November trial set for lawsuit challenging $1.4 billion Missouri prison health care contract

A trial will be held in early November to determine whether a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene will take over the contract for prison health care in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

In a hearing Thursday, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green set Nov. 3 as the first day in the trial where current provider Corizon Health is trying to block Centurion Health from taking over the contract currently set to expire Oct. 31.

Corizon filed the lawsuit this week after losing a protest of the contract award.

Green did not issue the temporary restraining order sought by Corizon but left open the possibility of doing so. He asked the attorneys for Corizon, Centurion and the state Division of Purchasing to file proposed orders and set another hearing Sept. 9 for more pre-trial work.

Corizon is accusing Centurion of filing false and misleading documents as part of its bid for the contract, which would pay up to $1.4 billion if the state picks up the options to continue it for seven years. It wants the state to throw out all five bids submitted in the spring and seek new proposals.

Read more: https://missouriindependent.com/2021/09/02/november-trial-set-for-lawsuit-challenging-1-4-billion-missouri-prison-health-care-contract/