Glitches riddle benefits portal
Online system frustrates many in need of support
The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has devastated many Ohio families, causing thousands to rely on tax-funded benefits such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and cash assistance.
A new survey by the Clevelandbased Center for Community Solutions found that Ohio Benefits, the more than $1 billion eligibility system to process applications and manage benefits, isn’t up for the job and is frustrating for those seeking help.
The relatively new online portal has lots of glitches, and many applicants report that it’s easier to call their county Job and Family Services Department and ask a caseworker for help, according to the report released today.
“The renewal process has been pretty awful every year, and it’s just frustrating,” said Jessie Herzfeld, a self-employed artist from the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood who relies on Medicaid health coverage.
Once a year, she must provide verification of her income to show whether she continues to qualify for benefits.
“This year was particularly stressful. I was having panic attacks trying to sort it all out and what they wanted from me. … The fax number didn’t work, the online portal didn’t work. … The phone was really the only way for me to do it, but I talked to three different people and they were giving me different answers about what kind of documentation they wanted.”
The 22-page report is based on a survey of 156 Ohioans in 10 counties, including Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield and Licking, who applied or re-enrolled in benefits during a two-year period ending in mid-2020.
Overall, three-fourths of those surveyed said they had a positive or neutral experience. But those who sought benefits directly through their county Job and Family Services Department were far more satisfied than those using the online self-service portal.
“The online system is not mobilefriendly, it is difficult to navigate, and is riddled with system errors. Despite long wait times, the phone enrollment process works better for many Ohioans,” the report found.
About one in four surveyed said they used the online system and nearly a third reported having a negative experience. Many ultimately gave up and called their county agency for help.
Rachel Cahill, the consultant who wrote the report, said problems with the online system are compounded because it’s not designed for use on mobile devices, yet three out of four people surveyed said they access the internet through their phones.
While those surveyed gave high marks to the county caseworkers who helped them, the higher call volume has created longer wait times.
“The counties had to start processing old re-certifications and going through a lot of paperwork again and those phone wait times have crept up,” Cahill said.
“Having this system that the state has invested a lot of money in but it doesn’t really work for people really needs to be rethought with the consumer in mind.”
Cahill noted that those who receive Medicaid and SNAP typically are elderly, disabled, children or working parents, “all groups that we don’t want to have a really bad experience in trying to access basic services that help them stay afloat, especially during a pandemic.” Brian Mallory, who works part time for a nonprofit organization, said he has often struggled to secure Medicaid and SNAP benefits to help make ends meet.
“If you can get through, the phone is better. For some reason, COVID-19 has made it a much smoother process,” said the 57-year-old Cleveland resident.
“The state caught a break with the pandemic, because once folks could not come down to the offices and meet face to face, then you had no choice but to do it online or over the phone.”
In a statement, Medicaid spokeswoman Lisa Lawless, said the department appreciated the work of the Centers for Community Solutions on behalf of Ohioans in need.
“We take the findings to heart and are committed to improving the consumer experience with Medicaid’s program,” Lawless said.
The department has been working to ease the enrollment process, reduce the long-standing backlog of pending cases, and resolve technical issues with the Ohio Benefits system, she said.
Those efforts, Lawless said, aim to “improve service to individuals, increase the accuracy of (the department’s) Medicaid eligibility determinations, and provide more accountability for taxpayer dollars.” ccandisky@dispatch.com @ccandisky