[Nfbf-l] Press Release Florida Department of Education
MisterAdvocate at aol.com
MisterAdvocate at aol.com
Thu Nov 29 15:54:45 UTC 2012
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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