Q403--Medical Disability Examinations-Next Generation (MDE-NG)

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through its Enterprise Procurement Office in Frederick, Maryland, has issued a presolicitation notice under solicitation number 36C10X26R0042 for the Medical Disability Examinations-Next Generation (MDE-NG) program, aimed at modernizing the process for conducting medical disability examinations for veterans and service members nationwide and internationally. This notice is strictly for industry feedback and does not constitute a request for proposals or a solicitation for awards; no contract will be issued as a result of this notice, and the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by respondents. Attached are two draft MDEO Handbooks referenced in the Draft Performance Work Statement, which are for review purposes only and subject to change, with final versions to be provided upon the formal release of a solicitation. Responses must be submitted by email no later than August 12, 2026, to designated VA email addresses, formatted in Word or PDF with 12-point Times New Roman font, single spacing, and 1-inch margins, with no compressed files allowed. The scope of work, when formally solicited, will require contractors to manage a nationwide network of licensed medical professionals to perform Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) examinations, coordinate scheduling, ensure compliance with VA systems such as VBMS and HL7 FHIR, and deliver a range of electronic reports including examiner status reports, ramp-up plans, incident reports, and claimant logs. Performance will be governed by the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan and multiple MDEO Handbooks covering examinations, communications, DBQ compliance, systems, and financial auditing. Contractors must ensure all personnel undergo NACI background investigations, maintain commercial malpractice insurance, adhere to HIPAA and NIST privacy guidelines, and fully comply with federal acquisition regulations including FAR 52.215-2 on record retention and FAR 52.237-7 on liability. The program operates under an IDIQ structure with estimated annual volumes of 4.9 to 9.6 million ESRs and 2.8 to 10.7 DBQs per ESR, but no pricing or CLIN details are disclosed at this stage. Contractor locations must support CONUS and OCONUS operations across six service groups, with inspections conducted at contractor-operated facilities and acceptance based on system integrations, UAT outcomes, and deliverable accuracy. Unique requirements include strict prohibitions on organizational conflicts of interest, mandatory reporting of licensing