The Government Accountability Office has dismissed a protest filed by Health Net Federal Services against the Defense Health Agency’s decision to award the managed care support services contract in the western U.S. region to TriWest Healthcare Alliance as part of the Tricare program, Military Times reported Wednesday.
In December, TriWest secured a $65.1 billion T-5 MCS contract for the West region from DHA, while Humana Government Business received a $70.9 billion award for the fifth generation of Tricare managed services work in the East region.
GAO’s decision came four months after DHA upheld its decision to award the Tricare West region contract to TriWest.
Health Net told the publication that it will bring its protest to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Peter Graves, a spokesman for DHA, said the dispute could affect both T-5 MCS West and East contracts and that the agency will wait for the federal court to publish its decision before it kicks off work on either contract.
Graves added that existing Tricare contracts will continue to prevent any disruption to patient care.
