CLAYTON — The ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Council approved a health insurance contract Tuesday after weeks of deliberating over accusations it was unfairly awarded and too expensive.
The council unanimously approved the new $1.3 million contract with UnitedHealthcare. It will last two years, with the option to extend it by three years.
The losing bidder, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Missouri, said in June the United contract would cost up to $6 million more, and that the county unfairly changed how it evaluated a proposal’s finances in the middle of the bidding process.
The council delayed approving the contract as it explored the accusations.
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But after a two-hour meeting Monday evening with county procurement staffers and attorneys, council members decided to approve the contract. The meeting was closed to the public, at least in part to discuss confidential legal matters.
Republican Councilman Mark Harder, of Ballwin, on Tuesday declined to comment on the meeting in detail, but he said it resolved his concerns about the contract.
The United contract wouldn’t cost more, he said, and he believes county staffers followed the proper procedure in their bidding process.