Q-A 12-10 Wheel Chair RFQ _.docx

36C24524Q0914 Wheelchair Services Q&A

1. Would you consider having the base trip to be mileage-based, rather than city limits? For example, a 20-mile base. EXAMPLE

2. The solicitation references compliance with emergency medical transportation (section 5.5.1); however, the solicitation is for non-emergency transportation. Can you clarify?

Non Emergent transport only. No special skills other than to be a licensed driver with the company and to make sure the vehicles are properly insured. These trips will only be for curb to curb transport

3. Could you provide the number of daily trips? Approx 40 to 50 trips daily. Weekends 25% to 50% of the normal transport.

4. Could you provide the number of vehicles currently being used to meet current service demands? At this time multiple companies are used to complete the service need

5. Will there be a transition period? And if so, what would it entail? Service will need to start on 1/1/2025

6. Will capable out-of-state firms be allowed a reasonable timeframe (30 days) to begin service after the award? Service will be needed on 01/01/25

7. Can You provide additional Details about the expected volume of trips per day or month. Will the contractor be required to transport individuals across state lines and if so are there any specific compliance requirements. The requested places for transport are listed in the PWS 1.2

8. Will the government provide or specify the equipment for handling individuals with special needs,or must the contractor provide it entirely? No special equipment should be needed.

9. What are the expectations for vehicle inspections and compliance documentation? Vehicles need to meet Maryland standards . PWS 5.5.1

10. Are there any advanced certifications or training beyond those mentioned [e.g CPR,advanced patient transport certification] Will the government provide training on handling specific patient needs or is it the contractors responsibility. No extra emergency training will be needed as these are transport to and from wheelchair appointments.

11. What level of insurance coverage for vehicles and personnel. PWS 7.1.5

12. Are there specific requirements for background checks and drivers records? PWS 5.2.5

13. Can you provide an example of the QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN [QASP] to better understand how performance will be evaluated? What are the penalties or remedies for non compliance or performance failures.? PWS 16.26.2

14. Are there restrictions on subcontracting under the SDVOSB set aside, and if so what percentage of work must the prime contractor provide? PWS 5.7.1

15. What is the process for submitting invoices, and are there unique requirements for electronic submission. How will disputes about invoice amounts be handled? INVOICES are paid using electric fund transfer (EFT) into an account your company provides upon certification of submitted invoices.

16. PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: Is this letter from previous contacts outside of the V.A or Government Network? A brief description and identification of past contract your company has taken part in with similar services.

17. What's the SF1449 Mean? The SF 1449 is the contract document page one outlining the general specifics of an RFQ or Contract

18. Could you explain how the FIRM FIX PRICE WORKS? A firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract is a type of contract that sets a price that cannot be adjusted based on the contractor's costs. The contractor is responsible for all costs to them to be considered at the time they provide their best quote.

QUESTIONS Group 2

19. Supplemental Cost Adjustments:

· In the event of significant increases in operational costs, such as a rise in fuel prices or changes in regulatory requirements, is the contractor permitted to submit supplementary cost invoices or request contract modifications? If so, what is the process for such submissions?

-Please provide best estimations for services cost in quote provided

20. Additional Charges:

· Could you provide detailed guidance on the handling of tolls, parking fees, "No Show" incidents, and cleaning fees? Specifically:

· How should these costs be documented and invoiced?

PWS 5.16.7.

· Are these charges reimbursed separately or integrated into the overall contract pricing? PWS 5.16.7.

· Are there specific reporting templates or tools required for tracking these costs? PWS 5.16.7

21. Shared Rides:

· Is it permissible for vehicles to transport passengers from multiple contracts or programs during the same trip? NO

· Under what conditions would shared rides be authorized, and how should costs be allocated among the contracts or programs? Not authorized

22. Multiple Participants and Charges:

· In scenarios where multiple participants are traveling together:

· What protocols govern these arrangements, particularly for wheelchair passengers? 1 patient and possible attendant/family member. No transporting of 2 patients at 1 time.

· How would charges be structured for shared rides, including cases involving two wheelchair vans? N/A

23. Vehicle Capacity and Accommodation:

· What is the required seating and wheelchair capacity for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs)?

· Are there specific protocols or accommodations for transporting multiple passengers with mobility needs? N/A (no transporting of multiple veterans at 1 time.)

24. Reservation Systems:

· Are providers obligated to accept reservations through telephone (call-in), apps, or web-based platforms? Yes.

· Should providers include the costs of maintaining these systems in their proposals, and can you provide an estimate of the expected volume of customer calls or reservation requests? The systems used won’t require any maintenance cost on the vendor end

· How frequently does transportation services go outside of the 6 AM to 6 PM Monday to Friday? Weekends and Federal Holidays? The trip transports between those times drop about significantly, about 50%

25. Urgent Needs:

· Are there specific geographic zones or regions within the proposed service areas where urgent or high-priority needs are anticipated? If so, how should providers prepare to address these areas? Our veterans are located around Baltimore and its surrounding counties. This is based on requested transports for appointments.

26. Bariatric Wheelchair Needs:

· Will the contractor receive advance notice when patients requiring bariatric (heavy-duty) wheelchairs need transportation to ensure the availability of appropriate lap belts, extension belts, and other equipment? Contractor will be informed at the time of request.

27. Driver and Attendant Certifications:

· What specific certifications are required for drivers and attendants, such as CPR, First Aid, or training in disability accommodations? Are there additional training requirements specified by VHA Directive 2008-020 or other applicable regulations? These are not emergent trips and no extra training is needed.

28. Long-Distance Logistics:

· Are overnight stays expected for drivers during long-distance trips? If so, how should providers handle logistics and reimbursement for such scenarios? No overnight stays for contractors are required.

29. Subcontracting:

· Will subcontracting be permitted, particularly for services in regions outside the contractor's primary operational zone? PWS 5.7.1.

· Are there specific requirements or restrictions for subcontractors under this contract? PWS 5.7.1.

30. Lessons from Previous Contracts:

· What have been the three primary advantages and three challenges the agency has encountered with past transportation service contracts?

· Multi year contracts, renewal of option years, incident reporting

· Better communication, more transparency with any issues, Working to get more feedback on how we can improve processes.

· Are there specific areas you aim to improve with this new contract? To make sure the lines of communication stay open with all issues from either side.

31. Post-Award Debriefing:

· Will there be post-award debriefing sessions for both successful and unsuccessful vendors? If so, could we request a meeting to gather feedback for improving future proposals?

32. Driver Assistance Protocols:

· Could you provide more detail on protocols for drivers assisting individuals from the pick-up point into the vehicle and from the vehicle to their final destination? Are there specific guidelines or training required for these activities? Curb to curb transport

· Please confirm if this is a Curb-to-Curb or Door-to-Door Services? Is there any situation where driver must lift the passenger up or down a Non-ADA Steps? Curb to curb

33. On-Site Coordination:

· Will the on-site trip coordinator at the VAMHCS have access to office space and equipment to perform standard operational duties? N/A

34. Pricing Schedule Clarifications:

· Could you confirm the following pricing schedule details:

· Are "Trips Between" charged as a base rate?

· Is "Mileage" billed per mile, not as an annual flat rate?

· Is "Wait Time" billed in 15-minute increments or hourly?

· Are "Provided Attendants" billed per diem, per trip, or per hour?

· Are toll fees treated as a pass-through cost?

· IF possible would be great to establish a price schedule for NO SHOW & FLAT Rate when Unloaded feee exceeds loaded mileages? EXAMPLE

35. Attendant Requirements:

· What are the qualifications or certifications required for attendants, and under what circumstances would their services be needed? No attendants needed unless the veteran has their own attendant

· How far in advance will notice be provided for trips requiring an attendant? N/A

36. Set-Aside Confirmation:

· Can you confirm whether this RFQ is set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs)?

37. Contract Awards and Task Orders:

· How many contracts does VISN 4 plan to award under this RFQ? Multiple

· How will task orders be distributed among the awarded contractors?

38. Clarification on Scope of Services:

· The RFQ mentions Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance Services and HCFA 1500 submissions. Can you confirm whether these requirements apply, or is the scope limited strictly to Wheelchair Services? Wheelchair Service only

QUESTIONS Submitted group 3 # Reference Questions RFQ pg 80 and RFQ Section E11(1) It is unclear what information is to be included in Cover Letter vs other areas within Volume I. Please specify what information is required to be included in the Cover Letter.

SEE SECTION E – NAME OF YOUR COMPANY , ADDRESS , SAM.GOV UEI , SMALL BUSINESS DESIGNATION. ( SDVOSB) RFQ E.9 pg 81 According to the RFQ, there is no advantage to including PP information as the “absence of past performance” will result in an acceptable score. Please confirm that this is true. We are seeking past performance if available.

RFQ E.9 and E.11 The government has not specified page limits nor format restrictions. Can the government provide guidance pertaining to the magnitude of information desired or provide specific page limits and/or font/formatting guidance?

· Please keep your quotes relevant to the needs outlined in the RFQ to convey your companies’ capabilities. Overabundance of filler pages or unnecessary verbiage not required.

What are the schedule-heavy days? Heavy Times? MWF 7AM-5pm How many trips are scheduled for rush hours? The majority of our trips are completed M-F 8am-6pm What was the previous contract number? 36C24520D0003 B.4 Price/Cost Schedule pg 32 item number 1001 Are these legs or are they round trips? Is it point-to-point or point-to-area?

Johnny – is this at all answered in Section B.3 (pg 10_, ie: B.3.4.4, 4.10, 4.15, 4.20?

4.2 VAMHCS pg 10 and B.4 pg 32

In 4.2 VAMHCS pg 10 you define your are but in B.4 pg 32 the following CLINS address are not added Ft. Howard, Glen Burnie, Cambridge, Pocomoke.

“4.2 a. VAMHCS: Defined as Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System and all five CBOCs associated with it: 10 North Greene Street, Baltimore MD 21201, Perry Point MD 31902, 3900 Loch Raven Blvd. Baltimore MD 21218, 9600 North Point Road, FT Howard MD21052, Cambridge 830 Chesapeake Dr. 21613, Glen Burnie 808 landmark Dr. Suite 128 21061, Pocomoke 101 Market Street, Pocomoke 21851.” Of these are the 7 which are the 5 CBOC’s ?

, 3900 Loch Raven Blvd. Baltimore MD 21218, 9600 North Point Road, FT Howard MD21052, Cambridge 830 Chesapeake Dr. 21613, Glen Burnie 808 landmark Dr. Suite 128 21061, Pocomoke 101 Market Street, Pocomoke 21851

CLIN 1012

B.3.5.16.7 CLIN 1012 provides for reimbursement of 100 tolls.

Section B.3 5.16.7 states “Other Charges-It is understood that the prices listed in the accepted Pricing Schedule shall be inclusive of any and all ferry, bridge, tunnel or road toll charges.”

Can the government confirm that the tolls referred to in Section 5.16.7 are to be reimbursed under CLIN 1012 rather than being embedded in other CLIN charges.

-Tolls unknown

CLIN 1009

additional miles are 5000 per year. This number seems low. Have you taken into account the recent bridge issue? The majority of transports are local.

SF 1449, RFQ B.2, B.2.2

SF 1449, and B.2 state the Ordering Period of Performance and Period of Performance as 1 year. However, RFQ DB. 2.2 (pg 9) states “depending on the current contract period”. Is there more than 1 contract period? We would like this to be multi year contract.

Per RFQ B.3 2.2 (pg 9), do we need to know how many are anticipated to be within normal hours and how many outside normal hours? 40-50 normal about a drop of approximately 50% outside normal hours and the weekend.

Per RFQ B. 2.2 (pg 9), If given 24 hours notice and we try to accommodate. Does the schedule adequately allow for this without penalties? Yes PWS 16.26.2 B.4 Price/Cost Schedule pg 32 item number 1001 10,000 trips annually between Perry Point and Loch Raven, will these trips be scheduled daily or require advance reservations? Both For the 20,000 trips annually from 10 N. Greene St. will the trips St., will the trips stay within Baltimore City, or will they include destinations from the list you provided? The list includes zip codes in West Virginia and Virginia. How will the flate Rate affect trips to other ZIP codes, especially those outside Baltimore Coty ?How will we charge for the trips that go beyond city limits, i.e WV, Pocomoke ? These are rare trips and will be discussed with the vendor prior to transport.