Judge rules in favor of state, giving lucrative Missouri prison health care
A car heads toward the Farmington Correctional Center in this 2010 photo. (David Carson/dcarson@post-dispatch.com. )
Amanda St. Amand
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri is set to get a new health care provider for its prison inmate population, following a two-day trial pitting the state against the company that provided the service for nearly 30 years.
Cole County Judge Daniel Green issued an oral decision Thursday saying he would file a written ruling next week siding with the state in rejecting a challenge by Corizon Health, the longtime health care vendor.
Centurion Health, a subsidiary of Clayton-based Centene, won the bidding process for the contract, which could be worth more than $1.4 billion if the state exercises all of its options over a 10-year period.
Corizon, which has held the contract since 1992, sued the state, alleging Centurion employed “unfair practices” during the bidding process.
After a two-day trial, Green sided with the state, paving the way for Centurion to take over later this month.
“The judgment acknowledges that Missouri’s process for awarding this contract was fair and treated all bidders the same. That’s what the law requires,” said attorney Chuck Hatfield, who represented Centurion in the bench trial.
Read More: Judge rules in favor of state, giving lucrative Missouri prison health care