State mum on $100M contract for Medicaid IT system

NewsNM Swickard - Obviously sensitive negotiations cannot be done with reporters watching and writing. Still, it would be nice to be open about why we must be closed. And the scale: 100 million? Gosh, that's only 2 1/2 percent of the yearly money being managed. From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - The New Mexico Human Services Department won't say much about its contract negotiations with a firm to administer the state's computerized Medicaid claims system: Not the firm's identity or how many firms bid on the multimillion-dollar deal. The agency won't say much, in fact, other than it is close to signing the contract. "We are in a critical period of the contract award process and expect to make the award shortly," agency spokesman Matt Kennicott said in a recent email. The public silence surrounding the contract comes only months after Gov. Susana Martinez's administration, which has touted its openness, got an earful from state lawmakers and health care advocates over the secrecy involved in hiring a consulting firm for $1.7 million to help the state overhaul Medicaid. The government's low-income health-insurance program insures one in every four New Mexicans. And the program's information-technology system for processing claims is a mainstay of day-to-day operations, handling tens of thousands of requests a week for payments for services. At least one state lawmaker said the administration should make more information available publicly. Read more

State mum on $100M contract for Medicaid IT system