RFP_13-100-SOL-00016.pdf

RFP 13-100-SOL-00016

EMERGENCY PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EPAP) SUPPORT

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is being competed as a Request for Proposal (RFP) under solicitation number 13-100-SOL-00016. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-66 effective April 1, 2013. This is a full and open competition, under NAICS code 524291 with a small business size standard of $7M. The Government intends to negotiate for a single-award, IDIQ contract that provides services as specified in Attachment 1 –Statement of Work.

Attachment 2-Pricing Schedule provides the CLIN structure for the solicitation. The anticipated period of performance is 12 months from the date of the award, with four (4) 12-month option periods.

i) The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition.

The addenda to those instructions are listed below:

ADDENDA TO 52.212-1

Please submit offers in three separate volumes: Technical Proposal, Business Proposal, and Past Performance Information. Any submission for this RFP shall include “RFP 13-100-SOL-00016” or may be considered non-responsive. Please submit proposals electronically to Brendan.miller@hhs.gov. Please do not exceed 10MB in your submission. Proposals must be received no later than 3PM, July 9th 2013. Please submit questions no later than June 14th, 2013.

Below are instructions for how to develop proposals in accordance with each evaluation factor.

Offerors should be sure to include the minimum information listed. Proposals that go over and above the minimum guidance will received better ratings in accordance with the evaluation ratings.

Sub Factor 1.1 – Claims Payment (1 page maximum):

FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL APPROACH

The Offeror shall define the amount of claims payments that the Offeror is willing to make to pharmacies on behalf of ASPR before reimbursement is received from the Government. If the offeror is unable to make the minimum amount, they will be disqualified from consideration for this requirement. The contractor shall be rated on the basis of what level they set their Reimbursement Limit. The Limit itself shall earn a Satisfactory Rating, with levels substantially above receiving Excellent Ratings.

Sub Factor 1.2 – Approach to Handling Multiple Disasters or Large Scale Events (3 pages maximum):

The offeror shall describe its approach to adjudicating claims. Your approach should include your approach to handling multiple disasters, to include managing claims payments, processing, and adjudication. This should include https://acquisition.gov/far/current/html/52_212_213.html#wp1179124� mailto:Brendan.miller@hhs.gov� identification of your organization to include any intended sub contractors and how they fit within your proposed organization, Sub Factor 1.3 – Claims Processing Technology (4 pages maximum

The Offeror shall name their network of partner(s) in which they will utilize for claims processing and shall detail how this network of partner(s) will be utilized.

The most accurate, efficient, and innovative systems shall receive the highest ratings.

Sub Factor 1.4 – Claims Adjudication Process (5 pages maximum):

The Offeror shall detail the proposed workflow for processing claims once received. The workflow should outline how the Offeror intends to validate that the pharmacies have validated to participate in the EPAP. Plans that utilize the most logical, efficient distribution of resources shall receive the highest ratings.

Sub Factor 1.5 – Provider Payment Processing (4 pages maximum

The Offeror shall detail how it will make payments to pharmacies for adjudicated claims approved by the Government. The response should describe the payment techniques available and any vendor registration process required by the Offeror from pharmacies. Please describe the content of a remittance advice and other communication to be provided by the Offeror to pharmacies that will facilitate payment posting and reconciliation by pharmacies. The Offeror should describe what documents will be submitted to the Government as proof of payment for reimbursement purposes.

Sub Factor 1.6 – Data Access and Reporting (2 pages maximum): The offeror shall detail how the adjudication of claims and remittance advices will be generated.

The Government’s assumption is that the adjudication of claims and production of remittance advices will occur using systems from the Offeror. Please describe the content and format of any information regarding claims, remittance advices and payments that can be supplied to the Government in electronic format to facilitate tracking, claim denial reviews and further investigation as needed.

Sub Factor 1.7 – Customer Service and Communication Process (2 pages maximum):

The offeror shall demonstrate how they will deal with communications from both pharmacies and the government

Describe the mechanisms and processes for how program related information will be provided during steady state and an emergency response to increase the public awareness of the emergency prescription program. Describe how inquiries from pharmacies will be tracked, serviced and escalated as needed.

The Offeror shall detail all other customer service techniques and tools it plans to implement to support the program.

Sub Factor 1.8 – Fraud and Abuse Prevention (3 pages maximum):

The Offeror shall detail those processing and due diligence steps required to meet or exceed the Government’s minimum requirements for Fraud and Abuse Prevention. Using the assumptions about access to patient lists and previous claims as outlined in the Statement of Work, the Offeror shall describe how these data sources will be combined with the Offeror’s own processes and tools to facilitate Fraud and Abuse Prevention before claim payment is made.

FACTOR 2: MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Sub Factor 2.1 – Management Structure (3 pages maximum)

The Offeror shall identify the management structure for this project--including the project manager and the corporate executive who will be responsible for the account. The management structure should address all aspects of the work so that the Government can determine how the contractor will surge for multiple disasters.

Sub Factor 2.2 – Project Management Plan (Draft Project Management Plan) (8 pages maximum):

A draft Project Management Plan shall be provided as an attachment to the proposal.

The Project Management Plan shall include the Offeror’s approach for risk management, and identify the top risks and associated mitigation strategies that the Offeror sees for the project.

The Offeror shall send the past performance survey (See Attachment 3) to up to three references and have them submit completed surveys to the contracting officer via email prior to the date for submission of proposals. Offerors shall provide surveys to references for which they provided work similar in size, scope, and nature to that required in the statement of work as prime contractors or significant subcontractors, whether for Government or private entities. The surveys will not count towards the page limitation. The Offeror shall submit with its proposal the name and address of the firms to whom the questionnaires were sent. If the Offeror has no relevant past performance, it should state so in this section. Under this factor, the Government shall consider information made available in the questionnaires and may consider information from Government databases and other Government sources.

FACTOR 3: RELEVANT PAST PERFORMANCE

The template in the Price Schedule entitled “Price Eval” shall be the basis for determining the offeror’s price proposal. In addition, the government will evaluate the unit costs in the yearly pricing template to determine best value.

The categories listed are what the government anticipates to be the expense

FACTOR 4: PRICE

structure, but if offerors have a more economical method to price the items, they may do so, or add other expenses as necessary. If the offeror makes such changes, it should also restructure its pricing as it pertains to the “Price Eval” tab. The “Price Eval” tab is simply being used for evaluation purposes, and is not reflective of the government’s commitment to award a Task Order based off of that pricing proposal.

ii) The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Items is applicable to this solicitation.

52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Items.

As prescribed in 12.301(c), the Contracting Officer may insert a provision substantially as follows:

EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 1999)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA (FACTORS 1 AND 2):

FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL APPROACH

Sub Factor 1.1 – Claims Payment:

The contractor will be required to establish a Reimbursement Limit no less than $1,000,000 although the contractor may choose to propose a higher Reimbursement Limit if desired. Higher reimbursement limits will obtain higher ratings. Failure to guarantee

Sub Factor 1.2 – Approach to Handling Multiple Disasters or Large Scale Events:

The offeror will be evaluated based on their ability to expand their solution to accommodate a large scale disaster or the possibility of multiple disasters requiring reimbursement services simultaneously.

Sub Factor 1.3 – Claims Processing Technology: The evaluation will be based on how well your technologies capability to adjudicate claims is, Sub Factor 1.4 – Claims Adjudication Process: The evaluation will be based on how well the process utilizes resources. Plans that utilize the most logical, efficient adjudication process shall receive the highest ratings.

Sub Factor 1.5 – Provider Payment Processing: The evaluation will be based on how well the Offeror addresses all the necessary documentation and provides an efficient reimbursement system that pays pharmacies as efficiently as possible.

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Sub Factor 1.6 – Data Access and Reporting: The evaluation will be based on how well the electronic format information from offerors systems facilitates tracking, claim denial reviews and further investigation as needed.

Sub Factor 1.7 – Customer Service and Communication Process: The evaluation will be based on how well the proposed communication process keeps pharmacies and the general public informed regarding the program; and how it reduces the risk of customer complaints. The most comprehensive customer service communication plans will be rated most highly.

Sub Factor 1.8 – Fraud and Abuse Prevention: The evaluation will be based on how well the offerors plan reduces/mitigates fraud and abuse. The comprehensiveness of the plans and its relation to the Government’s minimum standard shall be the basis for this rating.

FACTOR 2: MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Sub Factor 2.1 – Management Structure: This will be evaluated based the manner in which those roles and responsibilities will affect the desired outcomes of the statement of work shall be the basis for this rating.

Sub Factor 2.2 – Project Management Plan (Draft Project Management Plan The clarity and the relation with how the plan will aid in achieving the goals of this program shall be the basis for the rating of this element.

PAST PERFORMANCE WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING

FACTOR 3: RELEVANT PAST PERFORMANCE

• Record of conforming to contract requirements and to standards of good workmanship;

• Record of forecasting and controlling costs;

• Adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance;

• History of reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction;

• business-like concern for the interest of the customer and ability to meet the customer’s needs and keep the customer informed of project status;

and

• Any other matter addressed in the questionnaire.

Factor 3: Price

The Government will evaluate the Price Factor by examining the total price of each firm’s proposed line item prices listed. The Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the quoted prices are significantly unbalanced. In addition to pricing the line items, the government will use the tab in the attachment for price proposals entitled “Price Eval” to evaluate what the contract may cost based on the mock quantities in that tab for the base year and all option years.

Evaluation Ratings for non-price factors.

Technical Evaluation.

The technical evaluation will be based on a best value determination. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria: Factor 1) technical approach;

Factor 2) management approach. See below for elaboration on the factors. The proposals will be evaluated using the following rating scale:

1) Excellent. Exceeds the requirements in a way which yields significant benefits to the Government; weaknesses, if any, are of small impact and NO significant weaknesses or deficiencies.

2) Satisfactory. Meets all requirements; proposal offers no significant benefits beyond the stated requirements, yet NO significant weaknesses or deficiencies exist.

3) Marginal. Fails to meet the minimum requirements or has one or more significant weaknesses. Deficiencies and significant weaknesses are correctable without major revisions to the proposals.

4) Unsatisfactory. Fails to meet the requirement; one or more deficiencies for which correction would require a major revision or redirection of the proposal.

Past performance:

1) Excellent. Based on an offeror’s past performance record, essentially no doubt exists that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

2) Satisfactory. Based on an offeror’s past performance record, some doubt exists that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

3) Unsatisfactory. Based on an offeror’s past performance record, extreme doubt exists that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

4) Neutral rating. No relevant performance record is identifiable upon which to base a meaningful performance rating. A search was unable to identify any relevant past performance information for the offeror or key team members/subcontractors or their key personnel. This is neither a negative or positive assessment.

Basis for Award:

The government will make award to the offeror whose proposal provides the best value to the government, using tradeoffs. This means that the government is willing to award to an offeror whose cost proposal may be higher in exchange for better meeting the government’s technical requirements. Technical and Past Performance, when combined, are more important than Price.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

iii) Please include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and

Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer.

iv) A statement that the clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. A list of all of the clauses applicable to this solicitation, including 52.212-5, is included within ATTACHMENT 1 – STATEMENT OF WORK.

v) The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or

Executive Orders—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition is included in full text in

ATTACHMENT 1 – STATEMENT OF WORK.

vi) A statement regarding any additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions (such as contract financing arrangements or warranty requirements) determined by the contracting officer to be necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices.

vii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) has not been assigned to this requirement

viii) Offers may be submitted electronically to Brendan.miller@hhs.gov no later than 3PM ET, July 9th, 2013.

ix) Please submit questions in writing referencing the solicitation number “13-100-SOL-00016” no later than COB Friday, June 14th , 2013. Questions submitted by telephone will not be answered.

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52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Items.