[Nfbf-l] Press Release Florida Department of Education

[REPCODDS at aol.com]

Press  Release
Wednesday, November  21, 2012  
DOE Press Office
(850)  245-0413 
Setting the Record Straight:  Contracting in the Division of Blind  Services
The November 12 article and  November 15 follow-up in the Tampa Bay Times 
contained errors of  omission and fact, which may have led to unfounded  
conclusions. 
Article: "Interim  Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said the state's 
Division of Blind  Services will now competitively bid its  contracts." 
Fact:  During an interview with the reporter on October 11,  Commissioner 
Stewart said the department was reviewing all contracts, including  those of 
the Division of Blind Services (DBS), as part of the Governor's  initiative 
to reduce contract costs. Reviewing contracts is a precursor  to competitive 
bidding. 
Specifically, discussions  about bidding contracts had been underway since 
May 2012. The first documented  formal process began in September with a 
request to DBS for a list of their 20  largest service contracts from the FDOE 
attorney who oversees the legal side of  FDOE contracting and serves on the 
Governor's task force to reduce contracting  costs. 
Article: "Gov.  Rick Scott, who has sought to privatize government services 
at an accelerated  pace since taking office, has talked about strengthening 
contract transparency  and uniformity. But state officials have done little 
to address contracting  complaints." 
Fact: The Division  of Blind Services began moving to using private 
providers for service in 1988,  prior to merging with FDOE. Statutes at the time 
exempted the division from  seeking competitive bids. It is under the current 
Governor that the  contracting process is being  changed. 
Article: "Division  of Blind Services can bill taxpayers $58 an hour for 
travel time to meet with a  blind person. The same organizations can charge 
taxpayers $2,000 or more to  place one phone call." 
Fact: The story  refers to a fee schedule that is a federal requirement, 
which can apply when  services are not covered by contract with a community 
resource provider (CRP).  Most services are covered by contract and it is not 
the norm to pay for  services via this schedule. For example, the fee 
schedule might be for  a vision specialist to travel to someone's home and provide 
service. Fees can be  negotiated to provide lower rates as was the case 
when the Bradenton district  office negotiated the fee from $58 to $37.50 per  
hour. 
The $2,000 cited is not an  accurate amount used in any contract. There is n
o reimbursement for a single  telephone call by a CRP. 
Article: "The  state agency with a $52 million budget has largely 
privatized its support  programs as a way to save money and better serve a group of 
11,000 Floridians in  need, state officials say." 
Fact: The entire  $52 million annual budget is not expended on service 
contracts. In FY 2010/2011,  $15,265,543 went to contracts. The larger amount of 
the budget is used  for services provided directly by DBS  staff. 
Article: "Loosely  written contracts also allow vendors to make big money 
by taking advantage of  loopholes, the former employees say. A provider, for 
example, is paid from about  $2,000 to $9,000 per month for each person it 
plans to serve. The state pays the  money no matter how - or how many times - 
a provider helps a client." "So  whether a provider makes 10 in-house 
visits, or just one phone call, the money  comes in all the same." 
Fact: Contract  payments are based on budgetary limitations, as well as 
market cost findings  resulting from a 2009 Public Consulting Group analysis of 
costs to provide  services. The average annual reimbursement rates for the 
following programs are  Blind Babies - $2691; Youth Transition from school 
to work - $9600.  Approximations of these annual service amounts were 
incorrectly  represented as monthly payments, when they should have been cited as 
annual  payments per client. Both of these programs involve comprehensive  
services provided over an extended period of time, in most cases years. CRPs 
are  required to submit detailed reports of services  provided. 
Article: "During  the 2012 legislative session the Division asked for and 
received more than  $540,000 in additional money to provide care for 201 
blind babies on a state  waiting list. But the vendors already received funding 
from nonprofit groups to  cover the expenses associated with 172 of the same 
babies, documents  show." 
Fact: The average  state funding level for services for a blind baby is 
$2,691 per baby, which is  less than the average actual cost of services 
(approximately $4,000). In  2011-12, DBS served 473 babies through the Blind 
Babies program. The division  requested $540,891 more from the legislature for 
the current fiscal year to  serve 201 babies on the waiting list. DBS also 
shifted $8,073 from unused  contract funds for a total of 204 additional 
babies. DBS will serve 677 babies  in the Blind Babies program in fiscal year 
2012-13. The increased funding is  fully dedicated to serving blind  
babies._Read More  News..._ (aoldb://mail/news/default.asp) 
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