The monitoring committee of the Government Employees Administrative Services Only (GEASO) health scheme will hold its second meeting today with officials of the Ministry of Finance and Planning to review the controversial GEASO health scheme contract award.

State Minister for Finance and Planning, Fitz Jackson, who will chair the meeting, was unable to confirm whether the group would make a decision today on the company that should be recommended to receive the GEASO health scheme contract.

Mr. Jackson told The Gleaner in an interview earlier this week that the talks so far have gone well and the group is expected to have an extensive discussion at its second meeting.

In June, The Gleaner first reported that the 65,000-strong GEASO health scheme valued at a little more than $2 billion per annum, was about to change hands.

The Ministry of Finance had recommended that the health scheme contract be awarded to Life of Jamaica (LoJ).

The contract, which is currently held by Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited, had not been put to tender for 10 consecutive years.

However, following strong objections from the GEASO monitoring committee to the selection of a health provider without its input, the Cabinet instructed that the group should participate in the decision-making process.