FALLS CHURCH, Virginia– The Defense Health Agency today reaffirmed the award of the TRICARE West region managed care support contract to TriWest Health Alliance.
On Dec. 22, 2022, the Defense Health Agency awarded two contracts to serve as the Managed Care Support Contractors for the fifth generation of TRICARE Managed Care Support contracts, also known as “T-5”: one to TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corporation, Phoenix, Ariz. in the West region and the other to Humana Government Business, Louisville, Ky. in the East region. T-5 seeks to improve military readiness, health care delivery, clinical quality, patient safety, and beneficiary access to healthcare and experience while containing costs for more than 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries.
On Jan. 17, 2023, Health Net Federal Services filed a protest against the T-5 award in the West region with the Government Accountability Office. After receiving the protest, DHA discovered information potentially impacting one area of the evaluation. To assure the integrity of the acquisition process, DHA undertook to conduct an examination of the source selection record, and the protest was dismissed. Please note that DHA is constrained in discussing specifics about the protest allegations because the protest remains under a protective order at GAO.
If there is an additional protest at GAO, DHA will be required to suspend any performance. Generally, protests must be filed 10 days after public posting of the award or 5 days after a debrief, when one is required if requested, as here. GAO resolves protests within 100 days of the filing of the protest. There also remains the possibility of a separate legal challenge at the United States Court of Federal Claims instead of protest at GAO or after a GAO decision. Assuming GAO denies or dismisses all protest allegations and there is no subsequent litigation, DHA may proceed with contract performance, including a one-year transition period from the current T-2017 contract to the T-5 contract. Start of health care delivery would then begin in August 2024.
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The Defense Health Agency provides health services to approximately 9.6 million beneficiaries, including uniformed service members, military retirees, and their families. The DHA operates one of the nation’s largest health plans, the TRICARE Health Plan, and manages a global network of more than 700 military hospitals, clinics and dental facilities.
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