The council of the District of Columbia voted to approve awarding Medicaid contracts to Amerigroup, MedStar Family Choice and AmeriHealth Caritas D.C., despite protests from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Washington Post reported Oct. 18.
CareFirst had argued in social media advertising and through lobbyists that Amerigroup, owned by Elevance Health, was not fit to manage the district's Medicaid plans.
D.C.'s Contracts Appeal Board repeatedly upheld the results of the competitive procurement process, despite CareFirst's appeals.
After lengthy debate, the D.C. Council, the city's legislative body, ultimately voted 10-2 to uphold the results of the contract procurement, the Post reported.
The $8 billion contracts run for five years.