ACS Wins $351 Million Georgia Health Services Contract
Affiliated Computer Services Inc. has been selected as the prime contractor for the Georgia Health Partnership contract, a plan that combines health claims administration of three traditionally separate government-run health programs. Harvey Braswell, president ACS government services division, said earlier this month the company competed for the work against Electronic Data Systems Corp. and WellPoint Health Networks Inc.
Affiliated Computer Services Inc. has been selected as the prime contractor for the Georgia Health Partnership contract, the Dallas-based company announced July 17.
The planned five-year contract with the Georgia Department of Community Health has two additional one-year extensions and is valued at about $351 million, the company said.
ACS is negotiating the final contract with the community health department. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees state Medicaid programs, also must approve the final deal.
Georgia is the first state to combine health claims administration of three traditionally separate government-run health programs ? for state employees, Medicaid and uninsured children ? into a single program.
Harvey Braswell, president ACS government services division, told Washington Technology earlier this month that the company competed for the contract against Electronic Data Systems Corp. of Plano, Texas, and WellPoint Health Networks Inc. of Thousand Oaks, Calif.
The Georgia Health Partnership is a systems integration and operations project that combines administrative services and systems support for public employees' health benefits programs, Medicaid and state child health insurance programs. Nearly 2 million Georgia residents are covered under these programs.
As prime contractor, ACS will be responsible for designing and implementing a new information system to provide claims processing, customer service and administrative support for Georgia's public health benefits programs.
ACS proposed a single system, known as MultiHealthNet, to meet the broad range of requirements. MultiHealthNet is a next-generation benefits processing system developed by ACS that is supporting various Medicaid programs around the country.
By consolidating the three government health programs, the state will realize lower costs, better quality care for beneficiaries and greater access to health care plans, according to industry observers.