Changes being made at Social Services

A state lawmaker said between twelve and fifteen thousand Missourian’s cannot get signed up for their Medicaid benefits.

Lawmakers and Department of Social Services employees had a meet and greet at the Capitol today.

Representative Sue Allen from Town and Country said in just the past week she has gotten a letter from a constituent who is pregnant and can’t get signed up for her benefits.

The woman claims she signed up for Medicaid in June of last year.

This is around the time when Social Services started reorganizing its system, including its call center.

Social Services has been moving people to different roles in another attempt to making the system work.

Representative Allen said some employees are resisting the change.

Allen also said there could be some people leaving DSS.

“I would see that there will be an announcement of people retiring,” said Allen.

ABC 17 asked if it would be people higher up in the department.

“I would say it could go from top to bottom,” was Allen’s response.

“So you know it’s about time and I’m not trying to hurt people I just expect them to do their job and then do it right. If they can’t do it right then you find somebody who will do it right,” said Allen.

This is not the first time Allen has said something like this.

Back in October in a hearing when Alyson Campbell, a division director at DSS, was testifying, Allen told her if they couldn’t find employees to fix problems in a timely fashion, Lawmakers will find someone who can.

The director of DSS, Brian Kinkade, said in the hearing he expects the issues to be fixed by mid-February.

Allen said she was told last year the issues will be solved by December 1, 2014.