PHARMACY BENEFIT SERVICES (PBS)

The State of South Carolina, through Sfaa Procurement Services, is soliciting pharmacy benefit services under solicitation number 5400029905, with a response deadline of September 1, 2026. The contract, classified under NAICS code 524292 and aimed at the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, encompasses both the implementation of a comprehensive pharmacy benefits system and ongoing operational services. The scope includes system implementation across all phases—Initiate-Planning, Requirements, Deployment, and Close—with mandatory deliverables such as the Functional Design Specification, Technical Design Specification, and a full suite of management plans including Quality Assurance, Configuration Management, Release Management, Deployment, Help Desk, and Operations and Maintenance. Specific security and privacy deliverables like the System Security and Privacy Plan, Information Security Risk Assessment, Privacy Impact Assessment, and Disaster Recovery Plan must align with HIPAA, CMS ARC-AMPE, and federal data protection standards, with annual security testing, vulnerability scanning, and continuous monitoring required. Contractors must also submit detailed plans for requirements management, risk, communications, issue resolution, change control, scheduling, testing, and training, all tied to the Consolidated Deliverables Management List and DASH Project Management frameworks. Performance is limited to South Carolina, with strict timelines for financial and operational reporting to SCDHHS Finance, including monthly invoicing within 15 calendar days after month-end and a reduced 8-business-day window for fiscal year-end invoicing on June 30. Cash receipts, rebate deposits (federal, supplemental, diabetic supply) for both FFS and MCOs, and quarterly invoicing activity with variance reports must be submitted with tight deadlines, typically within 5 business days or by the 5th business day of the following month. Financial reporting is due no later than the 30th calendar day after the state fiscal year end. The contract structure includes optional services extendable through Year 7, with core operations services priced at a monthly fixed rate and a labor rate card established for scope changes outside the original RFP. Contractors must provide a fully completed Excel-based price proposal, bid every line item, and adhere to strict formatting rules—no standard contract forms or boilerplate clauses may be included, and proposals may not take exception to state requirements. Organizational conflict of interest disclosures are mandatory, extending to all affiliates and subcontractors, with non-compliance potentially leading to disqualification or contract termination. Security certifications such as ISO/IEC