DCF's faulty budgeting caused scare

DCF's faulty budgeting caused scare

Palm Beach Post Editorial
Saturday, January 17, 2004

In its haste to fix a flawed system of paying the 13,000 groups that
provide services to the state's developmentally disabled, the
Department of Children and Families compounded the flaws, using an
inflated deficit projection, and caused premature cuts in those
services.

Two months ago, when the state cut spending on programs, DCF officials
criticized advocates for the disabled as promoting a false
sky-is-falling scenario. In fact, the agency itself -- which had
projected a $27.5 million deficit in the programs but now expects to
end the budget year with a surplus -- is to blame.

DCF officials do expect a deficit when the budget year ends June 30,
but the shortfall probably will be about $15 million, and the state
has not used $30.5 million it set aside last year. "A question still
remains," the inspector general wrote in a recent department audit,
"regarding the rationale used in that decision." For sure. While the
state was sitting on the money, 16 agencies statewide said they would
have to close, and agencies in Palm Beach County and the Treasure
Coast cut services and employee benefits.

Some DCF districts ignored the state's budget, billing the groups for
more days of service than allowed. Others were simply confused and
used varying interpretations of how to apply the rate adjustments. By
the time the state corrected the problems, overspending had reached
$31,000 a day.

Rates needed to be adjusted -- for fairness and with consideration for
cost-of-living in certain regions. Previously, rates varied not only
from one part of the state to another for identical service but within
some of the same districts. "Higher rates were not related to persons
with the greatest needs," DCF Secretary Jerry Regier told the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services last week,
"rather, to those providers with the most effective negotiating
skills."

Now that the rates are lower and the service groups are allowed to
bill for more days, the groups naturally have been billing for more
hours and days of service. A separate audit will determine whether, as
department officials contend, those groups are profiteering. If so,
penalties and new guidelines can be established to help the state
finally begin to reduce its waiting list of 13,500 families.

DCF blamed the unnecessary cuts on fiscal prudence. DCF now should
show its commitment to the developmentally disabled by fixing its
imprudent policies.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion...841d40090.html

Heck, lying is embedded in the CPS culture.

Not unusual.


Wex sent in:

Subject: DCF's faulty budgeting caused scare
From: wexwimpy
Date: 1/21/2004 2:46 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

DCF's faulty budgeting caused scare

Palm Beach Post Editorial
Saturday, January 17, 2004

In its haste to fix a flawed system of paying the 13,000 groups that
provide services to the state's developmentally disabled, the
Department of Children and Families compounded the flaws, using an
inflated deficit projection, and caused premature cuts in those
services.

Two months ago, when the state cut spending on programs, DCF officials
criticized advocates for the disabled as promoting a false
sky-is-falling scenario. In fact, the agency itself -- which had
projected a $27.5 million deficit in the programs but now expects to
end the budget year with a surplus -- is to blame.

DCF officials do expect a deficit when the budget year ends June 30,
but the shortfall probably will be about $15 million, and the state
has not used $30.5 million it set aside last year. "A question still
remains," the inspector general wrote in a recent department audit,
"regarding the rationale used in that decision." For sure. While the
state was sitting on the money, 16 agencies statewide said they would
have to close, and agencies in Palm Beach County and the Treasure
Coast cut services and employee benefits.

Some DCF districts ignored the state's budget, billing the groups for
more days of service than allowed. Others were simply confused and
used varying interpretations of how to apply the rate adjustments. By
the time the state corrected the problems, overspending had reached
$31,000 a day.

Rates needed to be adjusted -- for fairness and with consideration for
cost-of-living in certain regions. Previously, rates varied not only
from one part of the state to another for identical service but within
some of the same districts. "Higher rates were not related to persons
with the greatest needs," DCF Secretary Jerry Regier told the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services last week,
"rather, to those providers with the most effective negotiating
skills."

Now that the rates are lower and the service groups are allowed to
bill for more days, the groups naturally have been billing for more
hours and days of service. A separate audit will determine whether, as
department officials contend, those groups are profiteering. If so,
penalties and new guidelines can be established to help the state
finally begin to reduce its waiting list of 13,500 families.

DCF blamed the unnecessary cuts on fiscal prudence. DCF now should
show its commitment to the developmentally disabled by fixing its
imprudent policies.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion...itions/saturda
y/opinion_048088f307c841d40090.html