[Protest of HHS Contract Award for Physician Services]

A firm protested a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contract award for physician services, contending that the awardee: (1) may have colluded with another bidder; and (2) had an unfair advantage, since some of its employees were former HHS employees or relatives of area HHS officials. GAO held that: (1) the protester untimely filed its protest more than 9 months after filing its agency-level protest; and (2) there was no evidence to support its allegations of agency bias or bad faith. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed.