The Michigan appeals court has dismissed a challenge to a state contract that had drawn the ire of a Lansing-area judge.
Ingham County Judge William Collette said politics helped Blue Cross Blue Shield win a multimillion-dollar Medicaid dental contract. He ordered a state official to explain the bid process. But the appeals court this week dismissed a lawsuit by a losing bidder, MCNA Insurance.
State attorneys said Collette had exceeded his powers in an agency decision. Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for the budget department, says the bid process was "fair and thorough."
MCNA isn't convinced, saying the process was "deeply flawed." The company says Blue Cross was allowed to change its bid and improve its score. An appeal to the Supreme Court is planned.
