Cost-plus contracts prohibited; exceptions

A. Except as provided herein, no contract shall be let on a cost-plus basis. B. Any hospital owned or operated by a hospital service district, a municipality, the state, or any other public entity may purchase materials and supplies through cost-plus contracts entered into with a qualified group purchasing organization, as defined in R.S. 38:2212(A)(1)(f)(iii), under the following circumstances: (1) The wholesale price of the materials or supplies for which a cost-plus bid is submitted is listed in a regional or national periodic publication which is approved by the division of administration for that purpose. A regional or national periodic publication shall be considered approved by the division of administration on the thirty-first day after delivery of the regional or national periodic publication to the division of administration by hand or by certified mail, return receipt requested, if the publication is not disapproved by the division within thirty days after such delivery. (2) The bid submitted by the qualified group purchasing organization uses the wholesale price of the item listed in the approved publication as the basis for cost. (3) The actual price of the material or supply to the hospital under the cost-plus bid at the time of opening of the bid is used to determine which is the lowest responsible bid.