26MMEHSPSYCHHOSPITALRFA: Rate Year 2026 Psychiatric Hospital Request for Applications

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is soliciting applications from eligible in-state psychiatric hospitals to participate as MassHealth providers for Rate Year 2026 under solicitation BD-26-1039-EHS01-EHS01-120552. The request, issued on September 2, 2025, with a response deadline of September 16, 2025, requires hospitals to submit a completed Application for Participation and accept the Psychiatric Hospital Contract, which outlines obligations related to clinical services, billing, quality reporting, and operational standards. Participants must comply with Massachusetts regulatory codes including 130 CMR 425.000 et seq., federal HIPAA standards, and CMS Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting requirements, while also adhering to specific clinical competencies and operational protocols for specialized services such as eating disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions. The contract term runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, and performance is tied to mandatory quality metrics like timely receipt of care, medication continuity, and readmission rates, with financial incentives attached through the Clinical Quality Incentive Program. Providers must submit data through approved electronic systems, including the Mass HIway, and follow prescribed billing formats to receive payment under fixed per-admission rates referenced in Appendix A, supplemented by additional funding pools totaling $30 million for specialty services and $3.875 million for quality performance. Compliance is continuously monitored through adverse incident reporting, discharge planning procedures for homeless populations, and ongoing audits by EOHHS, with failure to meet standards risking contract termination. The solicitation does not include federal acquisition regulation clauses, nor does it specify small business set-asides or socioeconomic requirements; instead, it relies on state-specific provisions and certifications requiring applicants to confirm they are not debarred, are lawfully authorized to operate, and will uphold all applicable state and federal laws. Submissions must be made electronically via email to PsychiatricHospitalRFA@mass.gov with valid electronic signatures, and all offerors must monitor COMMBUYS for amendments. The contract is administered through MassHealth’s Office of Accountable Care and Behavioral Health, with accountability centered on clinical outcomes and compliance rather than competitive pricing, reflecting a performance-based procurement model focused on quality and patient safety.