Saturday, October 02, 2010
DHHR Defends No-Bid Contracts
WEST VIRGINIA....
The state Department of Health and Human Resources is defending a plan to award no-bid contracts to three health care insurance companies, although some lawmakers are questioning the plan. Bureau of Medical Services Commissioner Nancy Atkins says bidding wouldn't produce a better deal, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services don't require competitive bidding. The DHHR already has agreements with the companies to provide health care to more than 160,000 Medicaid recipients who are on welfare, while the no-bid contracts cover another 55,000 Medicaid recipients who are part of the Social Security Income program. The contracts for both Medicaid groups would total nearly $600 million. Kanawha County Delegates Ron Walters and Nancy Peoples question whether the no-bid contracts are legal, but DHHR spokesman John Law says state law doesn't require bids for managed care products.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources is defending a plan to award no-bid contracts to three health care insurance companies, although some lawmakers are questioning the plan. Bureau of Medical Services Commissioner Nancy Atkins says bidding wouldn't produce a better deal, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services don't require competitive bidding. The DHHR already has agreements with the companies to provide health care to more than 160,000 Medicaid recipients who are on welfare, while the no-bid contracts cover another 55,000 Medicaid recipients who are part of the Social Security Income program. The contracts for both Medicaid groups would total nearly $600 million. Kanawha County Delegates Ron Walters and Nancy Peoples question whether the no-bid contracts are legal, but DHHR spokesman John Law says state law doesn't require bids for managed care products.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:45 AM 
