Year after year, the song has been the same when it comes to Colorado’s scandalously dysfunctional welfare benefits computer system.
It’s a mess. We know how to fix it. We just need (fill in the blank) millions of dollars.
Now it’s Gov. John Hickenlooper’s turn to take a crack at taming the beast known as Colorado Benefits Management System, or CBMS.
When his eager group of employees presented the rehab plan to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Wednesday and asked for up to $17 million, lawmakers were understandably skeptical.
Who wouldn’t be, given the history of CBMS?
But we think there’s reason for hope this time. Hickenlooper has put the right people in the room and they have come up with a smart plan.
And the truth is, there just isn’t the time or the money to throw the whole thing on the scrap heap and start fresh. Buying a new system would be expensive and take time the state doesn’t have.
Colorado is facing a number of deadlines and court orders that require a fairly quick resolution — quick being a relative term in the world of software development.
And since the state cannot buy a program off the shelf, developing a new system to manage Colorado’s programs delivering food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Medicaid (among other programs) would cost a small fortune. Probably in the $150 million range.
To be sure, the history of CBMS is maddening. The system was launched in 2004 with the promise it would streamline the process of applying for a range of benefits.
It was a disaster from the start. The untested system was unleashed on all 64 counties at the same time. Some people received multiple payments, others got nothing. Benefit delays forced counties to hold food drives to feed the hungry.
Over the years, the $200 million project proved to be a black hole, sucking in money, IT professionals and the hopes of those who advocate for the needy.
However, Susan Beckman, an Arapahoe County commissioner, thinks this fix-it plan is different.
The counties, primary users of the system, have a strong interest in seeing it brought to working order, and Beckman has been a keen observer of the CBMS debacle.
She remarked on the Hickenlooper administration’s commitment to the project.
“It’s a new day,” she said.
We’re inclined to agree. The government officials working on the fix are committed, capable and smart. They have involved all of the relevant stakeholders.
And Colorado is in a tough spot. Doing nothing is not an option, given the system’s instability and looming deadlines.
We hope state legislators take the time to learn about the CBMS plan and ultimately fund it. The state’s most vulnerable citizens cannot wait.
