© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Online Health Portal, 'Done Quickly,' Gives Ill. Headaches

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration say they're working out bugs on a $94 million online portal that allows state employees to choose health care options. 

Georgia-based Morneau Shepell  was the only company that responded to a November 2015 request from the Department of Central Management Services to design the system. It's a 10-year deal.

State employees have complained that the system has caused problems such as rejecting coverage without notice. The Teachers Retirement System has 70,000 retirees with Medicare coverage. But executive director Richard Ingram says the contract didn't even contain Medicare provisions.

Teresa Flesch is CMS director of benefits. She says the system will eventually save $500 million a year.  

A Morneau spokeswoman did not respond with comment.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.