Wyoming s Unemployment Insurance Division. WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE Michelle Garcia NLPES Conference

Transcription

1 Wyoming s Unemployment Insurance Division WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE Michelle Garcia NLPES Conference

2 Unemployment Insurance Division Agency Reorganization Separate agency during audit Recently combined with WFS UID follows federal & state guidance which led to confidentiality issues that arose during the audit Wyoming Legislative Service Office Michelle Garcia September 20, 2011 Denver, Colorado 2

3 Scope Limitation Requested and did not receive direct access to primary data DOE requested LSO to sign a stringent MOU Required by DOE, since CFR (Subpart B, Section 603) does not include a State audit exemption. MOU would affect independence requirements for an auditing agency 3

4 Discussions of Confidentiality LSO offered 2 alternatives: Propose a modified agreement Officials with Subpoena power can request data without an agreement Decision to move forward with audit Limited review of data Identified information was redacted 4

5 Sample Data IT staff conducted sampling of claimants who we surveyed 100 claimants (50 paid; 50 denied) Mailed survey after testing Sample program case files 4 types of claims (37 total) Reviewed redacted paper case files 5

6 Benefit, Accuracy, and Management (BAM) Federal process for BAM Reviews Timeliness percentages have almost always trended above the required 30 days. Appeal timeliness has increased to as much as 91% of appeals processed in greater than 30 days (2010) required by the federal government. 6

7 BAM Process (cont.) Quality Scores for Non-Monetary Determination Decision (Separation and Non-Separation) With the exception of 2010, always above the 75% required by the federal government. LSO s sampling discussed on slide #5 confirmed BAM in both areas. 7

8 Customer Service Surveys UID sends 5 surveys to measure customer satisfaction 1. Internet Survey 2. Claimant Survey 3. Appellant Survey 4. Employer Survey 5. Benefit Accuracy Measurement Survey 8

9 Reviewing Client Feedback Division does not utilize responses to enhance the program Survey complaints are repetitive The Quality Control Team was discontinued Recommended to actively analyze survey feedback 9

10 Results of Scope Limitation UID submits quarterly data to feds LSO review showed no inconsistency related to federal measures Determined that UID is operating within federal guidelines Ability to develop findings and recommendations for the program 10

11 House Bill 0160 A legislative subpoena can be issued upon unanimous request of the chairman and vice-chairman of the management audit committee or upon the request of a majority of the members of the committee 11

12 Effects of the Economic Recession 12.0 Percent W orkers Unemployed (federal definition) Unemployment rate went from Year (September Monthly Rate) US Average Wyoming 2.9% in 2007 to 7.3% in

13 Manual Processing Manual process impacts timeliness & decision quality UID relies too heavily on paper check payments Against federal best practices Claimants want direct deposit 13

14 Minimal Claimant Education Claimant education is minimal Only four places to find educational materials No alternate language versions Appellant notices & hearing practices contribute to no-shows Over 26% of hearings are no-shows No shows waste the hearing officer s time Claimants are continually confused about the appeals process 14

15 Conclusion MAC requested a formal follow-up letter from the Dept. of Employment on the progress of each recommendation HB 0160 passed, giving the MAC Chair and Vice Chair the subpoena power for future audits 15

16 Conclusion (cont.) Committee sent a letter to the federal Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee requesting GAO to review the CFR with respect to a lack of a state audit exemption 16

17 Wyoming LSO Website: Link to UID Report: ProgramEval/RptsProgramEval.aspx 17

18 Questions? 18