R -- Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to award a sole source contract for collection of Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) data to National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). HEDIS measures a health plan's performance on select clinical measures. HEDIS is also part of an integrated system to establish accountability in managed care. OPM needs the HEDIS information from NCQA to provide Federal employees and annuitants access to accreditation information. NCQA has developed the measures we wish to collect. NCQA is already receiving the data in an established database from many of the health plans we want to participate. We want this project to be integrated, as much as possible, with NCQA's current data collection activities and information products. This approach would take maximum advantage of NCQA's existing systems and processes. This requirement will be done as a follow-on contract. The proposed contract will be a one-year base period with two one-year option periods. Our anticipated contract award date is October 1, 2005. THE PROPOSED CONTRACT IS FOR SERVICES FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO SOLICIT FROM ONLY ONE SOURCE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NOTICE IS TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAR SUBPART 5.2. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, all interested parties who believe they can meet this requirement are invited to submit in writing via mail, facsimile, or e-mail, within six calendar days of the published date of this notice, complete information, including pricing information, describing their ability to provide these services. The Government will not pay for this information. We will not issue a solicitation and we will not honor requests for a solicitation. We will not award a contract on the basis of offers received in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to open this requirement to competition based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. All interested parties must submit detailed capabilities to the Contracting Office Address identified above or the e-mail address identified below under Point of Contact, Attention: Cheryl D. Allen, by Thursday, September 29, 2005 1:00 PM EDT. If we do not receive any responses by Thursday, September 29, 2005 1:00 PM EDT, we will award to NCQA without further notice.