U.S. Representative Brad Finstad said on May 5 that it is ‘high time we fix these outdated systems to ensure accuracy and integrity in our federally funded public assistance programs in Minnesota.’ The statement comes as lawmakers address concerns about the technology used by counties to manage federal benefits such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The issue matters because Minnesota’s SNAP payment error rate stood at 8.98 percent for fiscal year 2024, exceeding the federal threshold of 6 percent that would require the state to share costs of benefits with the federal government. The national average SNAP payment error rate was 10.9 percent during the same period. Modernized systems could help states meet accuracy standards while serving eligible participants, according to CBS News Minnesota.
Finstad said, ‘The archaic and outdated software that many of our counties use to administer public assistance programs leaves the door open to errors and fraud. I recently joined my fellow Minnesota Congressional Republicans in sending a letter to Governor Walz urging him to support funding to update our aging systems for administering Medicaid and SNAP benefits.’ According to a post on X, Finstad referenced the recent letter sent by Minnesota’s Republican congressional delegation—including Representatives Emmer, Stauber, Fischbach, and Finstad—to Governor Tim Walz regarding county systems for public assistance programs. The communication followed concerns over technology used by counties to manage federally funded benefits. Minnesota is one of about twelve states that delegate administration of these programs to counties, as reported in the delegation’s press release.
Minnesota counties rely on the MAXIS system launched in 1989 to determine eligibility and administer SNAP benefits along with other public assistance programs. Other systems including PRISM for child support dating back to 1997 and SSIS from 1994 also require upgrades. All eighty-seven counties in the state manage enrollment and case management for Medicaid and SNAP using these legacy technologies that involve extensive manual processes, according to CBS News Minnesota.
MPR News reported that Minnesota county officials have pushed for technology upgrades as new Medicaid and SNAP requirements increase administrative demands. County officials said older systems require manual processes for enrollment and case management.
Finstad grew up on a family farm in Brown County and is a fourth-generation farmer, according to his congressional biography. He served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009 and later as Minnesota state director for USDA Rural Development before being elected to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
