Blagojevich Administration Says Illinois Saved $34 Million From State Health Programs Last Year

(Springfield, IL) — From the Take-It-With-A-Grain-of-Salt-Department, Governor Rod Blagojevich’s Administration announced on Tuesday that the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services saved $34 million during fiscal year 2007 through more efficient management of its medical programs.

The Blagojevich Administration says the savings resulted from the implementation of a Primary Care Case Management program and a Disease Management program for the almost 1.7 million individuals who receive their healthcare through HFS medical programs, which includes the state’s Medicaid program.

Those savings, the Blagojevich Administration claims, will pay for the first year of the All Kids expansion, which increased eligibility from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to all uninsured children and cost $22.8 million in fiscal year 2007.

In the past, the Illinois Auditor General William Holland has questioned in various audits Blagojevich Administration claims of program savings. If Holland gets assigned an audit request, we’ll see.

IL Labor Relations Board Asleep at the Computer Switch as Costly Data Base Conversion Fizzles–Taxpayers Kiss $31,700 Goodbye

(Springfield, IL) — From Your-Tax-Dollars-at-Work-Department, Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland’s office reported last week that the Illinois Labor Relations Board was asleep at the computer switch during a recent data base conversion project.

The Board’s snooze cost Illinois taxpayers $31,700 smackers.

Released on March 13, Holland’s report said: “The Board had not established adequate planning, oversight, and controls over a contract for an information system project, which resulted in a costly system conversion project that did not meet the Board’s standards.“

Therefore, according to Holland, the Board is maintaining two databases which fail to meet the agency’s needs.

The Board paid the vendor $28,950 for this project, including $2,750 to try to fix the problems.

The Board, chaired by Jackie Gallagher, agreed it goofed.

Presumably, the Board’s next meeting should be interesting. No?