260134 Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings P1.docx

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of public health Bureau of Community Health and Prevention

Address:

250 Washington Street 4th Floor Boston, MA 02108

Contact Name:

Shioban Torres

Email :

Shioban.Torres@mass.gov

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Services

COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-25-1031-BCHAP-BCH01-108335

DPH RFR Document Number: 260134

October 9, 2024

Key RFR Information All Potential Bidders must read

COMMBUYS REGISTRATION

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering. To register review the COMMBUYS Job Aide COMMBUYS Vendor Registration or go to www.COMMBUYS.com.

QUOTE SUBMISSION

This BID requires the submission of electronic quotes. All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission of their quotes by considering potential online impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

Section A: Procurement Overview

A1: Procurement Scope and Description

The Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (MBCCP) in the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention (BCHAP) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is seeking qualified applicants to provide breast and cervical cancer screenings and timely follow-up clinical services to program eligible clients in Massachusetts. MBCCP eligible clients include low-income and uninsured or underinsured[footnoteRef:2] individuals, with a special focus on populations experiencing inequities in breast and cervical cancer outcomes (i.e., Black, Latinx, Asian, and Foreign-born Muslim individuals and people residing within a rural area). [2: Underinsured is defined as a person who has health insurance, but the insurance does not cover the services that are covered under the MBCCP Covered Services and CPT list (Attachment A) or a person who is financially unable to meet their co-payments or deductibles for screening and diagnostic services.]

The MBCCP is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and aims to help low-income individuals, who do not have adequate health insurance coverage, gain access to timely breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services. An overarching goal of the MBCCP is also to advance health equity and eliminate disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening, incidence, and mortality.

The MBCCP is seeking applicants from community health centers, Accountable Care Organizations, hospitals, health systems, breast imaging centers, gynecology practices, and mobile clinics (e.g., mobile mammography vans). Contracted organizations will be responsible for providing MBCCP eligible clients with appropriate screening and diagnostic tests based on evidence-based age-appropriate guidelines, assuring timely diagnostic follow-up clinical services for abnormal screenings through direct care or referral, and reporting client-level data including demographic, service delivery, and test results data to MDPH using the online data collection system called REDCap.

The MBCCP will reimburse contracted organizations for specified breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services rendered to eligible clients on a fee-for-service basis using Medicare Urban rates (See Attachment A for list of MBCCP Covered Services and CPT codes). One time reimbursement for the collection and reporting of client-level data to MDPH will also be provided at $150 per client. A total of $200,000 is available in FY25 for reimbursement of services, with additional funding expected in subsequent years. Reimbursement of services is subject to funding availability.

This is a rolling enrollment procurement. Applications shall be reviewed, applicants selected, and contracts executed, as responses are received.

Section B: Procurement Information B1: Applicable Procurement Law

B2: Whether Single or Multiple Contractors Are Required For Contract(s)

Check One (“X”):

B3: Calendar Rule Type

B4: Acquisition Method:

B5: Use of a Procurement by a Single or Multiple Departments

· Identify additional Eligible Entities by name or type.

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to add or remove additional authorized users during the contract term.

B6: Expected Duration of Contract

month(s)

Anticipated Renewal Options option(s) to renew for year(s)

B7: Anticipated Expenditures, Funding Or Compensation For Expected Duration

Dollar Amount

Estimated annualized amount $200,000

Check One (“X”):

Will Federal Funds be used to fund any part of Contract(s)?

*Additional information for contracts with Federal Dollars:

Unique Entity Identifier: On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID also known as UEI or SAMS number. Any entity that wants to apply for federal contracts or wants to receive federal funds must register with SAM. Entities that use SAM include for profit businesses, nonprofits, government contractors or subcontractors, as well as state and local governments.

Registering with SAM.gov is free and is required for your organization to receive federal funds. Your organization can submit an application to this RFR without being registered on SAM, however if awarded your organization will need to have an active SAM account prior to contract execution.

Unspent Funds: Any funds from Capital, Trust and/or Federal Accounts designated in the budget that are unspent in any fiscal year will not be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.

Section C: Performance and Contract Specifications

C1: Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this RFR an applicant must meet the following criteria:

· Be a community health center, Accountable Care Organization, hospital, health system, breast imaging center, gynecology practice, or mobile clinic (e.g., mobile mammography vans) that delivers breast and/or cervical cancer screening and/or diagnostic services.

· Must have applicable licenses, certifications, and other documentation necessary to provide clinical services as required by federal and state laws. This includes:

· Assuring that all facilities conducting mammography are MQSA certified

· Assuring all laboratories are CLIA certified.

· Agree to comply with all requirements in the MBCCP Affirmations (See Application Form).

· Must be a facility that directly provides or partners with other entities to provide patient navigation services to assist individuals in overcoming barriers to screening (e.g., assistance with scheduling an appointment, connection with transportation assistance) and case management for clients with abnormal screenings (See Attachment B: Patient Navigation and Case Management).

C2: Scope of Services

Regular breast and cervical cancer screenings can help detect cancer earlier when it’s most treatable. Yet, some populations are less likely to get screened due to barriers such as lack of health insurance and factors associated with the social determinants of health (e.g., transportation). This funding opportunity supports efforts to reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer by increasing access to and providing high quality screening and diagnostics services to populations disproportionally impacted by cancer. Specifically, the Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (MBCCP) seeks to contract with eligible organizations to provide breast and cervical cancer screenings, timely diagnostic follow-up services, and referral to treatment for low income and uninsured or underinsured1 individuals.

Covered Clinical Services

The MBCCP will reimburse contracted organizations for a selected number of screening and diagnostic services when the option of an alternative payment for such services does not exist. Examples of services covered by the MBCCP include office visits, mammograms, Pap tests, clinical breast exams, breast ultrasound, biopsy, other diagnostic procedures, copays, and deductibles. See Attachment A for list of MBCCP Covered Services and CPT codes.

Payment of Clinical Services

Payment of screening and diagnostic services will be reimbursed to contracted organizations on a fee-for-service basis using Medicare Urban rates. Contracted organizations must accept the MBCCP reimbursement rate as payment in full and clients cannot be balanced billed for MBCCP covered services. MPDH is a payer of last resort, and payments will only be made when there are no other sources of payment to cover these services. Contracted Organizations must affirm that the MBCCP is the payor of last resort for all services procured through this contract. MBCCP funds may only be used to reimburse for covered services when a person is uninsured or underinsured. Underinsured is defined as a person who has health insurance, but the insurance does not cover the services that are covered under the MBCCP Covered Services and CPT list (Attachment A) or a person who is financially unable to meet their co-payments or deductibles for screening and diagnostic services. Contracted Organizations must have a process for ensuring that clients apply for insurance coverage if they are uninsured.

Who is Eligible to Receive Clinical Services paid for by the MBCCP?

MBCCP services are available to persons who meet ALL the following criteria:

· Have no health insurance or are underinsured1

· Massachusetts resident

· Persons between the ages of 40-64 years may receive breast cancer screening services and those ages 30-64 years may receive cervical cancer screening services.

· Those who are symptomatic or high risk under the age of 40 may also be eligible to receive services.

· Have an annual income at or below 250% Federal Poverty Level according to federal poverty guidelines

· Willing to enroll in the program (A person is considered enrolled in the MBCCP when they meet the eligibility criteria and have consented to receive clinical services paid for by the program) Priority should be given to MBCCP priority populations: Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Foreign-born Muslim, and/or residing within a rural area of MA with minimal access to quality healthcare. Providing services to these population groups is a priority; however, the program is not exclusive to these population groups.

Contracted organizations will be responsible for the following:

1. Clinical Services:

· Before providing clinical services paid for by the MBCCP, contracted organizations must:

· Determine that clients meet the program eligibility criteria.

· Obtain informed consent from clients to participate in the program. Consent can be obtained verbally or in writing and must be documented in the patient medical record and MDPH REDCap.[footnoteRef:3] See Attachment C: MBCCP Consent Form. [3: REDCap is an internet-based data collection, reporting and workflow tool used to collect client level demographic, health history and service history data for members enrolled in the MBCCP.]

· Provide MBCCP covered services, including:

· Conduct a high-risk assessment to determine if a patient is at high risk for breast and cervical cancer (this is a requirement for all patients that received a clinical service paid for by the program).

· Provide appropriate breast and cervical cancer screening services based on evidence-based age-appropriate screening guidelines.

· Assure timely diagnostic follow-up clinical services for abnormal screenings through direct care or referral.

· The interval between abnormal screening results and final diagnosis should be no more than 60 days as per CDC NBCCEDP standards.

· If diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, provide timely referral to free or low-cost treatment, including the Massachusetts Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program.

· The interval between diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer and initiation of treatment should be no more than 60 days as per CDC NBCCEDP standards.

· Re-determine eligibility for covered services on the date of the service.

· It’s important for clients to be rescreened according to screening guidelines. Therefore, contracted organizations are also responsible for re-determining program eligibility annually (12 months) for all enrolled members and rescreening per screening guidelines.

2. Documentation and Reporting:

The MBCCP is federally required by CDC to collect and report data on patients screened by the program for the purposes of monitoring performance, billing, and evaluation. The data requirements are defined in Attachment D: Current Reporting Data Elements for MBCCP. Contracted organizations will be paid $150 per client enrolled in the program to support the collection and reporting of data. Contracted organizations will be responsible for:

· Submitting clinical and billing data to MDPH by the 15th of every month for the previous months service using the online data collection system called REDCap.

· If data elements are missing or incorrect, contracted organizations must resubmit correct data to MDPH by the 15th of the following month.

The MBCCP will hold a kickoff meeting with the contracted organizations to review requirements of the MBCCP and train staff on reporting clinical and billing data in REDCap.

Additionally, health care organizations that participate as a breast and cervical cancer screening provider under the Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (MBCCP) are listed in the MBCCP webpage as a screening site. People who meet the MBCCP eligibility criteria may call your institution to inquire about receiving a free screening under the program or may be referred to you by MDPH staff when they call the MBCCP toll free phone number (877) 414-4447.

C3: Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health strives to deliver the best value to the Commonwealth. It is important to measure the contractor’s performance to ensure the contract is in compliance with what has been requested and what the contractor has agreed to deliver in this RFR. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement and review annually.

· Timely delivery (e.g., services, billing)

· Timeliness and appropriate follow-up for abnormal breast and cervical cancer screening results.

· Regular data submission into MDPH REDCap, including all required clinical and billing data elements.

· Adherence to MBCCP affirmations.

· Responsiveness to MDPH inquiries.

C4: Contract Invoicing Contractors shall submit monthly invoicing for covered services to the MBCCP by the 15th of each month. All invoices for each fiscal year must be received within 45 days of the end of the fiscal year or cannot be reimbursed. Prior to submitting invoices, contractors must submit their clinical and billing data in REDCap. MDPH will review data for accuracy and completeness, and upon approval contractors can submit their invoices. Reimbursement of services is subject to funding availability. MDPH will notify contractors quarterly of funding availability.

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. If awarded a contract bidders not already enrolled will be required to sign up for EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Form to the Department. Additional information will be sent at the time of contract.

Section D: RFR Evaluation

D1: Evaluation Criteria

All proposals will be scored on the following criteria:

· Ability to provide clinical services (e.g., clinical breast exams, mammograms, pap tests) and necessary follow up for abnormal screening results.

· Agreement to comply with all the requirements listed in the MBCCP Affirmations.

· Submission of all required forms and information.

Section E: Estimated Procurement Calendar

Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Q&A for Procurement Calendar updates.

RFR Release Date 10/10/2024

Shioban.Torres@mass.gov

Deadline for Submission of RFR Q&A.1

Shioban.Torres@mass.gov

Deadline for Submission of Responses Also known as the BID Opening Date in COMMBUYS

Anticipated Contract Start Date

11/15/2024

Shioban.Torres@mass.gov

1All Questions must be received in writing. Questions can be sent by email no later than the date and time indicated in the Procurement Calendar. All questions should be sent to the email listed in the calendar and should include the RFR title and number in the subject of the email. All Questions with answers will be posted on the COMMBUYS Attachment section for this procurement.

Section F: Instructions for Submission of Responses

F1: Bidder Response Requirements

Complete the application response form and MBCCP affirmations form.

F2: Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD) All bidders responding to this procurement are strongly encouraged to participate in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments. PPD benefits both contractors and the Commonwealth. Contractors benefit by increased, usable cash flow as a result of fast and efficient payments for commodities or services rendered. Participation in the Electronic Funds Transfer initiative further maximizes the benefits with payments directed to designated accounts, thus eliminating the impact of check clearance policies and traditional mail lead time or delays. The Commonwealth benefits because contractors reduce the cost of products and services through the applied discount. Payments that are processed electronically can be tracked and verified through the Comptroller’s Vendor Web system. The PPD form can be found on the OSD Forms page and in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

F3: COMMBUYS Submission Instructions All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To Register go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration Job Aide is also available.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before the specified date, month, year and time of the Bid Opening Date displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as applicable.

All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission by considering potential online submission impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

Bidders are encouraged to upload attachments well in advance of the Bid Opening Date. This will help to reduce disqualified submissions that can occur if upload is not fully completed or if an attachment is missing at the deadline. Prior to the Bid Opening Date listed in the Procurement Calendar above, documents can easily be deleted and revised versions can be uploaded. If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so prior to the bid opening date. Please review the Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit a Quote in COMMBUYS Job Aide for additional instructions.

No Bid in COMMBUYS Quote If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

COMMBUYS Electronic Signatures Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab in COMMBUYS. Bidders do this by selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid. By agreeing to this the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

File Format and Naming Conventions Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder, the RFR number and the name of the document. (e.g. Company Name _ RFR Number _Doc Name).

File Size Limits COMMBUYS will not accept files that approach or exceed 10 MB. If a large file fails to upload, the Bidder must save the contents as multiple files.

F4: RFR Attachments

To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; some of the standard forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

F5: COMMBUYS Support A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS COMMBUYS Resource Information at www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys Email: Send inquiries to the COMMBUYS OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov Telephone: Call the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

Section G: Other Requirements Pertaining to this RFR

Additional RFR requirements can be found in the document “Standard Required Information” found in the in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Amendments to BID MDPH reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after the initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. MDPH and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

Acceptable Forms of Signature: for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

Public Records: All information, documents, and attachments submitted as a response to this RFR are considered a public document subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

Vendor Activation Requirements: To receive a contract with state a vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. Upon notification of a contract award to this RFR, vendors not already registered in MMARS will be sent the required paperwork to be completed before a contract will be awarded which includes a W-9 form, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing.

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