R -- PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS AND MH SERVICES IN EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH PLANS

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration,(SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Service (CMHS) through the Program Support Center (PSC) plans to award a sole source simplified acquisition entitled - Psychotropic Drugs and MH Services in Employer-based Health Plans to The MEDSTAT Group, Market Scan Division,777 East Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arber, MI 48101. The period of performance is sixteen months from date of award. With the national shift to managed care delivery systems, SAMHSA is focusing resources to work with States, counties, community providers, family members and consumers to ensure effective, comprehensive and nondiscriminatory mental health and substance abuse managed care services. Two analyses will be conducted under this acquisition. Both of the projects will use recent information derived from the Contractor database, created and maintained by the Contractor. In both projects the Contractor shall assess the MarketScan database and shall develop algorithms for identifying Mental Health users, providers, and psychotropic medications as required by the project. The analysis will examine: the types of providers prescribing the medications; the nature of the medications prescribed, including the frequency of the claims for medication for various groups of individuals; the diagnoses and other characteristics of persons receiving various types of medications; utilization rates for these individuals for other types of medical and surgical services; and average expenditures per individual for psychotropic medication and for other types of medical and mental health services. The second analysis will focus on an analysis of the frequency with which various mental health services and psychotropic medication are provided on preschool children, ages 0-6 years; or an analysis of service utilization patterns and use of psychotropic medication by children whose diagnoses are consistent with serious emotional disturbances (SED), as well as by adults with diagnoses or other indicators of serous mental illness (SMI); and an analysis of the mental health service patterns and utilization of psychotropic medications by those children, adolescents, and adults who are the most intensive users of mental health services. The proposed simplified acquisition is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest by responding to the requirement within 12 days after the date of publication of this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed simplified acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No Solicitation is available. For further information, please contact Julia Savoy in Rm 5-101, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, Maryland 20857, or on 301-443-1386 or by e-mail jsavoy@psc.gov reference no. 03M000188.