Buggy computer system delays food stamps in Denver

The Denver Post reports that problems with a computer system are seriously slowing down the processing of food stamp applications.

For five years, CBMS — a database that processes applications for help, including Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps — has been problematic.

At first, the system chucked some applicants out while overpaying others. State officials remedied that but had to reimburse the federal government more than $9 million in December for the mistakes.

Counties also complained that CBMS is nonintuitive, that it takes 45 minutes to enter data for one application and that, when moving from one screen to the other, things like names and addresses have to be re-entered.

It sounds bad enough for small numbers of applications. The recession has however brought a significantly increased demand, which just exacerbates the problem.

This is a serious problem and the state is putting some serious money into fixing it:

Last fall, the state awarded a $90,000 contract to the system’s creator, Electronic Data Systems, to study how to simplify and quicken the program for counties and clients. A report was issued to the Joint Budget Committee, but it didn’t go anywhere because the state switched vendors.

A new $48.6 million four-year contract with Deloitte Consulting will include creating a Web-based application system in nine months, state officials say. This will enable people anywhere to apply for help, logging on from libraries, home or senior centers.

It will be interesting to follow along and see whether this project gets completed or what will be available after those nine months.