A private prison health care company accused of substandard care is awarded new contract in Illinois

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials have awarded a prison medical care contract to the same company it’s been using for years, despite multimillion-dollar lawsuits and widespread accusations of substandard care. Pittsburgh-based Wexford Health Sources was one of two companies responding to a request for proposals from the Illinois Department of Corrections. The company has been awarded a 10-year, $4.16 billion contract. A procurement announcement reviewed Friday by The Associated Press shows that Wexford’s offer came in $673 million higher than that of VitalCore Health Strategies of Topeka, Kansas. Wexford has been roundly criticized for its performance, particularly high vacancy rates for medical positions. Government officials and a spokesperson for Wexford did not respond to requests for comment Friday.