Key US Computer Lags on Y2K
Declan McCullagh

3:00 a.m. 19.Mar.99.PST
WASHINGTON -- The central government computer that controls Medicare and welfare payments is far behind schedule on Y2K repairs, according to a quarterly report released by the White House this week.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has abandoned plans to replace its payment management system, which hands out US$165 billion a year in federal funds. Instead, it is scrambling to reprogram the system.

"The problem is bigger than we all anticipated, and progress has been slower. To make the due date for Y2K, we've stopped the reengineering and we're remediating the old system," said John C. West, chief financial officer for the department's program support center.

The rest of the story.

Congressional Subcommittee overall federal Y2K progress report card

-- Bill (billdale@lakesnet.net), March 19, 1999