I worked on some of the DHS systems as a consultant for almost 8 years. The biggest problem is they have zero data integrity. Some people have multiple MaineCare ID's, but the name associated with the ID is different, perhaps it has a middle initial, or not. The data travels in a loop, from the eligibility system to the welfare system (on the mainframe with almost zero support) to the capitation system, to the decision support system and back to the eligibility system. It's a failure cascade where errors flow through the entire system unchecked. The second biggest problem is that the "business" rules change constantly and no one understands them. That is a programmers nightmare. The third biggest problem is that the state insists on changing vendors regularly, always looking for that cheaper contract. The 4th biggest problem is the work ethic of many (not all) of the State employees, and it only takes a few. Couple this with a seriously underpaid IT staff; under skilled and frequently under motivated and you've got a perfect storm. The amazing part is that they don't do more damage. You do realize no one knows how much money they've lost, err misplaced?