Democrats Slam Gov. Snyder Over Health Care Contract

LANSING (AP) - The Michigan Democratic Party is accusing Gov. Rick Snyder's administration of extending a state contract without competitive bidding and increasing its worth a day after the company's executives held a fundraiser for his campaign.

The State Administrative Board in 2013 granted extensions to J&B Medical Supply, which supplies incontinence products to Medicaid recipients. Michigan in June increased the contract's value by $390,000, which officials say accounted for newly eligible patients.

Democratic Chairman Lon Johnson on Monday questioned the timing and said the contract awarded in 2008 should have been competitively bid last year.

Snyder spokeswoman Sara Wurfel calls the allegations "ridiculous." The state says it's waiting to do a new contract because of uncertainty about future purchases and says approval of the $390,000 increase was in motion before the fundraiser.

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