B -- Intent to Sole Souce UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT: ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, CENTER FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND PATIENT SAFETY, AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY (AHRQ), THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PROGRAM SUPPORT CENTER PLANS TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION TO UCLA CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH, 10960 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 1550, LOS ANGELES, CA 90024. THE PURPOSE IS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY ACT OF 1999. THIS INCLUDES PROVIDING AN ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS REGARDING PREVAILING DISPARITIES IN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY AS IT RELATES TO RACIAL FACTORS AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS IN PRIORITY POPULATIONS. TO HELP FILL THESE GAPS AND INCLUDE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PRIORITY POPULATIONS IN NHDR, AHRQ STAFF EXAMINED A NUMBER OF STATE HEALTHCARE DATATBASES. THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (CHIS) WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE ONLY STATE HEALTHCARE DATABASE THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT MANY OF THESE POPULATIONS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE SUPPORTING RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS REGARDING HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES HISTORICALLY NOT DOCUMENTED ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS. TO WRITE THE 2003 NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES REPORT (NHDR), AHRQ STAFF EXAMINED A VARIETY OF NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DATABASES. WHILE NATIONAL DATABASES CAN MEASURE DISPARITIES AMONG MOST PRIORITY POPULATIONS, A NUMBER OF EXCEPTIONS ARE NOTED. SPECIFICALLY, NATIONAL DATABASES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVES, ASIAN SUBPOPULATIONS, AND MANY HISPANC SUBPOPULATIONS WITH DESIRED PRECISION. IN ADDITION, AMONG POPULATIONS THAT ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, NATIONAL DATABASES ARE GENERALLY UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH INDIVIDUALS WITH AND WITHOUT LANGUAGE BARRIERS. THE 2001 CHIS DATA WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2003 NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES REPORT. CHIS CONTINUES TO BE A RELIABLE SOURCE OF HEALTHCARE DATA FOR PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVES, ASIAN SUBPOPULATIONS, AND MANY HISPANC SUBPOPULATIONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND NOW HAS AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS OF DATA AVAILABLE. THE 2007 NHDR WILL UPDATE THE PREVIOUSLY USED DATA TO INCLUDE THE 2003 AND 2005 CHIS DATA AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL MEASURES AND ANAYSES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE NHDR. THE 2007 NHDR WILL USE THE CHIS DATA TO SHOW MEASURES AND ANALYSES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE NHDR. THE 2007 NHDR WILL USE THE CHIS DATA TO SHOW TRENDS OF HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND DISPARITIES FOR THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC SUBPOPULATIONS FROM 2001-2005. THE PROPOSED SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION ACTION IS FOR SERVICES FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, UNDER FAR PART 12, WITH ONLY ONE SOURCE. BECAUSE THE ANALYSIS OF CHIS DATA WILL NECESSARILY INCLUDE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION THAT IS EXCLUDED FROM THE CHIS PUBLIC-USE FILES, THE DATA MUST BE ANALYZED IN THE UCLA CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH'S DATA. DUE TO THIS RESTRICTION, THE UCLA CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH IS THE SOLE SOURCE IN PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT KELLY LAEL IN ROOM 5-101, PARKLAWN BUILDING, 5600 FISHERS LANE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20857 OR AT +1 (555) 000-0000.