No Merry Christmas for Needy Relying on State Human Services

PROVIDENCE, RI —State representatives from Coventry and Cranston went to the Elmwood Avenue field office earlier this week for a first-hand look at the service the state Human Services Department is giving needy Rhode Islanders.

They were not pleased with the long lines and sight of people standing in the cold.

"The new Human Services technology has been fraught with problems that have left many vulnerable residents without benefits for extended periods," according to the press release. "There have been complaints of long wait times, in the field office and on the phone, repeatedly lost documents, unexpected termination of benefits and slow service."

Minority Leader Patricia Morgan (R-District 26 Coventry, Warwick, West Warwick) and Representative Bob Quattrocchi (R-District 41 Scituate/Cranston) visited the field office on Tuesday in advance of another hearing by the Joint House Finance and Oversight Committee. The committee is monitoring the Administration's rollout of the Universal Health Infrastructure Portal (UHIP) program.

The state reps are not getting an accurate picture about the situation, Morgan said.

"Testimony from state leaders would have us believe that the majority of problems have been resolved, that providers are receiving timely and accurate payment for services and that recipients are enjoying an efficient process. Nothing we observed, confirms those statements," she said.

“What we saw on Tuesday was simply troubling,” said Rep. Morgan. “Despite it being an extremely cold morning, people were lined up with hopes of finally receiving a resolution to their problems. Rep. Quattrocchi and I spoke with people waiting in line. Many told us that this is the second, third or fourth time they’ve returned to this office, and they have waited up to five hours to see someone about their individual need or issue. Many, after waiting for hours have been told to come back the next day. Some have been trying to resolve problems with health coverage for months. This is simply unacceptable. The problems which began in September with the launch of the state’s new $364 million project have not been fixed.”

Morgan did allowed the state has been working on the backlog.

“Clearly there has been some progress," she said. "The lobby has been better organized and applicants are triaged to help speed their experience. As employees have become more familiar with the system, they have required less support from Deloitte technical personnel. But, after three months in operation, the level of observable dysfunction is disheartening.”

“The processing of applications and resolving issues continues to be slow and overly time-consuming. This office was accustomed to servicing 350 people a day and as of December, despite additional employees, they have only returned to a level of 80-90 people seen each day. The wait line for a phone request is 35-40 minutes, call backs take 17 hours, and minor issues, such as changing an address, continue to bog down the staff due to the complexity of the system. Although we are lucky to have a caring and dedicated staff, their training has been haphazard and on the job, with colleagues helping colleagues. Some staff have not been provided formal training.”

“I was seriously concerned for the many freezing and needy people I saw waiting in line. They have returned over and over with no resolution to their problems. I witnessed two pregnant women who say they haven’t received any type of prenatal care, which is unacceptable to them, as well as me,” said Rep. Quattrocchi.

“It is mind-boggling that this program was launched three months ago. The Federal government clearly understood it was not ready. Our state leaders have offered no responsible rationale for approving the launch before the program was thoroughly tested and ready to effectively manage our benefit systems,” said Rep. Morgan. “To explain, as we march further into the winter season and vulnerable people are not receiving necessary help with food, heat, and medical care, that all software programs have glitches and we will eventually work out the problems, does not justify the harm this premature launch has caused. It also does not explain, why Deloitte was unable to complete a working and error-free program on time and on budget. No one in charge seems to be paying a price for bad performance. It appears the only people who must suffer are those who need the help the most.”