Programs for Poor Not Y2K Ready

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Programs for Poor Not Y2K Ready

Updated 5:30 PM ET December 16, 1999

By LAURA MECKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Eight states and the District of Columbia remain at risk for Y2K computer glitches in welfare, health care and other federally funded programs, possibly jeopardizing assistance for millions of needy Americans, federal officials say.

Some haven't fixed computer problems, and others rectified problems just days ago. The problems could complicate the states' ability to write welfare and child support checks, pay bills and enroll new applicants in January.

"Clearly some of them have cut it far too close," said John Koskinen, the White House Y2K coordinator.

State benefit programs were among the last to begin fixing their computers to handle the Y2K computer problem, scrambling through 1999 to reprogram computers and test them. Most have certified that their systems are in good shape, but federal officials are concerned about stragglers.

"We're not interested in getting 95 percent of the work done or having 45 out of 50 states in good shape. We need to have every state prepared," Koskinen said.

Even states that just fixed problems are still at risk in correcting the computer glitch in which older machines that read only the last two digits of a date might mistake 2000 for 1900, experts warn.

"When you're doing it this late and you're doing it with the kind of pressure they're under, the probability of errors goes up," said Margaret Anderson, a technology expert with the Center for Y2K and Society. The group has been tracking the impact of Y2K problems on programs that serve the poor.

The federal government's final report on Y2K readiness, issued this week, found seven states and the District of Columbia each had at least one of 10 benefit programs that had not been certified as Y2K ready as of Dec. 8.

These programs receive federal funding but are administered by the states, such as Medicaid, food stamps, child support and cash welfare.

The report found problems in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma and the District of Columbia. The U.S. territories also aren't ready, it said.

State officials minimized the problems, and at least one, Alabama, says there's nothing wrong.

In Oklahoma, the federal report found that the Women, Infants and Children program is not Y2K ready. But state officials say the only trouble involves 20 laptop computers in counties that have not been checked.

"They have a minimal impact on the total program," said Terry Bryce, the program's chief of staff.

WIC provides vouchers for cereal and milk to mothers and their young children, and Bryce said the state is prepared to issue the vouchers without computers if necessary.

Other states on the list said they have finished their work and the federal report is out of date.

The report singled out Alabama as the state in the worst shape, with three systems still not ready - welfare, child support and child care. State officials say otherwise.

"We're fully compliant," said Tony Petellos, commissioner for the Alabama Department of Human Resources. "Unless they (federal officials) came down yesterday to review everything, they wouldn't have the right information."

The federal report also found that California and Illinois child support computers - already plagued with problems - are not ready. In Minnesota and Connecticut, there were glitches in the child welfare system, the agency that investigates child abuse and handles foster care.

The report was based on information from last week, and some states may have made fixes since.

Still, with barely two weeks before the new year, the report underscores that many agencies are coming down to the wire. And many states that the government now considers ready finished their systems within the last several weeks.

Experts worry that problems will inevitably surface.

"We never fix things right the first time," said Anderson of the private Center for Y2K and Society. "In (computer) testing, you miss 6 to 10 percent of problems or you generate other problems with the fix."

The government is urging states to have contingency plans ready in case computers fail.

Iowa and federal officials agree that the state's computers are ready, but state officials are still suggesting that clients hold onto their December Medicaid cards in case computers have trouble producing new cards in January.

"It doesn't cause any harm to keep it, and if there's some reason they end up needing it, they have it," said Ellen Gordon, who is in charge of contingency plans for Iowa.

The U.S. territories are probably in the worst shape. Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa each have several programs that are not Y2K-ready, according to the federal report. And in Puerto Rico, the Medicaid program isn't fixed.

Federal officials are offering extra assistance, with emphasis on the contingency plans.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 16, 1999

Answers

Thanks! URL please.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 16, 1999.

Link

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 16, 1999.


I hope that you remembered to put by a bit extra for those who are truly needy...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 16, 1999.

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