36C10G19R0018-A0002001.docx

A-00002 Questions and Answers to 36C10G-19-R-0018

1. Per instructions found on page 32 within Attachment E, item (3)(i), please provide/post the appropriate Wage Determination tables for the solicitation.

2015-5215 WD (Austin) and 2015-5261 WD (Waco) attached

2. Can you tell us if there is an incumbent contractor and, if so, tell us their name, the contract number, and the present contract value?

ATP2 LLC; 36C10G19C0004

3. In file “36C10G19R0018-006,” the requirements for Volume V (Volume IV Other) ask for a section on OCI. However, Evaluation Factor b.(1).i states “OCI plan not to exceed 3 pages and do not count against 25 page total.” This implies that OCI is included in Volume I (Technical). In which volume is OCI to appear?

OCI is included in the Volume I; removed from Volume IV. Volume V corrected to read Volume IV.

4. The RFP requests the following: “Signed Standard Form (SF1449) and Acknowledgement of Amendment(s), if any. An official authorized to bind the firm shall sign the SF 1449, all amendment(s) (SF30s), and all certifications requiring original signature.” In all of the RFP documentation we have, there is no SF 1449. Will one be issued or is there another way we can acknowledge the RFP and any Amendments that are released? Perhaps in a cover letter?

The SF1449 has been added as attachment to this amendment.

5. Will the incumbent employees be required to be offered the first right of refusal per non-displacement orders? If so, how many years of service does each employee have?

First right of refusal is required. Employee years are dependent upon the individual.

6. Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like, from India or Canada) Must be in US due to access to Private Health Insurance and Private Identifying Information. SDVOSB and SAM registration.

7. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

Kickoff meeting will be held onsite in Austin, TX.

8. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada) Must be performed in US due to access to Private Health Insurance and Private Identifying Information.

9. Can we submit the proposals via email?

All proposals will be submitted via email.

10. Does the government intend NAICS 524292 size standard of $35 million?

Yes

11. Will the government consider performance of the last five years?

Contractors may submit a narrative detailing up to three contracts (prime contracts, task/delivery orders, and/or major subcontracts) in performance during the past three years from the date of issuance of the final solicitation, which are relevant to the efforts required by the RFP.

12. Can the Government please clarify if PPQ’s are required for non-new entities?

If the contractor has no relevant past performance, it shall affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant past performance.

13. There are two references to the contractor paying for the VA security background investigations. One refers that the contractor pays for all MBI’s and another that the contractor only pays for the ones that fail. Can the Government please clarify?

Vendor pays for all investigations, whether they succeed or fail.

14. How many resumes of the MCP Lead does the government require with the proposal?

One resume per lead proposed.

15. Can the Government please clarify what is the anticipated Period of Performance?

1 base year and 2 optional years (SAC to clarify)

16. Will the government allow for alternative pricing scenarios?

No

17. Since the CO will be providing only 48 hours’ notice for surge requirements will the VA process training and security clearances ahead of any requests?

No. The Government understands the lead time required for onboarding. The vendor will have 48 hours to identify candidates for the surge requirement exercised; and those candidates will start once onboarding actions are complete. Onboarding includes training and security clearances.

18. Will the government identify the transition time frame that the incoming contractor will have?

30-60 days

19. Should the solution include support personnel outside of the minimum included in the PWS would the Government allow them to be located at the FSC to perform their support?

Yes; the solution should include all support personnel required and we can locate up to 4 support personnel (including site supervisor/program manager) at the FSC.

20. While the table in the RFP Instructions on Page 11 appears to indicate a total of 8 pages for the past performance Narrative section, the evaluation factor on RFP Page 18 reads “no more than 8 page narrative /reference,” which appears to indicate 8 pages of narrative per reference (so up to 24 total pages for the three references). Can you clarify the page count restrictions on the Narrative section of past performance?

The Narrative under Volume II is no more than 8 pages for up to 3 references. No more than 8 pages.

21. Question #2: Can you confirm that the other required sections in the Past Performance volume (Contract Descriptions, Subcontract information, New Corporate Entity information) are excluded from the page count restrictions?

Volume II is restricted to 8 pages. It is upon the proposer to develop the context of the narrative.

22. Would current employees who go to work for a new contractor have to undergo new background checks? Or will their previous checks under the previous contractor suffice?

Employees must fill out all the paperwork and redo the online questionnaire (EQIP). If their previous BI is greater than or equal to the one they need for the new contract the SIC will reciprocate the previous one.

23. What is the implementation / transition-in period for this project and will it be part of the base year or a separate CLIN?

30-60 days

24. The PWS states the Contracting Officer will give 48 hours' notice for additional coverage. Will temporary waivers be given to the surge staff to allow staff to begin working before the security clearance and training are complete?

No. The vendor will have 48 hours to identify candidates for the surge requirement exercised; and those candidates will start once onboarding actions are complete. Onboarding includes training and security clearances.

25. May we get a copy of the current contractor's Transition-Out Plan?

No.

26. If Letters of Commitment are required, are they subject to page count limitations?

Letter of Commitment will be submitted with the Technical Approach and are not to exceed two pages and do not count against the 25-page total.

27. Page 2 of the RFP states, "The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 524292 and the associated size standard is 1000 employees. This acquisition is set aside for SDVOSBs. Vendors must be registered and verified at the time of submission of quotes under the NAICS 524292." Companies with greater than 1,000 employees are considered large under most NAICS codes. Why has the Government deviated from the NAICS codes that have historically utilized for this work, including the incumbent contract?

The size standard for 524292 is $35 million.

28. Page 2 of the RFP states, "The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 524292 and the associated size standard is 1000 employees. This acquisition is set aside for SDVOSBs. Vendors must be registered and verified at the time of submission of quotes under the NAICS 524292." Companies with greater than 1,000 employees are considered large under most NAICS codes. However, according to the SBA, the size standard for NAIC code 524292, Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds, is $32.5 million. Shall the Government verify the size standard for this solicitation is $32.5 million?

The size standard for 524292 is $35 million.

29. Page 8 of the RFP states, "7. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR DATA BREACH: a. Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 5725, a contract may require access to sensitive personal information. If so, the contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor/subcontractor processes or maintains under this contract." Will the Government require proof of insurance with the proposal?

Proof of Insurance is required at award.

30. In RFP, section 3 – Subcontracts, the solicitation states, "To allow the Government to make a determination of whether proposed subcontractors are “major subcontractors” as defined in 3. PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION APPROACH, contractors shall provide an outline of how the effort required by the RFP will be assigned for performance within the contractor’s corporate entity and among the proposed subcontractors, if applicable, including work assigned and estimated dollar value of the efforts assigned." How would the government like this information to be presented; in a narrative format, in a table or in an Excel spreadsheet?

The Government would like this information in the narrative format.

31. In RFP Section 4 - New Corporate Entities, the RFP states, "New corporate entities may submit data on prior contracts involving its officers and employees. In addition to the other requirements in this section, the contractor shall discuss in detail the role performed by such persons in the prior contracts cited. Information should be included in the files described in the sections above. Complete PPQs: The Government will accept no more than one PPQ per past performance narrative (included as RFP ATTACHMENT F – PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE). The contractor shall distribute the PPQ found in the RFP to the POC for each of the past performance references found in the narrative. The Government will accept only one completed PPQ per narrative; i.e. only one completed PPQ per reference." What is the threshold for new companies? What is the maximum number of years a company may be in business to exercise this option?

If the contractor has no relevant past performance, it shall affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant past performance.

32. The RFP instructions state, "Volume III shall include pricing information in an Excel spreadsheet, which shall be comprised of the CLINs from Attachment A Price/Cost Schedule and a breakout worksheet, which details the labor mix per each CLIN." Does the Government have any guidelines, rules or prohibitions for the Excel spreadsheet?

Please ensure that your functions can be visible. No Macros.

33. May contractors submit more than one Team Lead resume for each location (Austin and Waco) to demonstrate capability?

One resume per lead proposed.

34. Related to evaluation factor 2, will the Government rate prime contract past performance higher than subcontractor past performance? In other words, would past performance from a prime contractor receive more points or a higher rating than identical past performance from a subcontractor?

If both prime and proposed major subcontractor performance records are submitted, the Government will consider past performance for the proposed prime contractor (identified in Block 17a of the SF 1449) to be significantly more important than past performance examples submitted for any other member of the vendor’s proposed structure

35. Related to evaluation factor 3, the solicitation states, "The excel spreadsheet should be comprised of the CLINs from Section B.2 and a breakout worksheet, which details the labor mix per each CLIN." It seems that different contractors will have different spreadsheet configurations, which will lead to complexity (or error) when the Government compares or evaluates price volume of bidders. Will the Government provide the Excel workbook that it would like to utilize, so that every bidder can submit in the same format?

A sample Excel workbook has been attached to this amendment; this is example only and may be used. The Government does not require a standard Excel workbook.

36. Given that CLIN 001 is a Level of Effort line item, i.e. Health Services Medical Claims, Level of Effort -Austin, TX, Contract Period: Base, POP Begin: 09-12-2019, POP End: 09-11-2020; how many incumbent Service Contract Act (SCA) employees are currently located at the Austin, TX facility as identified in CLIN 001? 191 Please propose based on the understanding of the PWS and the CLIN structure in the Attachment A schedule

37. Given that CLIN 002 is a Level of Effort line item, I.e. Health Services Medical Claims, Level of Effort -Waco, TX, Contract Period: Base, POP Begin: 09-12-2019, POP End: 09-11-2020); how many incumbent Service Contract Act (SCA) employees are currently located at the Waco, TX facility as identified in CLIN 002? 35 Please propose based on the understanding of the PWS and the CLIN structure in the Attachment A schedule

38. For Austin, TX, which SCA Health and Welfare rate currently applies: $4.54 or $4.22 (EO 13706)? The H&W rate of $4.22 applies.

39. For Waco, TX, which SCA Health and Welfare rate currently applies: $4.54 or $4.22 (EO 13706)? The H&W rate of $4.22 applies.

40. Section C – C.2; paragraph 2c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. Section Performance Work Statement, Section 6.2 (page 15) Table 2 (MBI) – conducted by OPM, covers 5 years and includes National Agency Check, Security Investigations Index, DoD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, FBI finger prints, credit report an interview, law enforcement check and verification of education. How long does the government believe its personnel will need to process information provided by the contractor for a new employee to start working?

Onboarding normally takes approximately 30 days.

41. How many personnel can be accommodated in the Austin facility during the day and at night? 191 Please propose based on the understanding of the PWS and the CLIN structure in the Attachment A schedule

42. Are either the Austin site or the Waco site or both open for business when staff is needed for surge work on Saturdays and Sundays?

Yes; both facilities will be made available during weekends when staff is needed for surge work.

43. Since the solicitation was issued last week, the Federal Sick Leave E.O. 13706 should be incorporated in the flow-down clauses section. The solicitation should include a mention of FAR 52.222-62—Executive Order 13706 Paid Sick Leave and should also include a Wage Determination (WD) that includes reference to the sick leave executive order. Was this omitted in error, and will the Government please clarify this requirement?

FAR 55.222-62 Applies Wage Determinations have been attached.

44. The Performance Work Statement page 7 of 29 shows Austin 176,640 hours for Acct Clerk II and 11,520 hours for Acct Clerk III (Leads); Waco: 63,360 hours for Acct Clerk II and 3, 840 hours for Acct Clerk III (Leads). There’s nothing listed for General Clerk I, II or III. Does the Government intend to utilize the SCA WD for Accounting Clerks rather than General Clerks?

The number of hours will remain the same. The PWS states Accounting Clerks or equivalent. Propose based your understanding of the PWS.

45. Will the Government allow the contractor to bill for clerk labor hours spent in Government-provided (85 hours) onsite training?

No. Government-provided training will be made available to employees; There is no separate billing for training.

46. Will the Government allow the contractor to bill for clerk labor hours spent in Vendor-provided or Contractor-provided onsite training?

No. Contractor Led training will be made available to employees; There is no separate billing for training.

47. Are Letters of Commitment required for Key Personnel?

Yes

48. Section states: Ad hoc labor/overtime shall be priced as an optional CLIN. Pricing table does not identify any overtime CLINs. Does the Government anticipate that surge support would include overtime pay?

Ad Hoc CLINs are for overtime

49. How many written inquiries or phone inquiries, monthly or yearly are anticipated under the contract?

2,600 monthly

50. The PWS describes the Rate Per Hour Target per Medical Claims Processor. What is the anticipated volume per year for the following? Verifications, Distributions, Processing actions, Non-Network Community Care claims, Dialysis National contract claims, Camp Lejeune Family Member program claims, Choice claims, and other Government Agency claims.

An average of 4M claims are processed annually. Claims are not tracked by categories.

51. In 2018, how many paper claims were manually entered by the incumbent because the claims could not be scanned through Optical Character Recognition (OCR)?

All paper claims are scanned into OCR and converted to electronic format.

52. To staff appropriately for this bid, please provide the volume of claims the incumbent received and number processed in 2018 by the various claim categories shown in the table below.

An average of 4M claims are processed annually. Claims are not tracked by categories.

53. Section 2.2: During 2018, how many help desk phone calls did the incumbent answer? What was the total number of help desk phone calls answered by the VA and the incumbent combined in 2018? Will the government provide call volume metrics to determine volume of calls to the Help Desk to allow for the appropriate staffing levels? Is that number expected to remain constant with the new contract? Did the incumbent meet established timeliness standards? If not, why not?

150 calls per day; average 6 minutes per call

54. Please provide the total of written inquiries answered by the incumbent in 2018. Is that number expected to remain constant with the new contract?

Average 31,200 written/oral inquiries

55. What determines the need for manual review of a claim?

If a claim is suspended by the claims adjudication software, then it will require a manual review.

56. General – The Instructions for the Technical Plan only reference Section 2.1. Can the Government confirm that we should provide an approach to Section 2.2 as well?

Technical approach should cover Section 2.1 and 2.2. Provision has been updated.

57. To account for the additional information in the response, would the Government be willing to increase the overall allowed page count to 30?

The page count will not be changed.

58. Even though you have this a set aside for veterans, can a WOSB apply as well?

This requirement is a 100% set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d).

59. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement – Section 3.4 Contractor Personnel Requirements: For the base level of effort to support annual claims processing, how do we separate the below level of effort between CLINS: 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 2001, 2002, 3003, 4004, and 5005?

Base level of effort has breakdown listed the 3.4 of the PWS.

60. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement – Section 3.4.3 Medical Claims Processor (MCP) Lead (Supervisor) or Equivalent (Equiv): Is the Medical Claims Processor (MCP) Lead (Supervisor) or Equivalent the same labor category as the Acct. Clerk III (leads)?

The MCP Lead should be equivalent to Accounting Clerk III.

61. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement - 3.4.5 Administrative Personnel or Equivalent (Equiv): The base level of effort to support annual claims processing does not list the Administrative Personnel or Equivalent labor categories. How does this labor category fit within CLINS: 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, 0005, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 2001, 2002, 3003, 4004, and 5005?

1,920 hours for Clerical Asst (Acct. Clerk II) has been added to PWS Section 3.4. (based level of effort Austin Location)

62. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement – Section 3.6 Security: The position sensitivity impact for this effort has been designated as Moderate Risk and the level of background investigation is Tier 2 / Moderate Background Investigation (MBI) (see PWS Section 6.2. Personnel Security Requirements for details). The current cost for this is $1,747.00 per contractor employee, plus $30.00 for the SAC Adjudication. Section 6.3.2 says the contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. Is this in fact the case? If so, how is this paid to the government?

The cost of obtaining background investigations is upon the contractor.

63. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement – Section 3.9 Kick-Off Meeting: Is the Kick-Off Meeting virtual or in person?

The kick-off meeting will be held onsite at the Austin, Texas location.

64. Attachment D - Performance Work Statement – Section 9.0 Cyber and Information Security Requirements for VA IT Offices: Does the incumbent currently supply their staff with laptops and other equipment?

No… currently, off-site work is not allowed.

65. Attachment E – Solicitation Provisions Final - Volume II – Past Performance Factor (2) – Section 4 – New Corporate Entities: New corporate entities may submit data on prior contracts involving its officers and employees. In addition to the other requirements in this section, the contractor shall discuss in detail the role performed by such persons in the prior contracts cited. Information should be included in the files described in the sections above. Does the employee have to be on the payroll at the time of submission? Or, can this person be proposed as key personnel, and will become an employee upon contract award?

Personnel can be proposed along with supporting Letter of Commitment.

66. Please provide the naming convention for the redacted Technical and Past Performance volumes and specify whether the vendor name or other code should be used as part of the file name.

Solicitation Number| Title |Company Name| Date

67. In reference to: d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical What custom software is the VA expecting?

No software is expected to be provided by the vendor.

68. Re: [ ] (19) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (JAN 2017) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)). This clause is not marked. As this is a set-aside, should this clause apply?

Yes

69. Re: [ ] (21) 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) (15 U.S.C. 657f). This clause is not marked. As this is a SDVOSB set aside, should this clause apply?

Yes

70. Do eCAMS HCE, Plexis Care Manager or FBCS produce reports related to claims processing? If so what do the reports include?

eCAMS does, PCM and FBCS do not.

71. What Service Contract Act labor categories are used for each of the CLINs?

ALL CLINs are under the SCA

72. Please provide two years volume by claim type as referenced on the Rate Per Hour Target Medical Claims Processor Per Section Chart on the PWS Page 3.

An average of 4M claims are processed annually. Claims are not tracked by categories.

73. For each RPH Target per MCP, how is that number calculated?

The rate was determined through work studies.

74. How long does it take a new hire to hit the RPH Target Per MCP for each of the different work streams (verification, distribution, processing, non-network, dialysis, Camp Lejeune, other, choice)?

30-60 days

75. What is the current attrition at each location?

10%

76. If the contractor has fixed data centers to provide these services outside of Austin and Waco, can these sites be offered for surge services to the VA?

No.

77. How many days does the contractor have to get the surge staffing in place? Does this include training?

The vendor will have 48 hours to identify candidates for the surge requirement exercised; and those candidates will start once onboarding actions are complete. Onboarding includes training and security clearances.

78. How many background security checks were requested by the incumbent contractor is each of the last 3 years?

The number of security checks is based on the number of positions to be filled and shall account for turnover.

79. Does the contractor need to have equipment on stand-by should the VA site in either Austin/Waco go into COOP mode? If so, how many stations are needed?

Yes, this should proposed as a separate ODC line time. The number of stations depends on the number contractor personnel proposed.

80. Does the successful contractor have access to the report functions within the software provided to validate individual operator statistics (quantity and accuracy)? If not, what is available?

For eCAMS yes; for PCM and FBCS, the vendor will have to track individual operator statistics.

81. Will the government plan a site visit?

Not Applicable work to be performed at the FSC.

82. Is there a backlog of claims to be processed, if so, how many and by what type?

No backlog of claims at this time.

83. Is there parking available near the locations for contractor staff? If so, how far away is it?

Yes; within the facilities.

84. Can the government confirm which positions are covered under FAR Clause 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards?

All positions are covered under SCLS.

85. Can the government provide its determination of what classifies a subcontractor as a “major subcontractor”?

A major subcontractor is defined as one whose subcontract is for more than 20% of the total proposed price.

86. How many claims are manually input each month?

None. Paper claims are scanned, OCR, and converted to electronic claims.

87. How many non-compliant claims are updated and/or rejected due to coding errors each month?

Information not available.

88. How many rejected claims are sent back to the claimants each month?

This is not relevant to proposing.

89. What is the ticketing system use track rejected, overpayment, and underpayment claims?

No ticketing system is used.

90. What is the current backlog of follow-ups for payment resolution?

No backlog for follow-ups.

91. For accepted claims, is the payment process done by a separate team?

Yes, it is done electronically with software after any suspensions are cleared.

92. What percent of the help desk’s workload is help desk support vs processing claims?

20%

93. What software system (s) is used by VA to process claims?

eCAMS and Plexis Claims Manager.

94. Section 4.0 and Section 9.0 refer to contractor furnished equipment. Section 3,2 refers to the place of performance as a government facility. Will the government furnish equipment or is equipment the contractor’s responsibility? Please clarify.

The government will furnish equipment in its facility;

95. The place of performance is onsite at the VA FSC. Does the government expect all staff to work onsite or does the government expect the contractor to provide a work facility?

Work will be performed at government facilities.

96. Att-B, B.2.a-c Please confirm that the Contractor shall remit the 3% SLA fee to the SAC in U.S. dollars within 60 calendar days after the end of the reporting quarter and final payment shall be remitted within 60 days after physical completion of the last outstanding task order or delivery order of the contract?

Confirmed.

97. The SLA Fee amount collected and due shall be paid electronically. To ensure that the payment is credited properly, the contractor shall electronically transmit the SLA fee at pay.gov (VA Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC)); specific instructions shall be provided when the contract action resulting from this solicitation is awarded (i.e. post-award/BPA issuance conference and/or post-award letter when used in lieu of a conference. Att-B, B.2.b Please Identify the applicable GSA FSS Contract that the solicitation was released under as it pertains to making IFF Quarterly Sales Reporting Payments?

This is not a GSA Schedule contract; However, payment remitting still pertains.

98. Page 3 of 29 Table in Section 2.1 Can the government provide a summary on how each Claim Type “Rate Per Hour” (RPH) was derived?

Rates were derived through desk-side work studies.

99. Is the average rate per hour based on the employee’s experience within each claim type?

Rates were derived through desk-side work studies.

100. Do the estimated RPH’s take into consideration system availability / outages?

Yes, Rates were derived through desk-side work studies.

101. Page 4 of 29 2.2.1 Are there Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and or associated response metrics for the help desk?

SLAs pertain to the entire price proposal. The Help Desk does not have any associated metrics.

102. How many written and oral inquiries are historically projected annually, monthly, daily?

Average 31,200 written/oral inquiries

103. What is the RPH response requirement for written response inquiries?

No RPH, these types of inquiries are infrequent.

104. What is the RPH response requirement for oral response inquiries?

No RPH, mainly answering provider questions about claim status.

105. Would SLA’s take into consideration system availability / outages?

No. SLA are based on the remittance of invoices.

106. Page 11 of 29 3.5 Section 3.5 states: “The Contractor shall be responsible for providing up to 40 hours of training to staff on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) standards (or latest version), and Medicare billing and regulations within (1) month from their date of hire.” Will the Government be providing the current existing Training Guide in accordance with providing all reference materials required to support the job function?

No, these codes sets are standard across the industry and it is up to the contractor to provide all training materials.

107. Page 13 of 29 4.8. Would the Government require the Contractor to provide telework employees for any surge or contingency operations requirements?

No.

108. How many call center reps are required?

PWS updated. Help Desk duties are required for all personnel. See PWS 2.2 update

109. What is the call center operational hours?

6am – 4pm Central time.

110. What training is provided to the awarded vendor, and how long does it take to train a call center representative?

Training is conducted during the initial ramp-up of 30-60 days for new employees.

111. Do you currently use another call center vendor to provide these services?

No

112. For any meetings, including initial training, can these be via conference call/go-to meeting or is physical presence required?

Depends on the meeting. With prior notice, we can make accommodations for virtual attendance.

113. Are we expected to work and take calls on major holidays?

No. Government facilities will be closed during observed holidays identified in the PWS.

114. What languages are we expected to support?

English required.

115. Are scripts currently in place for the call types associated with the scope of this project?

No scripts currently.

116. What reports are required and with what frequency?

No reports are required; however, the vendor may propose reports that show value to their performance.

117. What is the average call length? How much average wrap up time (documenting, updating service requests) is required per call?

Less than 5 minutes. Calls are mainly answering provider questions about claim status.

118. Is the vendor expected to utilize their own phone system?

No. The Government will provide phone system.

119. How would the selected vendor establish connectivity with your systems? Please elaborate on the technical requirements.

Vendor must have a high-speed Internet connection and their computers must be able run Citrix Access Gateway.

120. What improvements are you looking for in a new vendor?

Employees who are trained to process medical claims in order to minimize ramp-up time.

121. What % of calls will be non-English speakers? What % of these are Spanish speakers?

10%. Majority.

122.What is the current average call length?

Less than 5 minutes.

123. What are the penalties for missing any of the SLAs?

Failure to respond to terms and conditions of the contract could result in termination.

124. What pricing/fee structure is expected? Flat fee, Per Call, Per Month, Per minute, per agent? What is your existing fee structure?

This is an FFP/LH contract.

125. Page 4 of 29 2.2 “While assigned to the Help Desk, Contractors shall not be required to process medical claims.” The sentence appears to suggest that under current performance work tasks that medical claims processors are sometimes re-assigned to provide Help Desk support and therefore the Help Desk FTE functions are not “dedicated” Help Desk support. Is this a true statement and can you clarify the statement?

PWS updated. Help Desk duties are required for all personnel. See PWS 2.2 update

126. Page 11 of 29 3.7 “Should the Government implement its Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), Contractor personnel that are approved for telecommute or virtual work shall work from their approved alternate work site.” This section appears to suggest that the Government already has an existing COOP and that the contractor would agree to comply and work within the constraints of the Government’s COOP. Is this correct? Or is the Government requesting (later in this section) for the contractor to propose and/or develop a COOP as a post-award deliverable?

Yes

127. Transition-In Plan. Is there an optimum time period that the government would prefer for the Transition-In Plan, 90-days? 30-60 days

128. Transition-Out Plan. Is there an optimum time period that the government would prefer for the Transition-Out Plan, 90-days? 30-60 days

129. The Government is providing the hours for the Austin and Waco Locations based on 1920 Actual Work Hours per year. 1920 does not account for E.O. 13706 Sick Leave, which is in effect for this solicitation (Effective date is January 1, 2017). Sick Leave is 56 hours per year, changing actual work hours from 1920 to 1864. Since this is a performance-based contract, we are asking the Government to clarify the basis of actual work hours at 1920 or 1864.

The Government confirms 1920.

130. Please clarify that the 3850 additional hours are for Accounting Clerk III and the 92,160 additional hours are for Accounting Clerk II in accordance with Schedule B.

92,160 for Acct II and 3,850 for Acct III has been corrected in the PWS.

131. This sub-paragraph falls under the 2.2 Operational Medical Claims Help Desk heading but the scope for performance monitoring is probably for all PWS requirements, not just this one. Please clarify.

Correct.

132. Please clarify the phrase “interpret laws”. This expectation seems inconsistent with D.3.4 Contractor Personnel Requirements. The ability to “interpret laws” requires significant and specialized legal training beyond a bachelor’s degree. Interpret established guidelines, processes and procedures is recommended.

Concur. PWS updated to delete interpret laws.

133. Can the Government provide an estimate of the number of business or calendar days between contract award and the start of the Period of Performance? 30-45 days

134. None of the referenced CLINs are location designated; Is all projected Ad Hoc services performed in Austin, Texas?

Ad Hoc, xxx3 and xxx4 are for Austin, TX (day and night shift overtime). XXX5 is for Waco, TX. Ad Hoc CLINs are considered overtime.

135. Attachment A, CLIN 0003 through CLIN 0029 Attachment A - In the event that a large portion of the Optional CLINs 0003 - 0005 are exercised, the ratio of MCP teams to the PM and Site Lead would grow to a level of presenting a high probability of risk to effective team management. This risk would very likely be realized as issues if CLINs 0006 - 0029 are exercised, especially if the surge resources were located away in Waco, away from the PM and Supervisor. This will also become an issue if a large night shift has no supervision from someone above an Accounting Clerk II level. Q: Will the government add an Optional CLIN of for additional Supervisor labor hours (PWS 3.4.3) that will provide the program with additional team management support in the event of team size growth?

No;

136. Attachment C, Section C.13.c.2, page 33 C.13.c.c, page 33, incorporates FAR 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards. Pursuant to 29 C.F.R. 4.173(d), a contractor is obligated to provide vacation benefits…even if it cannot obtain accurate service dates from the predecessor or the government client. Contractors that hire the predecessor’s incumbent staff are also obligated to provide a full year’s vacation accrual on the employee’s anniversary date – regardless of when the employee began work for the new contractors. Q: Please provide the Date of Hire, the SCA Wage Determination labor category, and the hourly rate of pay for each SCA-protected incumbent contractor resource so that offerors can include this expense into our cost model.

Date of hire will be provided upon contract award; Current labor category is General Clerk II; hourly rate is based on labor category.

137. If this data is not available to prospective offerors within a week before the proposal Due Date, will the government accept and approve a Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA) after award to compensate the awarded contractor for payouts due to incumbent staff for their unused leave?

Not Applicable RFP has been extended

138. PWS 3.4, page 7. The first two paragraphs appear to be remnants that are corrected in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the same pages. Q: Should the first two paragraphs on page 7 be ignored/deleted?

First two paragraphs have been deleted.

139. PWS 3.4.4, page 9 – Medical Claims Processor (MCP) or Equivalent (Equiv) PWS 3.4.4, page 9 – Medical Claims Processor (MCP) or Equivalent (Equiv). PWS 3.4.4, page 9 – Medical Claims Processor (MCP) or Equivalent (Equiv) PWS 3.4.4, page 9 – Medical Claims Processor (MCP) or Equivalent (Equiv) states” Minimum Experience: 1 year of experience processing, researching and adjudicating medical claims.” Many positions in government contracts allow relevant education to be substituted for experience.

Q: Can a certificate in Medical Claims Processing be used as substitution to the Minimum Experience requirement for an MCP?

Yes.

140. Can the government please confirm that the contractor's approach to Transition-In should be provided within the response to E.5 Technical Approach - Factor (1).b.(2) Transition Plan, and that the contractor shall provide the Transition In / Out Plan at least 2 days before Kickoff Meeting?

Confirmed. Transition plan is part of the Technical Approach and upon award (2) days before Kickoff Meeting.

141. Can the government please confirm that the contractor's approach to Training should be provided with the response to E.5 Technical Approach - Factor (1).b.(3), and that the contractor shall provide the Training Plan at least 2 days before the Kickoff Meeting?

Confirmed. Training plan is part of the Technical Approach and upon award (2) days before Kickoff Meeting.

142. Can the government please confirm that the contractor's draft Human Capital Management Plan should be provided within our the response to E.5 Technical Approach - Factor (1).b.(4), and that the contractor shall provide the Training Plan at least 2 days before Kickoff Meeting?

Confirmed. Human Capital Management is part of the Technical Approach and upon award (2) days before Kickoff Meeting.

143. Can the government please confirm that the contractor's draft Quality Assurance Plan should be provided within our response to E.5 Technical Approach - Factor (1).b.(1), and that the contractor shall provide the Quality Assurance Plan at least 2 days before the Kickoff Meeting?

No. The QASP is provided upon award (2) days before Kickoff Meeting.

144. PWS Section 3.5 Training on Pg. 11 of 29 states “The Contractor shall provide a training plan with course syllabus with their proposal. The plan shall be presented during the kick-off meeting”. Because of the 25-page proposal restriction, Q: Will the government consider excluding the Training Plan and syllabus from the page count?

Training Plan and syllabus is included in part of the Technical Proposal.

145. Will contractor personnel who can receive unescorted access to the VA facility be allowed to use GFE at the Austin or Waco facilities for training and to perform MCP duties of PWS 2.1?

Yes.

146. Must the offeror's proposal include at least one past performance from each major subcontractor proposed?

No

147. Can offerors submit past performance references from any/all of their subcontractors?

Please see Volume II of ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS

148. PWS Section 3.4 Contractor Personnel Requirements on Pg. 7 of 29 states 1920 hours for a Site Supervisor in the Austin, TX location.

Q: Will the government verify there is only one (1) site supervisor required considering there are two (2) sites, located in Austin and Waco?

The onsite Austin PM/Supervisor will be responsible for the Waco staff as well.

149. PWS Section 3.4 Contractor Personnel Requirements on Pg. 7 of 29 states 1920 hours for a Site Supervisor in the Austin, TX location. As the Program Manager and Team Leads are specified as Key Personnel, Q: Will the government confirm whether the Site Supervisor is Key Personnel and their minimum qualifications?

Site supervisor has the same requirements as the program manager.

150. Section 3.4.6 Key Personnel on Pg. 10 of 29 states “The Key Personnel are the PM or Equivalent and MCP Lead.” As the written statement says “Lead”, and not “Leads”.

Q: Are the MCP leads considered Key Personnel?

MCP Leads are considered Key Personnel.

151. PWS Section 2.1 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 3 of 29 states “The Contractor shall process claims that are submitted individually, or multiple claims submitted concurrently (bulk claims). Medical claims processing consists of five sections; VA Choice, Fee Basis Claims Systems (FBCS which will be replaced with Non-Network Community Care Claims during the period of performance), Dialysis, Camp Lejeune and Other Government Agencies (OGA) with FBCS having three subsections.”

Q: Can the government provide an estimated breakdown of total claims by the 5 categories defined in the RPH Table on PWS page 3 of 29?

No. Claims are not tracked by categories.

152. Section 2.1.7 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 4 of 29 states “Contractor shall provide a monthly report of progress. This report shall delineate the number of claims, and the type of claims, number of accepted claims, rejected, underpayments, and overpayments. The report shall also provide an overall rate per hour of staff”.

Q: If the incumbent is currently providing this report, will the government consider providing this information to bidders?

Incumbent is not providing this report.

153. PWS Section 3.5 Training/VA-FSC Government Led Training on Pg. 10 of 29 states “All Contractors shall attend up to 85 hours of Government led training prior to beginning work.” As the VA badging and background process normally take 14+ days.

Q: Can the training be conducted prior to the granting of VA PIV badges?

Some computer-based training maybe taken prior to granting of VA PIV badges.

154. PWS Section 4.0 Teleworking, on page 13 of 29 states “Virtual or telework is not currently offered at this time. Virtual or telework may be offered at a later date. Consequently, the Contractor will be responsible for providing all equipment for virtual or telework to include…” Q: Will the government consider an additional CLIN to be priced separately as ODC’s? (Laptop w/card reader, Laptop Case, Additional Monitor(s) – COR Approval Required, Docking Station, Keyboard, Mouse, Lock set cable, Headset, Internet sufficient to process medical claims IAW 2.1, Medical Claims Processing) are not required for government site staff but will be for Virtual or Teleworking staff.

No

155. PWS Section 2.2 Operational Medical Claims Help Desk on Pg. 4 of 29 states, “In addition to claims processing, Contractor personnel shall be required to provide Help Desk Support (not Information Technology Help Desk). While assigned to the Help Desk, Contractors shall not be required to process medical claims.”

Q: Can the government confirm how are MCPs scheduled to work on the Help Desk?

Ad hoc. Help Desk is approximately 20% of the work, so employees will be expected to do both.

156. PWS Section 2.2 Operational Medical Claims Help Desk on Pg. 4 of 29 states “In addition to claims processing, Contractor personnel shall be required to provide Help Desk Support (not Information Technology Help Desk). While assigned to the Help Desk, Contractors shall not be required to process medical claims.”

Q: Can the government confirm how Help Desk staff are measured for effectiveness in lieu of number of claims processed?

Help Desk work is mainly answering provider calls asking about the status of their claims.

157. PWS Section 3.5 Training on Pg. 10 of 29 states “The Government will conduct a kick-off meeting within seven (7) calendar days after award with the Contractor Team. The Government Team will include the COR, CO and the Government Program Manager.”

Q: Will the government provide which contractor staff they require attend?

Essential personnel are required to attend kick-off meeting.

158. PWS Section 2.2 Operational Medical Claims Help Desk on Pg. 4 of 29 states “In addition to claims processing, Contractor shall be required to provide Help Desk Support”.

Q: Who provides the training to have Help Desk staff competent to provide research on customer inquiries and to provide responses that are, per Para 2.2.2 “accurate and easily understood by the customer”?

Government employees will provide the training as on-the-job training.

159. PWS Section 2.1 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 3 of 29 states “The Contractor shall use the VA-FSC medical claims processing system which incorporates an Internet authorization application, document processing functionality, optical character recognition (OCR) scanning capability, VA medical claims processing software, and VA Purchase Care System functionality. All equipment shall be provided by the Government for onsite work.”

Q: Will government systems and equipment downtime be taken into consideration when measuring production and quality metrics?

Yes.

160. PWS Section 3.5 Ongoing Supplemental Contractor Led Training on Pg. 11 of 29 states “The Contractor shall implement a Train the Trainer education model whereby trained contractors or contractor employees teach, mentor or train its contractors on current or future VA systems and procedures.”

Q: Will the government provide the initial training on “future” VA systems?

Yes.

161. PWS Section 8.0 Performance Measures on Pg. 17 of 29 states in the Performance Standards table “98% accuracy of data entered. Not more than 1 validated complaint from users/customers per quarter”. Q: Can the government provide a definition/description of a “validated” complaint?

A validated complaint is where a Government supervisor confirms the facts presented by the complainant.

162. PWS Section 2.2.1 Operational Medical Claims Help Desk on Pg. 5 of 29 states “The Contractor shall respond to written and oral inquiries monthly that are received from VA-FSC customers by phone or via e-mail”.

Q: Can the government explain what is meant by “monthly”?

We will delete “monthly” from the statement.

163. PWS Section 2.1.6 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 4 of 29 states Analyze and audit any overpayments or underpayments of claims. Review and edit automated letters to claimants informing them of their obligation to provide payments for underpayments or reimburse overpayments for government signature. Follow up with claimants through phone or email contact as needed until payments are resolved according to the training and procedures provided by the Government. Inform the Government of payments that have not been resolved within a reasonable period of time not to exceed two weeks.

Q: Can the government provide what is the percentage of claim payments triggered for auditing as compared to the total population claim payments as of July 2017?

Not Applicable for proposal submission.

164. PWS Section 2.1.6 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 4 of 29 states Analyze and audit any overpayments or underpayments of claims. Review and edit automated letters to claimants informing them of their obligation to provide payments for underpayments or reimburse overpayments for government signature. Follow up with claimants through phone or email contact as needed until payments are resolved according to the training and procedures provided by the Government. Inform the Government of payments that have not been resolved within a reasonable period of time not to exceed two weeks.

Q: Can the government provide how many touchpoints with the claimants should be expected to resolve an under or over payment within a two-week cycle? I.e., is this daily, twice a week or weekly?

Not Applicable for proposal submission

165. PWS Section 2.1.6 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 4 of 29 states Analyze and audit any overpayments or underpayments of claims. Review and edit automated letters to claimants informing them of their obligation to provide payments for underpayments or reimburse overpayments for government signature. Follow up with claimants through phone or email contact as needed until payments are resolved according to the training and procedures provided by the Government. Inform the Government of payments that have not been resolved within a reasonable period of time not to exceed two weeks.

Q: Can the government confirm whether the FSC software contains a case management feature to record and insert chronological remarks for each claim undergoing a payment audit?

Not Applicable for proposal submission

166. PWS Section 2.1.6 Medical Claims Processing on Pg. 4 of 29 states Analyze and audit any overpayments or underpayments of claims. Review and edit automated letters to claimants informing them of their obligation to provide payments for underpayments or reimburse overpayments for government signature. Follow up with claimants through phone or email contact as needed until payments are resolved according to the training and procedures provided by the Government. Inform the Government of payments that have not been resolved within a reasonable period-of-time not to exceed two weeks.

Q: Does the FSC software contain a…