SR0254 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0254 LRB097 12126 JDS 56131 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Current contracts to administer Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Open Access Plan (OAP) benefits for the State Employees' Group Insurance Program are set to expire on June 30, 2011, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services initiated a request-for-proposals process to select vendors to administer those benefit programs after the expiration of the current contracts; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to this process, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services posted notice of intent to award contracts to 4 managed care organizations in order to provide HMO and OAP benefits to State employees, dependents, and retirees starting on July 1, 2011; and

WHEREAS, This notice is the subject of official protests questioning the procurement process used to select the potential vendors used to administer these health benefit programs; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Procurement Code and administrative regulations provide a broad grant of authority to the State to cancel a solicitation (before or after the opening of bids) if it would be in the State's best interests to do so, and that authority may be exercised even though protests are under review; and

WHEREAS, Fundamental issues regarding access to, and the cost of, adequate health care appear to be inextricably intertwined with administrative and technical questions pertaining to procedural compliance with the Illinois Procurement Code and administrative rules; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we find that the circumstances surrounding these current procurements and their potential to cause adverse effects on the State and its citizens warrant a finding that it is in the best interests of the State to cancel the existing solicitations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor and the Chief Procurement Officer to cancel those solicitations and to issue a new request for proposals in a timely manner in order to select an adequate network of administrators to provide access to health care for all State employees, retirees, and dependents; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Chief Procurement Officer responsible for overseeing the HMO and OAP procurement.