24MC-SA004_IFB_-_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

Gavin Newsom, Governor State of California

Health and Human Services Agency

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGED HEALTH CARE

980 9th Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-324-8176 | Fax: 916-255-5241 www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

March 28, 2024

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

AFTER HOURS PHONE ANSWERING SERVICE

IFB No. 24MC-SA004

1. Question: Why has this bid been released at this time? If there was a previous solicitation for these services, what was its title, number, release date, and due date?

Answer: The current agreement for the requested services is expiring July 31, 2024 and this solicitation is to ensure continuation of services. The current agreement, 22MC-R235, was executed using the Fair and Reasonable – Historical Pricing acquisition method.

2. Question: Is there a required number of years of experience?

Answer: This IFB does not specify a required number of years of experience.

3. Question: Are references required? If so, how many are needed to submit?

Answer: This IFB does not require references to be submitted.

4. Question: Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories?

Answer: Bidders must submit their bid quote on Attachment 10, Cost Bid. Any deviation from the prescribed format will not be considered and will cause the bid to be rejected.

5. Question: Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable.

Answer: The DMHC is satisfied with the current vendor.

6. Question: Has the current contract gone full term?

Answer: The current contract will remain in effect until the contract term end date of July 31, 2024.

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Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

7. Question: Have all options to extend the current contract been exercised?

Answer: The DMHC will not be exercising any options to extend the current contract.

8. Question: Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services?

Answer: The incumbent providing the requested services is Southwest Answering Service, Inc. and has been providing similar services to the DMHC since August 1, 2017.

9. Question: To what extent will the location of the bidder’s proposed location or headquarters have a bearing on any award?

Answer: The bidder’s location will have no bearing on contract award. However, the Contractor must be in good standing and qualified to conduct business in California and comply with all the requirements as specified in this IFB.

10. Question: How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

Answer: The current contract is billed monthly at $690 per month for a 600 minute per month plan, inclusive of emails and the required monthly reporting.

11. Question: What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)?

Answer: Please see answer to question 10.

12. Question: Is previous experience with any specific customer information systems, phone systems, or software required?

Answer: The DMHC does not have any requirements pertaining to specific customer information systems, phone systems or software.

13. Question: What is the minimum required total call capacity?

Answer: There is no established minimum. There will be after-hours calls and some business hours calls due to trainings, meetings and possible emergency scenarios.

14. Question: What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity?

Answer: The DMHC is unable to track this information.

15. Question: What is the maximum hold time?

Answer: The maximum hold time is five minutes.

16. Question: What percentage of inbound calls must be answered by a live operator?

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Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

Answer: After callers go through the Interactive Voice Response, the DMHC expects all calls to be answered by a live operator.

17. Question: What percentage of calls must be resolved without a transfer, second call, or a return call?

Answer: 80 percent must be resolved without a transfer, second call or a return call.

18. Question: What is the maximum percentage of calls that can be terminated by the caller without resolution?

Answer: The only instance in which this would occur is when the caller is abusive to the agent, or the agent is unable to help the caller and has to refer the caller back to the DMHC.

19. Question: Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors?

Answer: There is no minimum or maximum number of operators and/or supervisors required.

20. Question: What are the required language options?

Answer: There are no specific language options. Please refer to Exhibit A - Scope of Work in this IFB, specifically Section 7, Services to Be Performed, Task 4: Non- English-Speaking Callers.

21. Question: What is the required degree of dedication for the call center? (Can call centers work on other contracts at the same time as this one)?

Answer: The bidder is not restricted to the DMHC contract, provided they are compliant with Section D, Item 3 - General Requirements of this IFB.

22. Question: What is the required degree of dedication for the operators? (Can operators work on other contracts at the same time as this one)?

Answer: Please see answer to question 21.

23. Question: What are the recording requirements for inbound and outbound phone calls and how long must recordings be maintained?

Answer: Calls shall be recorded and maintained for 60 days.

24. Question: What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications?

Answer: Non-phone communication shall be retained for 60 days.

25. Question: What information is to be included in call logs?

IFB 24MC-SA004 March 28, 2024 After Hours Phone Answering Service Pg. 4

Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

Answer: Call logs should include the callers’ contact information, a detailed summary of the call and the call handle time.

26. Question: What was your average monthly call volume over the past year?

Answer: 2023 – Inbound Calls: 10,155, Queued Calls: 3,365, Handled Calls: 3,033

27. Question: What is the current number of seats for operators and supervisors at your existing call center?

Answer: The DMHC currently has 13 agents and six managers.

28. Question: What is the current average wait time for phone calls?

Answer: In 2023, after a call was queued, the average wait time was 5 minutes and 38 seconds.

29. Question: What is the current average handle time for phone calls and other types of communications?

Answer: In 2023, average handle time was 14 minutes.

30. Question: What is the current average after-call work time for operators?

Answer: In 2023, after-call work time was 5 minutes and 36 seconds.

31. Question: Over the past year, what is the percentage of calls received in English versus non-English?

Answer: In 2023, the queued calls in non-English was 2,561 and English was 37, 815.

32. Question: Over the past year, what percentage of calls received were in Spanish?

Answer: In 2023, calls received in Spanish totaled 2,193, approximately five percent.

33. Question: What time of day, days of the week, or times of the year do calls typically peak?

Answer: In 2023, Mondays registered with more queued calls, as well as October and December.

34. Question: Scope of Service: What specific services are expected to be covered under the After Hours Phone Answering Service?

Answer: Please refer to Exhibit A – Scope of Work for this IFB.

35. Question: Scope of Service: Could you please provide more details on the expected volume of calls and the nature of these calls?

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Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

Answer: Please see answers to questions 26 – 33.

36. Question: Technical Requirements: Are there any specific technical requirements or certifications necessary for the successful bidder to meet?

Answer: There are no technical requirements or certifications for this IFB.

37. Question: Technical Requirements: Will the DMHC provide any training or guidance on the use of any specialized software or systems required for this service?

Answer: No specialized software/systems will be required.

38. Question: Performance Metrics: What key performance indicators (KPIs) will be used to evaluate the performance of the after-hours phone answering service?

Answer: Please refer to Exhibit A – Scope of Work in this IFB, specifically Section 7, Services to Be Performed, Task 2: Quality Assurance.

39. Question: Performance Metrics: Are there any service level agreements (SLAs) in place that the successful bidder must adhere to?

Answer: Please refer to Exhibit A – Scope of Work in this IFB, specifically Section 7, Services to Be Performed, Task 2: Quality Assurance, Task 5: Weekly Reports and Task 6: Monthly Reports.

40. Question: Contract Duration and Renewal: What is the anticipated duration of the contract for the After Hours Phone Answering Service?

Answer: The term of the contract will be August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2026, with an option to amend for an additional year.

41. Question: Contract Duration and Renewal: Is there an option for contract renewal or extension beyond the initial term?

Answer: The DMHC may amend the existing contract for an additional year. Upon contract expiration, if there is a continued business need for the requested services, the DMHC will solicit for new bids to ensure continuation of services.

42. Question: Billing and Invoicing: How will billing and invoicing for the after-hours phone answering service be handled?

Answer: Invoices may be submitted not more frequently than monthly in arrears.

Payment will be made in accordance with, and within the time specified in, Government Code Chapter 4.5, commencing with Section 927. Please refer to Exhibit B – Budget Detail and Payment Provisions of this IFB.

43. Question: Billing and Invoicing: Are there any specific requirements regarding invoicing frequency or format?

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Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

Answer: Please see answer to question 42.

44. Question: Emergency Procedures: What procedures should be followed in case of emergencies or unforeseen circumstances affecting the after-hours phone answering service?

Answer: Reach out to the DMHC on-call contact.

45. Question: Emergency Procedures: Is there a designated point of contact or escalation process for emergency situations?

Answer: Please see answer to question 44.

46. Question: Compliance and Security: What measures are in place to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, such as HIPAA or GDPR, regarding the handling of sensitive information?

Answer: Please refer to Exhibit E – Information Security, Integrity and Confidentiality, Attachment E-I – Information Security and Confidentiality Statement For Contractors and Attachment E-II – Information Security Incident Report for Contractors in this IFB for additional information.

47. Question: Compliance and Security: How will data security and confidentiality be maintained during the provision of the after-hours phone answering service?

Answer: Please see answer to question 46.

48. Question: Transition Plan: Could you please provide details on the transition plan for transferring responsibilities to the selected bidder for the after-hours phone answering service?

Answer: There is no transition period, however, conversations with the selected bidder may take place during execution of the contract. Additionally, DMHC scripts, protocols and documents will be provided.

49. Question: Transition Plan: Is there any support available from the DMHC during the transition period?

Answer: Please see answer to question 48.

50. Question: Evaluation Criteria: What criteria will be used to evaluate bids submitted for the After Hours Phone Answering Service IFB?

Answer: Per Section D, Item 5 - Evaluation and Selection section of this IFB, the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting the bid submittal requirements.

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Protecting the Health Care Rights of More Than 29.7 Million Californians Contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov

51. Question: Evaluation Criteria: Are there any specific considerations or preferences the DMHC has in evaluating potential vendors?

Answer: Please refer to Section E - Preference Programs and Section F - Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Incentive Programs of this IFB for additional information about preference and incentive programs.

52. Question: Clarification on IFB Documentation: Are there any additional documents or specifications available that would provide further insight into the requirements of the After Hours Phone Answering Service IFB?

Answer: The DMHC does not have any additional documents or specifications to provide for this IFB.

53. Question: What is your current average handle time?

Answer: Please see answer to question 29.

54. Question: What other languages are required? Can you provide a percentage breakdown?

Answer: Please see answer to question 20.

55. Question: What is the anticipated call volume?

Answer: The anticipated call volume is approximately 30 calls per month.

56. Question: Are there any reference requirements.

Answer: Please see answer to question 3.

57. Question: Does the Veteran-Owned Business need to be California-based? Can it be a Veteran-Owned Small Business? If so, can that count for both incentives?

Answer: Please refer to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 2, Section

1896.99.100 for further information.

58. Question: Does the actual call center need to be based in the State of California?

Answer: Please see answer to question 9.