The company hired to provide health care to most of the state’s prison inmates stands to make millions of dollars in administrative fees and profits under a no-bid contract that ultimately could be worth more than a billion dollars.
The Florida Department of Corrections last month contracted with Centurion of Florida to provide prison health care in the north and central regions of the state, following a decision last November by Corizon Healthcare, the previous provider in those areas, to bow out early from its contract.
And while the department negotiated with several different vendors to fill the gap left by Corizon’s departure, it did not go through a formal competitive process before contracting with Centurion. One of the companies involved in the negotiations, Wexford Health Sources, which provides health care to inmates in South Florida, notified the agency last week it intends to file a bid protest.
Government watchdogs say the contract raises questions beyond the fact it wasn’t competitively bid. Centurion, through its parent company Centene, has a team of lobbyists that includes former House speakers Dean Cannon and Larry Cretul. Since 2014, Centene has given nearly $315,000 to Florida lawmakers and political committees.