland? We're not so sure. The U.S. House voted 421-2 on Thursday to improve security at American seaports. The Bush administration says, however, that the country lacks the funding and the technology to do much of what the House bill calls for, including the installation of nuclear material detectors at 22 major ports by next year. Homeland Security currently opens about 6 percent of the 11 million cargo containers that enter our nation each year, according to an Associated Press report. A spokesperson said the department wants to screen 65 percent of cargo for radiological materials by October. Does that mean a terrorist would have a 1-in-3 chance of sneaking such materials through our ports?
— Finally, if the Texas Legislature goes ahead with the idea of setting a later start date for public schools, we'd really like to hear the full argument. If the idea can help students, tell us. If it is important to give families more time together, tell us. As one Senate Democrat said Thursday, it's a boon to businesses, we want to know what cost there might be to education.
LONGVIEW NEWS-JOURNAL
Friday, May 05, 2006
Pot shots: Sometimes officials make it too easy to pass up taking a few potshots:
— The next time Texas decides to privatize a social service program let's hope that lawmakers also decided to privatize the oversight of the transition.
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins has once again delayed privatization of his agencies' eligibility and enrollment systems and is scrambling to hold on to up to 1,000 state employees who were scheduled to lose their jobs. In the mean time, people applying for benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy families, continue to have problems with the new, privately operated call centers.
Not only are new clients having problems getting enrolled for vital services, but people already in the system have been mistakenly losing benefits, including the coverage provided by the state's long-troubled Children's Health Insurance Program.
— It must be election year — members of Congress are dragging out their trusty wedge issues just in time for some heated summer sound bites to set the stage for the November election. Republicans are already working on the perennial effort to send an amendment prohibiting desecration of the American flag to the states. Observers say the measure — which always passes in the House — doesn't stand any better chance in the Senate than it has in the past. If it can stir up a few members of the increasingly disillusioned base, however, there is obvious political capital to be gained. Republicans also are expected to raise the possibility of amendments to ban same-sex marriage and abortion — again with little to gain other than agitated voters.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have their own wedge issue. They are expected to push anew for expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research — one of the few measures for which President Bush has vowed a certain veto. The House has already adopted such a measure, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has dragged his feet, even though he said last year that he supported expanded research.
— Here's a possible cure for Medicare. According to a study released Thursday, the percentage of eligible employees enrolled in private sector health plans slid from 85.3 percent in 1998 to 80.3 percent in 2003. One possible explanation might be the 41 percent increase in individual insurance premiums during that five-year span. As more people find themselves outside the health care system, will our steadily increasing average life-spans take a U-turn?
— Feeling secure in the homeland? We're not so sure. The U.S. House voted 421-2 on Thursday to improve security at American seaports. The Bush administration says, however, that the country lacks the funding and the technology to do much of what the House bill calls for, including the installation of nuclear material detectors at 22 major ports by next year. Homeland Security currently opens about 6 percent of the 11 million cargo containers that enter our nation each year, according to an Associated Press report. A spokesperson said the department wants to screen 65 percent of cargo for radiological materials by October. Does that mean a terrorist would have a 1-in-3 chance of sneaking such materials through our ports?
— Finally, if the Texas Legislature goes ahead with the idea of setting a later start date for public schools, we'd really like to hear the full argument. If the idea can help students, tell us. If it is important to give families more time together, tell us. As one Senate Democrat said Thursday, it's a boon to businesses, we want to know what cost there might be to education.
State takes back aid task (Blogger comments in parenthesis)
Guillermo X. GarciaExpress-News Staff Writer
Effective immediately, state workers again will be responsible for processing applications for assistance programs such as food stamps and Medicaid after myriad problems resulted with the private company hired to do the job.
Bermuda-based Accenture LLP won an $899 million, five-year contract early last year to take over the state's public assistance eligibility system. (Right - after their buddies at HHSC helped them draw up their proposal so that they would win the bid.....funny how alot of those who left management positions at HHSC's top level then went to work for Accenture or their affiliates...)
The switch comes about as state Health and Human Services officials acknowledge flaws with several components of the system, which is supposed to help applicants compile the information that's used to determine eligibility for public assistance programs.
State workers will continue to make the determination of whether an applicant qualifies.
Advocates for children and the poor have been critical of Accenture's work, attributing to the company a steep decline in the rolls of the Children's Health Insurance Program and a drop in the number of children covered by Medicaid.
The commission says the problems must be addressed and corrected, although it doesn't have a time frame by which it expects the problems to be fixed.
Among the problems:
Accenture workers have inadequate training and as a result are giving erroneous or contradictory information to applicants.
Program software is incompatible, causing delays in application processing and forcing workers to manually input information.
State eligibility offices are understaffed because of the departure of thousands of state workers who feared they would lose their jobs when Accenture took over.
Those understaffed state offices now will be required to deal with thousands of cases that are to be transferred out of Accenture's control. (Are we still paying them?)
"If the contractor is not able to do the job it promised it could do, (the task) is going to again fall on state workers, who are already working in understaffed offices ... which means their already unmanageable caseloads just got bigger, which means more (people) will suffer or not get the benefits they are entitled to," said Celia Hagert of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin-based nonprofit agency that researches issues affecting low-income Texans.
It is another unusual step in a controversy-filled project that began with the state's goal of streamlining a system that Health and Human Services officials said was inefficient and bloated.
In 2003, state officials said they wanted to revamp the entire eligibility system to allow applicants more options when they applied for public assistance. The Legislature that year passed HB 2292, a massive bill that reorganized the state's health care system. (And we all know they did not read the bill! I have heard this from some of their own mouths....)
A cornerstone of the legislation allowed HHSC to determine if privatization would suit the state's needs.
A debate has ensued, pitting advocates for the poor against the state's health care bureaucracy and Accenture, the multinational private company that now operates the system.
State officials said they wanted to do away with long waiting lines at state welfare offices, so Accenture launched a program that would replace the face-to-face application process with one available over the Internet or the phone. (We did not have long lines in our offices until TAA took over. We managed our offices and our clients got their benefits timely).
But the transfer to a privately run operator has been far from smooth, state officials acknowledge.
Citing numerous operational problems, HHSC twice in recent months postponed rolling out its highly touted electronic eligibility system, which it said was projected to save Texas about $390 million over five years.
"We have no expectations about when we move forward, but the delay will continue until we see improvements. We know adjustments need to be made, and they will be," HHSC spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said Tuesday. (DUH.....and I really hate the use of that word, but it sounds appropriate now)
Beginning in meetings with senior agency staff last Friday and continuing with meetings with lower level supervisors and front line agency workers Monday, word leaked out about the changes that are expected to be formally announced today.
The system operated by Accenture includes four privately run call centers around the state that eventually will replace hundreds of local offices staffed by state workers. Already, the San Antonio call center, which is to serve a large swath of South Texas, has become the largest in the state, employing more than 500 workers.
It is not clear what other tasks the private workers will be performing because the jobs they were supposed to do will now be done by public employees.
More than 5,000 cases that had caused a backlog at the Midland call center also will be turned over to state workers for disposition.
Those cases have been pending for months.
Some of the cases being transferred from Midland have been pending since January, months past the time frame required by federal rules, state employee union officials said.
(Already delinquent - who takes responsibility for these delinquencies? HHSC better not hold the local office workers accountable for this!)
Those officials and veteran Health and Human Services employees say dealing with the backlog is only going to aggravate a morale problem for what they say are already overworked state employees.
The state planned to save money by having Accenture compile and screen applications, a task previously handled by state caseworkers. Health and Human Services officials said that by having private employees do the job faster and more efficiently through use of more advanced computer technology, the state could reduce the number of state workers on its rolls.
But because of the persistent problems, the agency's plan has been put on indefinite hold.
"We know we need to make adjustments, and with a program of this size, that is not a minor effort," spokeswoman Goodman said. "This is a (problem) with short-term impact, but it is a good system and a good program that works, and we will continue with it." (After 3 years of this and it still doesn't work, I don't believe "short-term impact" quite covers it! Texas will not recover from this for years!)
ggarcia@express-news.net
Monday, May 08, 2006
I was just surfing and checked to make sure we were not listed as one of their successes:
http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/Client_Successes/default.htm
http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/Client_Successes/default.htm
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Millions of dollars each year in enhanced funding bonuses from the Federal government for the State of Texas - GONE!
Millions of dollars invested in a new computer system that was going to make it easier for clients to apply for and receive benefits - GONE
Tenured, well-trained caseworkers with personal and professional knowledge of cients - poor, needy, elderly, disabled, desperate, even fraudelent clients - GONE
The list can go on, but basically, the point is clear.
I am plagiarizing this statement but it is so true: Texas has the best government that money can buy.
Our Texas legislators voted in HB 2292 in 2003. They did NOT read what they were voting for. HH2292 consolidated numerous State agencies under the head of Albert Hawkins, who just happened to have been George W.'s:
January 28, 2004 By New Release
Previously, Hawkins was assistant to President George W. Bush and secretary to the Cabinet. Before that he was the director of Gov. George W. Bush's Office of Budget and Planning. He also served as deputy director of the Texas Legislative Budget Board.
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=86360&mail=1
I could provide alot more links to show just how long we've been trying to tell you people that this just won't work the way HHSC plans. The bad thing is, they don't care....the heads at HHSC don't care, the general public doesn't care ("after all, it's just a bunch of welfare bums..."), and the clients themselves don't have a clue, although they are now getting a taste of it. I have yet to hear of a successful interaction with TAA (contracted by the State to provide services to clients), who just happens to be Accenture who just happened to be Arthur Anderson (remember ENRON?).
http://www.offthekuff.com/movable_type/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=5148
http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/005027.html
http://www.cwa-tseu.org/hb2292_callcenterstatement.html
Some of the links below are quite old, but as stated above, some of us have been trying to get the news out for quite some time now.
Enjoy your reading.
http://theredstate.typepad.com/texas/2005/01/how_to_profit_f.html
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-12-30/pols_naked11.html
http://muse-musings.blogspot.com/2006/04/fixing-chip.html
http://sammalmaguer.blogspot.com/2006/01/tseu-broadcast.html
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news_print.asp?guid=77B82BC0-4AAC-4736-8461-F372960874E5
IBM sues to stop Texas deal with Accenture
22nd March 2005
By CBR Staff Writer
IBM has filed a lawsuit challenging the award of a major IT and business process outsourcing services contract by the State of Texas to its rival Accenture. The suit alleges that there were irregularities in the way that HHSC chose Accenture, but at the time of writing, neither IBM nor Accenture had responded to requests for comment.
IBM is putting legal pressure on Texas' Health and Human Services Commission to reconsider its decision to make Accenture the preferred vendor for processing applications for Medicaid and other social security benefits. The award, made on February 25th 2005, has not been finalized and HHSC state that it is dependent upon final negotiations with Accenture.
IT services companies are increasingly looking to lawyers to challenge government decisions over major contracts. In February 2005, EDS bowed to pressure from the courts and agreed to stop performing any further work on its $860m IT services contract for the HUD (Housing and Urban Development Department), after rival Lockheed filed a lawsuit with the Court of Federal Claims to stop it transferring any more staff to EDS as a result of the deal, which the General Accounting Office ruled in December 2004 had been unfairly handed out.
The GAO discovered that mistakes had been made when it evaluated the two new bids from EDS and Lockheed at the renewal and asserted that Lockheed had put in a more competitive bid than EDS.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For now, those caseworkers still left are working under enormous pressures, giving up alot of our own personal time to try to keep the system that our legislatures dismantled working!
Millions of dollars invested in a new computer system that was going to make it easier for clients to apply for and receive benefits - GONE
Tenured, well-trained caseworkers with personal and professional knowledge of cients - poor, needy, elderly, disabled, desperate, even fraudelent clients - GONE
The list can go on, but basically, the point is clear.
I am plagiarizing this statement but it is so true: Texas has the best government that money can buy.
Our Texas legislators voted in HB 2292 in 2003. They did NOT read what they were voting for. HH2292 consolidated numerous State agencies under the head of Albert Hawkins, who just happened to have been George W.'s:
January 28, 2004 By New Release
Previously, Hawkins was assistant to President George W. Bush and secretary to the Cabinet. Before that he was the director of Gov. George W. Bush's Office of Budget and Planning. He also served as deputy director of the Texas Legislative Budget Board.
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=86360&mail=1
I could provide alot more links to show just how long we've been trying to tell you people that this just won't work the way HHSC plans. The bad thing is, they don't care....the heads at HHSC don't care, the general public doesn't care ("after all, it's just a bunch of welfare bums..."), and the clients themselves don't have a clue, although they are now getting a taste of it. I have yet to hear of a successful interaction with TAA (contracted by the State to provide services to clients), who just happens to be Accenture who just happened to be Arthur Anderson (remember ENRON?).
http://www.offthekuff.com/movable_type/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=5148
http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/005027.html
http://www.cwa-tseu.org/hb2292_callcenterstatement.html
Some of the links below are quite old, but as stated above, some of us have been trying to get the news out for quite some time now.
Enjoy your reading.
http://theredstate.typepad.com/texas/2005/01/how_to_profit_f.html
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-12-30/pols_naked11.html
http://muse-musings.blogspot.com/2006/04/fixing-chip.html
http://sammalmaguer.blogspot.com/2006/01/tseu-broadcast.html
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news_print.asp?guid=77B82BC0-4AAC-4736-8461-F372960874E5
IBM sues to stop Texas deal with Accenture
22nd March 2005
By CBR Staff Writer
IBM has filed a lawsuit challenging the award of a major IT and business process outsourcing services contract by the State of Texas to its rival Accenture. The suit alleges that there were irregularities in the way that HHSC chose Accenture, but at the time of writing, neither IBM nor Accenture had responded to requests for comment.
IBM is putting legal pressure on Texas' Health and Human Services Commission to reconsider its decision to make Accenture the preferred vendor for processing applications for Medicaid and other social security benefits. The award, made on February 25th 2005, has not been finalized and HHSC state that it is dependent upon final negotiations with Accenture.
IT services companies are increasingly looking to lawyers to challenge government decisions over major contracts. In February 2005, EDS bowed to pressure from the courts and agreed to stop performing any further work on its $860m IT services contract for the HUD (Housing and Urban Development Department), after rival Lockheed filed a lawsuit with the Court of Federal Claims to stop it transferring any more staff to EDS as a result of the deal, which the General Accounting Office ruled in December 2004 had been unfairly handed out.
The GAO discovered that mistakes had been made when it evaluated the two new bids from EDS and Lockheed at the renewal and asserted that Lockheed had put in a more competitive bid than EDS.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For now, those caseworkers still left are working under enormous pressures, giving up alot of our own personal time to try to keep the system that our legislatures dismantled working!
Opinion: The Human Touch; State Starts Using Common Sense
Staff EditorialHouston Chronicle5/5/2006
There's nothing wrong with using technology for tasks done by humans. That approach was the driving idea when the Legislature voted to assign screening for key social services to a private company. Unfortunately, the plan failed — in historic dimensions. Now the state must commit to repairing the damage.
Ever since state-federal coverage for children of the working poor fell to screening giant Accenture in December, the Children's Health Insurance Program rolls dropped by an astonishing 28,000 Texas children. Numerous families have been told wrongly that their applications were lost or incomplete, or that they were ineligible.
Privatization deserves only part of the blame. At the same time Accenture came on board, the state enacted major bureaucratic hurdles meant to reduce the number of children eligible for CHIP. On the other hand, Children's Medicaid, which saw no rule changes but also was assigned to privatized call centers, lost enrollment, too. Between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1, membership in the program dropped by more than 78,600 children.
The common element in the children's health insurance crisis is removal of the human factor. Before privatization, CHIP also used call centers. But they were fully staffed with experienced workers. Screening families for social services and guiding them to appropriate resources is complex work. Removing trained employees and cutting staff, as the Legislature did in 2003, pulled the keystones from these essential services. Their replacements — anemic rosters of undertrained contract workers and a costly computer meant to screen applicants for multiple programs — have failed.
Democrats and Republicans alike are horrified by what's happening. "I don't think anybody, regardless of party affiliation, wants to spend money on something that doesn't work," Mary Katherine Stout, of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Chronicle reporter Polly Ross Hughes.
To stem the damage, the Health and Human Services Commission has finally taken measures. The most important is the commission's acknowledgment that the system is in crisis. Last week it halted the rejection of 28,000 more children from health insurance. It is spending $3 million to help families fill out the complex CHIP applications. And it is surveying families about the biggest problems in the snarled mess that Texas' social service screening has become.
This is responsible. It's just not enough. Texans should not and cannot afford to have tens of thousands more children visiting emergency rooms for their first contact with doctors.
Now that it's admitted the privatization plan is deeply flawed, HHSC must look inward. It's got to truthfully identify the staffing shortfalls, computer failures and policy changes that are casting so many children off insurance. No more children should lose their insurance until the system's fixed.
The commission also has to start listening again. Surveying parents in the trenches is a start. But since privatization, the state's dialogue with advocates and service providers has dwindled to near-silence. Figuring out eligibility for services and spotting fraud demand critical thinking and experience. A whole community of stakeholders can offer this human touch and should be encouraged to do so. It's something short-term employees and a computer can never do alone.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/cguerra/storyindex.html
__________________________________________________
Blogger's comments in maroon. (Just couldn't help myself)
High Tech Boondoggle
HHS Call Centers / Accenture
Below, see the text of the HHSC announcement from Albert Hawkins
TSEU's and HHSC's announcements
HHSC announces layoff moratorium, 1000 additional eligibility positions, retention bonuses - Friday meeting might have more news
HHSC has responded to calls from TSEU and numerous legislators to freeze layoff notices. The May 4 broadcast announcement was a broad admission that the new IEES system is not working and that basic services are melting down along with HHSC eligibility staff.The announcement says that:
There will be no reductions in eligibility staffing for the next twelve months. This meets the call by TSEU and numerous legislators for current layoff notice to be rescinded.
HHSC will add 1000 additional state eligibility employees to the previously announced total of about 2900 after full implementation of the new system. The announcement says that there are currently 4800 eligibility employees in the system, so a future total of 3900 means a reduction of about 900 by full implementation.
HHSC will begin a program of bonuses to convince current employees to stay. The plan includes:A. An approx. $900 bonus this summer.B. An additional $900 six months after the first bonus.C. All levels of staff, including clerks and supervisors, will be eligible.D. Employees must have 3 or better on last evaluation and no active level 2 or 3 performance counselings. This announcement is a major victory in our campaign to stop a money-wasting boondoggle and restore a human services eligibility system that works, but there is still a lot to do.
We still need to:
In the short term, win a statewide moratorium on office closures. The problems withTAA/IEES are not temporary glitches: this is a system that has very little chance of ever working, and we can look for the contractors to find a way out as soon is their profit margins get squeezed. HHSC has to keep (at least) every current office open so that Texans have access to human services.
Call for a hard, honest evaluation of the whole TIERS/IEES/TAA/Call Center plan. There is almost no evidence that it will work.
Call for full staffing of eligibility (including Medicaid eligibility) and Community Care. 4800 is not enough eligibility employees! Eligibility staffing has already been cut by around 1500 since 2003.
**********************************************
Major announcement possible at May 5 meeting.
Region 7 program managers have been called to a Friday morning meeting at the Winters Building. Our information is that the meeting is with Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins and Accenture/TAA officials, and that a major announcement regarding roll-out of IEES might be made at the meeting. TSEU will post further information as it is available.
*********************************************************
[text of the HHSC announcement]
From: HHS Communications
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 11:39 AM
To: HHS CommunicationsSubject: Message from the Executive Commissioner
On April 5, we announced that we would not proceed with further rollouts of the new eligibility system until technical and operational improvements are made. I wanted to give you an update on our progress on the transition to the new system and let you know that there will be no reduction in eligibility staffing for the next 12 months. (Except for those still going to leave because they can no longer stand the long, hard working hours, including more complaints by staff who can't get any answers from TAA).
First, I want to thank you for your continued service. This is a difficult time in our offices, and I'm grateful for your dedication to the clients we serve. As you know, SAVERR is not without its share of problems and workarounds. But you have always managed to overcome those shortcomings to help clients get the services they need. I know you are doing the same now as we work through issues with the new system. (Notice he made no mentions of TIERS problems. We can still work with SAVERR accurately, which is more than can be said of TIERS. Thank God for workarounds...)
We continue our efforts to improve the new system and reduce the workload on our local offices. We've made significant progress in reducing the abandonment rate and hold times at the call centers, but additional training and technical improvements still must be made before further rollouts occur.
We will increase by 1,000 the number of state positions that will remain in place after the transition to the new system. This means we'll have about 3,900 eligibility employees once the rollout is complete. There are currently about 4,800 regular-status eligibility employees. We soon will be providing you with the details of how these positions will be filled. Like the previous process, the selections will be based largely on tenure. (We have less than 175 regular status trained caseworkers in my region. I wonder if they have included the temporary employees in this count? And he fails to mention the fact that HHSC has now managed to run off the better and more tenured staff).
We also have finalized the details of the retention bonus for OES employees. Eligible employees will receive a bonus of about $900 this summer and an additional $900 six months after the first bonus. Eligible employees include regular and temporary field staff who have been employed at least six months and have acceptable performance. (Acceptable performance means a rating of 3 or above on the most recent evaluation and no active level 2 or 3 performance reminders.) All levels of field staff - including workers, clerks, supervisors and others - will be eligible for the bonus. Workers who recently received a merit or salary increase will be eligible for the retention bonus six months after that pay action. (We currently receive longevity pay for every 2 years of service....do you know of any companies that pay longevity for such a short period of employment? Now we get $900 twice a year to hang in there.....as an employee, I'm more than happy to take the money. As a taxpaying citizen, it proves to me that the "powers that be" at HHSC have no fiscal responsibility to this state!)
We are working on a revised rollout plan that will help us provide you with more information about when changes will occur in your area.
Again, many thanks to each of you for your hard work and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the many fellow Texans who count on us. I remain grateful for your continued service. (Not likely. We are all just numbers.....replaceable by machines.... Oh wait! Failures of TIERS is proving that machines CAN'T REPLACE US! Too bad Hawkins and his cronies can't realize this.)
Sincerely,Albert Hawkins
High Tech Boondoggle
HHS Call Centers / Accenture
Below, see the text of the HHSC announcement from Albert Hawkins
TSEU's and HHSC's announcements
HHSC announces layoff moratorium, 1000 additional eligibility positions, retention bonuses - Friday meeting might have more news
HHSC has responded to calls from TSEU and numerous legislators to freeze layoff notices. The May 4 broadcast announcement was a broad admission that the new IEES system is not working and that basic services are melting down along with HHSC eligibility staff.The announcement says that:
There will be no reductions in eligibility staffing for the next twelve months. This meets the call by TSEU and numerous legislators for current layoff notice to be rescinded.
HHSC will add 1000 additional state eligibility employees to the previously announced total of about 2900 after full implementation of the new system. The announcement says that there are currently 4800 eligibility employees in the system, so a future total of 3900 means a reduction of about 900 by full implementation.
HHSC will begin a program of bonuses to convince current employees to stay. The plan includes:A. An approx. $900 bonus this summer.B. An additional $900 six months after the first bonus.C. All levels of staff, including clerks and supervisors, will be eligible.D. Employees must have 3 or better on last evaluation and no active level 2 or 3 performance counselings. This announcement is a major victory in our campaign to stop a money-wasting boondoggle and restore a human services eligibility system that works, but there is still a lot to do.
We still need to:
In the short term, win a statewide moratorium on office closures. The problems withTAA/IEES are not temporary glitches: this is a system that has very little chance of ever working, and we can look for the contractors to find a way out as soon is their profit margins get squeezed. HHSC has to keep (at least) every current office open so that Texans have access to human services.
Call for a hard, honest evaluation of the whole TIERS/IEES/TAA/Call Center plan. There is almost no evidence that it will work.
Call for full staffing of eligibility (including Medicaid eligibility) and Community Care. 4800 is not enough eligibility employees! Eligibility staffing has already been cut by around 1500 since 2003.
**********************************************
Major announcement possible at May 5 meeting.
Region 7 program managers have been called to a Friday morning meeting at the Winters Building. Our information is that the meeting is with Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins and Accenture/TAA officials, and that a major announcement regarding roll-out of IEES might be made at the meeting. TSEU will post further information as it is available.
*********************************************************
[text of the HHSC announcement]
From: HHS Communications
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 11:39 AM
To: HHS CommunicationsSubject: Message from the Executive Commissioner
On April 5, we announced that we would not proceed with further rollouts of the new eligibility system until technical and operational improvements are made. I wanted to give you an update on our progress on the transition to the new system and let you know that there will be no reduction in eligibility staffing for the next 12 months. (Except for those still going to leave because they can no longer stand the long, hard working hours, including more complaints by staff who can't get any answers from TAA).
First, I want to thank you for your continued service. This is a difficult time in our offices, and I'm grateful for your dedication to the clients we serve. As you know, SAVERR is not without its share of problems and workarounds. But you have always managed to overcome those shortcomings to help clients get the services they need. I know you are doing the same now as we work through issues with the new system. (Notice he made no mentions of TIERS problems. We can still work with SAVERR accurately, which is more than can be said of TIERS. Thank God for workarounds...)
We continue our efforts to improve the new system and reduce the workload on our local offices. We've made significant progress in reducing the abandonment rate and hold times at the call centers, but additional training and technical improvements still must be made before further rollouts occur.
We will increase by 1,000 the number of state positions that will remain in place after the transition to the new system. This means we'll have about 3,900 eligibility employees once the rollout is complete. There are currently about 4,800 regular-status eligibility employees. We soon will be providing you with the details of how these positions will be filled. Like the previous process, the selections will be based largely on tenure. (We have less than 175 regular status trained caseworkers in my region. I wonder if they have included the temporary employees in this count? And he fails to mention the fact that HHSC has now managed to run off the better and more tenured staff).
We also have finalized the details of the retention bonus for OES employees. Eligible employees will receive a bonus of about $900 this summer and an additional $900 six months after the first bonus. Eligible employees include regular and temporary field staff who have been employed at least six months and have acceptable performance. (Acceptable performance means a rating of 3 or above on the most recent evaluation and no active level 2 or 3 performance reminders.) All levels of field staff - including workers, clerks, supervisors and others - will be eligible for the bonus. Workers who recently received a merit or salary increase will be eligible for the retention bonus six months after that pay action. (We currently receive longevity pay for every 2 years of service....do you know of any companies that pay longevity for such a short period of employment? Now we get $900 twice a year to hang in there.....as an employee, I'm more than happy to take the money. As a taxpaying citizen, it proves to me that the "powers that be" at HHSC have no fiscal responsibility to this state!)
We are working on a revised rollout plan that will help us provide you with more information about when changes will occur in your area.
Again, many thanks to each of you for your hard work and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the many fellow Texans who count on us. I remain grateful for your continued service. (Not likely. We are all just numbers.....replaceable by machines.... Oh wait! Failures of TIERS is proving that machines CAN'T REPLACE US! Too bad Hawkins and his cronies can't realize this.)
Sincerely,Albert Hawkins
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