2023-37-005 - RFQ Public Notice Final 02.09.2023.docx

STATE OF ILLINOIS

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE AND FAMILY SERVICES

THERESA EAGLESON, DIRECTOR

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

Project Title: Public Notice 2023-37-005

1. The Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services is seeking a Vendor to publish public notices for the following:

1.1. Statewide Federal regulations 42 CFR 447.205 . HFS is required to publish public notice of a change in statewide methods and standards for setting Medicaid payment rates, prior to the effective date of the proposed change. The notice must be published in the newspaper of widest circulation in each city serving Illinois populations of 50,000 or more, which could include Missouri papers. The vendor shall be responsible for placing HFS-supplied text as display ads with a border in the most cost-efficient method for the State. The specific manner of publication will be determined by the vendor when coordinating with individual newspapers for placement of HFS notices. HFS is allowed to post public notices for state plan amendments on its website, newspaper or administrative record in accordance with 42 CFR 447.205. The 1915(c) waiver public notices follow the same provisions. HFS is only allowed to publish notification in newspapers or in the administrative record for 1115 waivers in accordance with 42 CFR 431.408. Posting on the HFS website is not an option for 1115 waivers. HFS, on occasion, has run into time constraint issues with publications in the Illinois Register. The lead time for having rules, notices, etc. is 11 days. On more than one occasion, HFS has had to post a public notice within days; hence, the necessity for having publications in the newspaper as an option. HFS has not had to post a public notice in the newspaper in the last two years, as HFS has not been court ordered to do so, and our last 1115 waiver request, requiring public notice, occurred in 2020. HFS is exploring the possibility of submitting an 1115 waiver; therefore, the option of advertising in newspapers is critical.

1.1.1. The following is a list of the newspapers that are currently being used to issue public notices on a statewide basis, although this list may change over the course of the contract:

A. Arlington Heights Daily Herald B. Aurora Beacon News C. Belleville News Democrat D. Bloomington Pantagraph E. Central DuPage News and Leader F. Champaign News Gazette G. Chicago Southtown Star H. Chicago Sun Times I. Chicago Tribune J. Decatur Herald and Review K. Des Plaines Journal L. East Cook Life M. East St. Louis Monitor N. Elgin Courier News O. Evanston Review P. Joliet Herald News Q. Moline Dispatch R. Naperville Sun S. Oak Park Wednesday Journal T. Peoria Journal Star U. Rockford Register Star V. Rock Island Argus W. Schaumburg Review X. Skokie Review Y. South DuPage Reporter Z. State Journal Register AA. St. Louis Area - Metro East Post AB. Waukegan Lake County News

1.2. Court Ordered. HFS must also have a way to publish notices in newspapers within a short time frame when it is required by court order, especially for the process of settling class action litigation. The Federal Court rules (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23€) require the court to oversee a process of providing notice about the potential settlement to the plaintiff class members who would be bound by the settlement. The vendor will be responsible for placing HFS-supplied text as display ads with a border in the most cost-efficient method for the State. The specific manner of publication will be determined by the vendor when coordinating with individual newspapers for placement of HFS notices. The court order will establish the list of newspapers for the required court notice. The vendor would receive this information from the agency as prescribed by court order.

2. When requested by HFS, Vendor shall:

2.1. Contact each individual newspaper listed to coordinate placement and publication of Agency-supplied text for public notices. The vendor will be responsible for placing HFS-supplied text as display ads with borders in the most cost-efficient method for the State. This will be determined by the vendor when coordinating with individual newspapers for placement of HFS notices. The first option will be placement in the Classified Section of newspapers, if available and if the cost is lower than a Run-Of-Paper (ROP) placement. The ad should run as a ROP display ad with a border whenever the cost to run in the Classified Section is more or is not offered as an option. Unless otherwise directed by the HFS, these will be the standard first and second choice options for placement of the HFS public notices.

2.2. Send the HFS-supplied public notice text to each newspaper via facsimile, electronic mail or other rapid electronic delivery system for typesetting and Agency determined placement. HFS may not be able to provide much lead time before a public notice is required to be placed and, therefore, publication may be on a time-limited basis.

2.3. Proofread text once each newspaper has typeset it.

2.4. Be responsible for determining that the notice was published in each newspaper as ordered.

2.5. Be responsible for paying each individual newspaper for placement of the notice.

2.6. Be responsible for submitting, to HFS, an invoice that must include: Name of the city and the newspaper, newspaper address, base ad cost from the newspaper, insertion date, space units, total line inches or total column inches (whichever applies), per ad line inch or ad rate per column inch (whichever applies), percent of mark up, if applicable, and gross total. Invoices must also include an original copy (tear sheet) of the public notice from each paper in which it was published.

3. Vendor Experience

3.1 Vendor shall have at least five (5) years of experience in doing this specific type of work for Government Municipalities.

3.2 HFS would like the vendor to be very familiar with the process as these publications are of the utmost importance in meeting tight federally required deadlines. The vendor must show that they have coordinated the placement of advertisements in multiple newspapers for a minimum of 5 years by providing at least two (2) examples of meeting this requirement in response to the this RFQ.

4. Pricing

Please submit any questions to Beau Wilson at Beau.Wilson@illinois.gov.

For assistance contact the State User BidBuy Help Desk by email at: stateuser.bidbuy@illinois.gov or by phone at 217-557-8992 (for all Vendor inquiries, please dial 866-455-2897) Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm CT.