SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois has settled more than $4 billion with the same company it has used for 30 years, despite a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the company and statewide complaints alleging substandard care. concluded a prison medical care contract.
Pittsburgh-based Wexford Health Sources was one of two companies that responded to the Illinois Department of Corrections' request for proposals, but it was not the lowest bidder. Wexford's offer was $673 million higher than that of Topeka, Kan.-based VitalCore Health Strategies, according to a procurement announcement seen by The Associated Press on Friday.
Wexford's contract is initially worth $1.956 billion over five years, with five-year renewals worth $2.21 billion.
State authorities' decisions regarding awarding contracts are not based solely on cost. But Wexford has also been roundly criticized for its performance, accused of delays and cutting corners in medical care and relying on outside doctors to determine whether and what treatment is needed. The company is facing numerous multimillion-dollar lawsuits alleging backlash over its actions. Job openings for medical professionals continue to suffer from high vacancy rates.
A panel of experts appointed by a federal judge concluded in 2015 that the Department of Corrections' health care system “fails to meet minimum constitutional standards.” Additional recommendations from federal courts followed.
Camille Bennett, director of the Correctional Reform Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, called the decision to keep Wexford “unfortunate and puzzling.”
“Expert reports to the Federal Court have established that Wexford has failed to provide adequate medical care to people in IDOC facilities across the state and has failed to ensure adequate levels of staffing. '' Bennett said in a statement. Be clear about how you are prepared to meet these needs in the future. ”
Bennett testified before a state House committee last summer, and lawmakers called on the Department of Corrections to find a suitable replacement.
The Associated Press sent multiple calls and emails to the Department of Corrections seeking comment and sent a text message to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's spokesperson. A telephone message was left with a Wexford spokesperson.
Alan Mills, executive director of People's Uptown Law Center, said about one-third of physician positions are currently filled, and the vacancy rate for nurses and dental specialists is about 50%. The center's lawsuit against the Department of Corrections over its mental health treatment, which calls for an overhaul of the state's care system, is still ongoing. A federal court monitor who handled the case in 2017 said mental health care in the prison was “grossly inadequate” and declared the prison to be in a “state of emergency.”
“They took years to turn things around and they still didn't get it,” Mills said of Wexford. “We're just throwing good money at bad results.”
Wexford's final 10-year contract expired in 2021 but has since been extended.
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine launched a pilot program in 2020 to provide medical care at two prisons, and officials said they are eager to see the program implemented with the goal of expansion. An SIU spokesperson was not available Friday.
