Healthcare Consultation Services

Combined Synopsis Solicitation T-3 Consultant Services Amendment 0002 to RFQ h94002-08-Q-0022 updates the Statement of Work, now dated 06/16/2008, and adds CLIN 0002 for Authorized Travel. This update to the FedBizOps also provides as an attachment the questions received from potential offerors and the responses generated from this office. The updates to the Statement of work appear in sections C.2.3. Deliverables, C.5.4. Performance, and C.9 Travel. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will be forwarded to interested parties. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation and is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The RFQ number is H94002-08-Q-0022 and has a response due date of June 23, 2008 not later than 12:00 pm local time, Denver, CO. Companies interested in obtaining a copy of the RFQ shall contact Dan Poturalski at 303.676.3694 by email dan.poturalski.ctr@tma.osd.mil. The cut-off for questions pertaining to this RFQ is 3 pm local time, Denver CO, June 4, 2008. The FOB Destination shall be Aurora, CO, 80011 and the contract action will result in a Firm Fixed Price contract. The contractor shall be registered in Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) before an award can be made. Send quotations to Mr. Scott J. Lamond, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense Health Affairs, TRICARE Management Activity, 16401 East Centretech Parkway, Aurora, Colorado 80011-9066, or by facsimile to 303-676-3987. Facsimile quotes should be followed by signed, hardcopy forwarded to the address stated above. The quotation submitted by the contractor against this requirement shall clearly state the following: Request For Quotation number; the time specified for receipt of offers; name, address, telephone number of the Offeror's point of contact; terms of warranty; price; and discount terms and an acknowledgement of all quotation amendments (if applicable). TRICARE requires the following: C.1. REQUIREMENTS C.1.1. The contractor shall provide professional and experienced consulting services to support the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) during the evaluation phase of the Managed Care Support Contract procurements (referred to as T-3), and also the TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) Contract. This effort shall include supporting TMA in the independent and unencumbered evaluation of proposals relating to the methods, processes and procedures that are consistent with best healthcare industry practices and demonstrate a benefit to the Government. The contractor shall also be available for support during the government's discussions with T-3 and TOP offerors, if discussions occur. C.1.1.1. The contractor shall consult with the Government during proposal evaluations by advising on each offeror's compliance with the Government's requirements by identifying each offeror's proposed performance standards and processes that are consistent with best industry practices and demonstrate a benefit to the Government, to include the following: C.1.1.1.1. Assess network adequacy (e.g. assess the proposed approach to develop and maintain a network that complies with all access standards, network sizing, including the number of providers, types of providers, access to specialty providers, and effective method to measure and monitor access standards). C.1.1.1.2. Assess Host nation provider certification/licensure (e.g. assess the proposed approach for certifying host nation providers in accordance with local country standards). C.1.1.1.3. Assess referral management (e.g. assess the proposed approach as to the adequacy and effectiveness for meeting the minimum referral requirement for TRICARE Prime enrollees, TRICARE Standard beneficiaries who reside in Prime Service Areas (PSAs), and TRICARE Prime enrollees who reside outside of PSAs, shall be to an Military Treatment Facility (MTF) or civilian network provider). C.1.1.1.4. Assess the medical management program (e.g. assessing the adequacy of the proposed medical management program, including mental health care and the clinical quality management program, to ensure that each offeror will be using best industry practices in managing and reviewing and authorizing health care services in accordance the requirements). C.1.1.1.5. Assess quality management/quality improvement program plan (e.g. assess the proposed internal quality management/quality improvement program to ensure that it covers every aspect of the Contractor's operation using best industry practices, both clinically and administratively). C.1.1.2. The contractor shall also assist in assessing the performance risk to the Government for the proposed best industry practices methods and approaches. C.1.1.3. The contractor shall provide expert advice to the Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) and the TMA Office of General Counsel (OGC) consistent with best healthcare industry practices during protest documentation activities (if any occur), and possible testimony at a General Accounting Office (GAO) hearing in Washington, D.C. C.1.1.3.1. After the protest activities (if any occur), the contractor shall be required to participate in a lessons learned meeting which, at the option of the Contracting Officer, may be in person or by teleconference. C.1.1.4. The contractor's services shall include providing proposed language for documentation purposes when requested by the SSEB Chair, T-3 and TOP Contracting Officer(s) and the OGC. C.2. DELIVERABLES C.2.1. Consulting Services in accordance with the requirements set forth in this Statement of Work. C.2.2. A total of 8,000 consulting hours, CLIN 0001. C.2.3. Authorized Travel, CLIN 0002. C.3. SCHEDULE C.3.1. The period of performance shall commence with the award of the contract for a period not to exceed 1 calendar year. C.3.1.1. The TMA POC will provide a minimum of five working days notice in advance of the date consulting services will be required. C.4. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT The Government will furnish to the contractor, while on site in Aurora, CO, all necessary materials (e.g. access to the T-3 and TOP proposals and administrative/office supplies), computer equipment, printer and fax machine. C.5. PERFORMANCE C.5.1. The contractor shall perform all work on site in Aurora, CO. The contractor may be required to attend the protest activities in Washington, D.C. The T-3 and TOP Contracting Officer(s) will decide whether the contractor will attend the lessons learned meeting in Aurora or may participate by teleconference. C.5.2. The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Point of Contact (POC) shall be Ms. Laura Sells, 303-676-3894. C.5.3. Adjustments to work schedules shall be as directed by the TMA POC. C.5.4. The TMA POC may request replacement of personnel when the performance of a consultant does not meet the requirements of the Statement of Work. Replacements of personnel due to any reason shall be accomplished within a reasonable period that is mutually agreed to by the parties. Replacements shall meet or exceed the standards established by Statement of Work, or by the credentials presented by the consultant being replaced. C.5.5. In coordination with the T-3 and TOP Contracting Officer(s), consultant(s) shall be available when the SSEB members are working. The plan for conducting an SSEB is to work 8 hours on a daily basis Monday through Saturday in order to stay on schedule with the T-3 and TOP proposal evaluations. It may be necessary to provide services on days Monday through Saturday in which on any single day the work hours exceeded 8 hours. The work week shall be defined as Monday through Saturday in coordination with the T-3 and TOP Contracting Officer(s). The intent of performance is to have consultant(s) provide services during the same hours as the SSEB members' of the T-3 and TOP acquisitions when conducting proposal evaluations. Work hours performed by any single consultant in excess of 8 hours in a single day shall be reimbursed by the government at the established hourly consultant rate of the contract. There shall not be a separate hourly rate for services rendered in excess of 8 hours in any single work day. C.5.6. The contractor shall provide written documentation with its advice and recommendations providing the basis for its conclusions. C.6. QUALIFICATIONS C.6.1 The Contractor Consultant/s shall have a minimum of 3 years current and relevant experience in the required services. C.6.1.1. The Contract File will require a key personnel resume of the individual(s) who will be providing the advisory support. Each key personnel resume is not to exceed 2 single sided single spaced pages. Each key personnel resume shall clearly communicate and demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and aptitudes of the key personnel providing the advisory support. The employment history contained in the resume(s) shall include at a minimum the most current 3 years of employment. C.6.2. The Contract File will require a written narrative of relevant experience demonstrating each individual's experience in providing advisory services as it relates to the requirements stated in Section C. The written narrative description shall also address the scope and magnitude of previously performed relevant services. The narrative shall not exceed 10 single sided single spaced pages. C.7. PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST C.7.1. The contractor including any subcontractor shall commit to abide by procurement integrity, confidentiality and the avoidance of conflict of interest requirements of the Government. Although not anticipated, the contractor including any subcontractor will be bound to the requirements of the Privacy of Individuals Identifiable Health Information rule of the administrative simplification provisions of HIPAA if exposed to Protected Health Information (PHI) for individuals. Specifically, the contractor, including any subcontractor, must not have experience with current clients that would cause an actual or apparent conflict of interest. C.7.2. The contractor and any subcontractors must not be currently employed by the current TMA Managed Care Support Contractors (MCSCs) (i.e. Health Net Federal Services, Inc., Humana Military Healthcare Services, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp.) or one of the additional contractors that currently support the TRICARE Overseas Program (International SOS, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and Apptis, Inc.). C.7.3. The Contracting Officer is the final authority on whether the contractor's including subcontractor's current business creates a conflict of interest relating to the evaluation of proposals relating to the methods, processes and procedures that are consistent with best healthcare industry practices and demonstrate a benefit to the Government of offerors submitted in response to the T-3 and TOP procurements. C.7.4. The Government requires the contractor and any subcontractor, not to offer services as a subcontractor or consultant in connection with an offer/proposal on a T-3 Managed Care Support or TOP Contracts for two years after contract award. C.7.5. Contractor personnel supporting this contract or with access to any information related to this contract shall sign a non-disclosure statement agreeing not to disclose any information designated as procurement or source selection sensitive. C.8. INVOICES C.8.1. Invoices shall be submitted monthly for actual accumulated services performed during the prior month. C.8.2. Under no circumstances shall the Contractor exceed the contracted number of hours, without written contractual modification. The Contractor shall notify the TMA POC, in writing, when the number of hours accrued have reached 80% of the contracted hours. C.8.3. Payment of consultant services shall be made for actual services performed and at the hourly rate established in the contract. C.9. TRAVEL TMA will pay for official travel. Scheduled Trips: This includes payment for travel to and from Denver, CO at the hire and completion of the project and travel to and from the consultant's home for the week of Aug 24 - Sept 2. Unscheduled Trips: Trips as required to support TMA in the event of protest will be allowed. The SSA will determine other scheduled breaks as the evaluation schedule permits. These breaks would probably be a 4 day weekend. These are considered to be - unscheduled trips' at this point and can only be authorized by contract modification. TMA will not pay for someone flying home on a Friday evening or Sat evening after work and returning on Sunday for personal reasons. The Government will evaluate each offeror's proposal to determine the proposal that provides the best value to the Government. Each proposal will be evaluated against the criteria relating to the requirements as denoted in the Statement of Work (SOW). Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of whether or not an offeror's experience demonstrates the ability and capability to meet the Government's minimum requirements. Each proposal will be evaluated separately and will be evaluated solely on its own merits. A single award will be made to the offeror whose proposal provides the best value to the Government. TRICARE is the name of the Department of Defense's managed health care program for active duty military, active duty service families, retirees and their families, and other beneficiaries. For more information about TRICARE, please feel free to visit: http://www.tricare.osd.mil. The offeror must comply with the following commercial item terms and conditions: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offeror's Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (MUST be completed and submitted by the offeror with their response to the RFQ); FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items - Deviation. Pursuant to FAR Clause 52.212-5 the following clauses are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government; FAR 52.204-2 Security Requirements; FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration; FAR 52.204-9, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel; FAR 52.213-2, Invoices; FAR 52.213-3, Notice to the Supplier; FAR 52.214-34, Submission of Offers in the English Language; FAR 52.214-35, Submission of Offers in U.S. Currency; FAR 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons; FAR 52.223-6, Drug-Free Workplace; FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration; FAR 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Other than Central Contractor Registration; FAR 52.232-35, Designation of Office for Government Receipt of Electronic Funds Transfer Information; FAR 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards; FAR 52.247-34, F.O.B. Destination.