Q -- Operation of Utilization and Quality Control Improvement Organization for New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas

See highlighted sentence for change. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP)for competitions resulting in awards of separate contracts for Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), formerly known as Peer Review Organizations (PROs) for the States of, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arkansas. NOTE: THE STATE OF NEW YORK IS NO LONGER OPEN TO COMPETITION AS STATED IN THE EARLIER NOTICE. In order to be eligible to receive a QIO contract, an offeror must be deemed a responsible entity in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 9.1 and must meet the definition of a utilization and quality control peer review organization as set forth in Section 1152 of the Social Security Act (the Act). Organizations that are eligible to contract as a QIO must satisfactorily demonstrate physician-sponsorship or physician-access as defined in Sections 1152 and 1153 of the Act. In addition, an organization must not be a health care facility, health care facility association, a health care facility affiliate or payor organization; qualified organizations must also have a consumer representative on their governing boards. QIOs are responsible for review of certain health care services furnished under Title XVIII of the Act in addition to working to improve the quality of care afforded to Medicare beneficiaries. Each QIO is responsible for meeting all requirements as defined in the RFP and resultant contract. The anticipated release of the RFP is on or about February 25, 2002. To receive a copy of the solicitation, interested parties must submit a written request to the Contracting Officer, Edward Hughes, at 7500 Security Boulevard, MS C2-21-15, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Telephone and facsimile requests will not be honored.