Kentucky’s state auditor has released a report detailing problems with last year’s rollout of Benefind, the new online portal for state benefits like health care, food stamps and cash assistance.
Benefind was launched nearly a year ago to long wait times that led to a backlog of 50,000 cases and at least 25,000 automated notices telling enrollees their benefits would be cut off.
The auditor’s report said state workers weren’t adequately trained for the new system and the program itself wasn’t ready to be launched.
The cabinet was able to clear up the 50,000-case back log earlier this year by creating a dedicated call center where workers from across the state traveled to Frankfort and worked through the cases in a matter of weeks.
In a response from the cabinet included with the auditor’s report, officials stated that Benefind’s problems were the due to “unacceptable planning decisions, poor design, and ineffective testing” — all attributed to previous Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration.
