Colorado Rolls Out New Benefits Computer System

The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) went live yesterday. The new system is expected to streamline and simplify the application and eligibility process for the state's major financial assistance programs.

CBMS, under joint development by the Colorado Department of Human Services and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, replaces six existing systems with one unified system for data collection and eligibility.

Some highlights of the new system are:

• CBMS replaces antiquated, inflexible legacy systems that use outdated programming languages, are difficult to modify, and perform redundant processing in individual "stovepipe" systems.


• CBMS will allow for a universal worker, who will not have to memorize rules and look through manuals to determine eligibility and will have a single point of data entry for multiple programs.


• CBMS will improve access to public assistance and medical benefits by providing one-stop shopping for clients, permitting faster eligibility determinations, and allowing for higher accuracy and consistency in eligibility determinations statewide.

The total estimated cost for the project is $199 million. As of June 2002, the General Assembly appropriated $59.7 million in capital construction funds and $29.5 million in operating funds. The state of Colorado is paying for 42 percent of the project while the federal government is paying for the remaining 58 percent.

To date, the statewide infrastructure has been rolled out in all of Colorado's 64 counties. County workers also have new personal computers with Internet and e-mail access as well as basic office software that replaced their old "dumb" terminals.