WAITE PARK, Minn. – Senator Aric Putnam (DFL–St. Cloud) joined Stearns County staff Wednesday for a live demonstration of the legacy computer systems used to enroll Minnesotans in Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and other public assistance programs. The demonstration illustrated the significant challenges these outdated systems create for county workers and the constituents they serve. These challenges are compounded by new federal administrative requirements under HR1.
These legacy systems hinder counties’ ability to detect and prevent fraud, in addition to creating barriers to timely enrollment for eligible residents. A broad coalition of stakeholders — including the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Hospital Association, and major health plans — has called on the legislature to make modernization a priority this session.
Following the technology demonstration by Stearns County staff, Senator Aric Putnam released the following statement:
“County workers are doing everything they can to connect residents with critical services, but these outdated IT systems make that job far harder than it needs to be. These inefficiencies have a steep cost: Every hour a caseworker spends navigating this antiquated technology is time and money wasted for families in need. Counties are forced to absorb the burden of these inadequate systems, while also facing administrative shifts and budget cuts from the federal government. They are asked to do more with less, and those costs fall on local property taxpayers. Modernizing these systems isn’t just a technology upgrade, it’s a commitment to the people who depend on these programs and to the taxpayers who fund them. We cannot afford to wait.”
Senator Putnam is supporting SF 4719, authored by Senator Melissa Wiklund (DFL – Bloomington), which would establish a Human Services Systems Steering Committee to provide recommendations to state agencies, in collaboration with Minnesota counties, on the development and improvement of human services technology. Modernized systems would strengthen program integrity, reduce administrative burden on counties, and improve access to services for all Minnesotans.
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Vice Chair of the Higher Education Committee. He serves on the Jobs and Economic Development Committee and Taxes Committee.
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