State Journal Register: Details of Caremark deal released

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/47360.asp

"The Illinois comptroller's office on Monday released details of a state contract with a company that provides prescription drugs for nearly 225,000 state government workers, retirees and dependents.

Cook County Circuit Judge Mary Anne Mason on Friday rejected Caremark Inc.'s plea for a restraining order barring release of the reported $200 million contract, stating "the information at issue is not a trade secret or otherwise protected."

Included among the released documents is a no-bid contract award in December 2003 to prescription-drug provider Caremark for all of the state's managed-care health plans.

Nicole Grady, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, said that sole-source contract was never implemented because the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission nixed CMS' plans last spring to move to an entirely self-insured system."