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Settlement reached over state's benefits management program

John C. Ensslin

Published December 20, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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A settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit over a flawed state computer system that forced thousands of social services clients to wait months for benefits.

Now the Department of Human Services will have deadlines to deliver services such as Medicaid and food stamps in a timely manner under terms of the settlement disclosed Wednesday.

State agencies also will have to file monthly progress reports, providing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit with data on how many people are filing for benefits, how many are being approved and whether they are getting payments within the deadlines.

"We're pleased that the case has been settled," said Ed Kahn, attorney for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, which represented the six clients who filed the suit about three and a half years ago. "We believe it gives us a mechanism to be an effective watchdog of the system."

The settlement creates a 36-month period over which the performance of the Colorado Benefits Management System will be measured and monitored.

Shortly after its startup in the fall of 2004, the CBMS ran into problems such as cutting off benefits to thousands of people and mistakenly denying food stamps and medical assistance.

Last year, some county officials reported that the system was working better. The settlement will put that to the test, said Kahn.

"Some problems have been solved," he said. "But the system remains, in many ways, very bad."

Under terms of the agreement:

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

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

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

There are still some areas of disagreement that were not ironed out by the settlement. The two sides did not agree on what percentage of cases must be processed on time in order for the state to be in compliance. They also disagreed on at exactly what point an application is considered filed.

ensslinj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5291

Comments

  • December 23, 2007

    5:25 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    purpletech303 writes:

    My name is Tracey and I am a 27 year old college graduate and single mom of 2 and I am 5 1/2 months pregnant. I am currently unemployed due to my pregnancy situation I have had a few medical issues leading me to take time off of work until I have my baby in May. I read the article in the rocky mountain news paper from December 15, 2007 about the food stamps being denied to people who have done everything required to be approved. This is my situation. I have been having the worst luck with the Human services at 12th and Federal Blvd., I applied for food stamps back on September 26th, 2007 and submitted the required paperwork as requested and never got a repsonse from my case worker Venus Thomas. After numerous phone call's I was given $400 for the month of October. The following week I was sent a denial letter from Venus Thomas saying I needed to submit my letter from my doctor saying that I am indeed pregnant, which I had already done and was supposedly "misplaced". I was told to wait at least 30 day's and I should recieve my food stamps. It is now December 22, 2007 and I have no food stamps! I have documented on my record for each time that I call the customer service line to request a phone call from my case worker as well as a phone call from a supervisor. I have a log showing that I have called 2 time per week since November 10th, 2007 when I was supposed to recieve my food stamps. I have not recieved and phone call from Ms. Thomas or a supervisor and each time that I call I am read back from the customer service rep. all the the date's and time's that I have called and there is NO record of Ms. Thomas calling me back AT ALL!
    At this point I am begging for some sort of assistance to complete the communication process in order to receive my food stamps. All I would like to do is go to the store and be able to buy groceries for my family. If there is anything that you could maybe do to help me and my children I would TRULY appreciate it.
    Please call me if you happen to get this email. I am desperate!

    Thank You,
    Tracey Lucero
    303-922-0380

  • December 25, 2007

    12:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ozzy_osbourne_1979 writes:

    It seems to be an ongoing problem, I am having the same exact problem with social services. I have sent an email to Roxane White,the head of Department of Social Services, Roxane.White@denvergov.org, as well as the mayor of Denver county, MileHigh.Mayor@denvergov.org. Maybe the people who really need the help should also express their issues with them as well and then maybe we can get our benefits!!!