The procurement process at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which has been under intense scrutiny as of late, has been slowed down, according to the Houston Chronicle. Sources at three HHSC-reliant departments told the paper that “most procurement has been put on hold.”
That follows a revelation earlier in April that contracts had been awarded to the wrong companies because of what the agency said was an issue with the scoring tool used to rate the bids. It pulled previously awarded contracts to the likes of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Driscoll Children’s Health Plan, Texas Children’s Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, and Superior HealthPlan.
Three people were fired as the news surfaced, and Chief Operating Officer Heather Griffith Peterson resigned about a week later.
The Chron’s sources say they’re worried delays could cause problems with time-sensitive contracts. A spokesperson for the HHSC, however, said that procurement “is still moving,” and that the sources were probably talking about the “interval nature of what we’re doing.” More here.
