Four years after the expected due date, the state has fully implemented its online administration system for key programs such as Medicaid, emergency food assistance and the foster care system.
The system, known as WV-PATHshould be completed in 2020.
The price is currently $308 million.
“The rollout was disastrous … I think we all know that,” Republican Rep. Amy Summers of Taylor said Tuesday at the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia, as lawmakers learn more about the implementation of the system.
Senator Vince Deeds (R-Greenbrier) said, “Ultimately, this is a $308 million system that will be fully operational for three years.”
The project will incur additional costs because the Department of Human Services must find a vendor to continue operating the massive system that runs critical programs for thousands of West Virginians.
“We’re going to need constant improvements and updates and constant security,” said Cynthia Persily, secretary of the Department of Health. “I don’t have any cost estimates right now, but we’ll develop this over time.”
Persily, who took on her role after the project was launched, said she was instrumental in getting the project to the finish line. It went fully operational in July.
“It’s a huge expenditure of taxpayer money. It was also a project that was stalled for a while and that leadership may not have paid enough attention to,” she said. “Some people would say I was too involved. I think it was appropriate to keep an eye on this at all times.”
The State under contract with Optum in 2017 to develop a new integrated entitlement system to manage its programs.
The DoHS, formerly the state Department of Health and Human Resources, has been making payments to the company after it achieved certain milestones.
The slow implementation and the ongoing costs are a point of contention for many legislators. asked further Heads of State and Government when it will be completed.
According to Persily, the department has spent about $103 million so far and will spend at least $308 million over the next three years, as the original contract runs through 2027. Part of the project was funded with federal funds.
The project faced numerous hurdles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the workflow. The state health department had postponed the completion date to 2023, but missed that deadline.
Persily said some delays are due to the need to make sure the system is working. PATH is used to process payments for daycares, foster care and more, and they want to minimize and avoid payment disruptions.
“I said it a thousand times during implementation: ‘We will not do anything that will jeopardize anyone’s pay,'” Persily said.
She continued, “I think we’re in a good place. It’s taken a long time to get here, and I think in the end it will be a positive for the citizens of West Virginia.”
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