Consumer Research and Communications

The Consumer Research and Communications Master Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), provides a flexible mechanism for conducting qualitative and quantitative social marketing research and consumer testing. The contract supports CMS's outreach, education, and communication efforts by enabling the agency to procure targeted research services through multiple task orders. Services primarily focus on assessing consumer communication activities, developing communication materials, and conducting research targeting Medicare audiences and beneficiaries.

Task orders under this vehicle demonstrate a consistent focus on Medicare-related communication research, with values typically ranging from $300,000 to $1.7 million and durations spanning approximately 6-12 months. Key task orders have included consumer research on Medicare audiences, generational communications, development of Medicare & You Handbooks, communications assessment research, and specific studies like consumer research on Medicare Part D. All task orders were awarded without specific set-asides and utilized either cost-plus fixed fee or firm fixed price pricing mechanisms. The research activities appear to be exclusively conducted for CMS, with a clear emphasis on improving communication strategies and understanding beneficiary perspectives across different Medicare programs and demographic segments.