Questions RFP 36C25726R0009 BLS VCB w responses.pdf

Questions and Answers RFP No.: 36C25726R0009 for BLS Ambulance Transportation Services for Texas Valley Coastal Bend HCS

1. Who are the incumbent contractors? Please provide the names of the incumbent contractors and contract numbers for the various areas currently within the VCB Catchment Area.

There are no incumbent contractors currently, as this will be the facility's first contract.

2. What are the historic workload data for BLS transports for each of the counties covered in the catchment area of this project?

Please provide the origination location city. Clinic locations are listed in the PWS; the number of transports per clinic is not available. The average for all is around 700 per month.

3. What is the historic workload data for BLS transport for each of the past three years?

FY24 - No data available.

FY25 - 6735 trips total.

FY26 - 2895 trips (Oct-Jan).

4. How many BLS transports on average occur on Sundays?

Rare, as most transport is required, Monday through Saturday, to transport Veterans for dialysis. Dialysis appointments are scheduled monthly in Vetride.

5. How many BLS transports occur during the hours from 1800 hours to 0400 hours Monday – Saturday?

Rarely, this solicitation supports transportation to and from clinics, not hospitals.

6. How many times in the past three years have four simultaneous BLS transports been required?

No data regarding four simultaneous transports.

7. Are there any BLS or ALS Emergent calls required?

No, this solicitation/contract is for non-emergency transport.

8. What is the current average scheduled daily BLS transports per day?

Average 6 to 10 daily.

9. What has the average daily BLS transports per day for the current fiscal year to date?

Average 6 to 10 daily.

10. How many BLS transport on average occur after about 1600 hours in each county?

Roughly 1 to 2, depending on what time an appointment finishes. Appointments go through 5:00 pm.

11. How many BLS transports on average occur on weekends in each county?

Roughly 1 to 2, due to having dialysis.

12. How many BLS transports have occurred outside of 25 miles for the current fiscal year to date?

Roughly 15-20 up to date, this FY (15-20 out of 2895).

13. Is this project only for scheduled non-emergent BLS transport?

Yes.

14. The PWS requires all transportation requests to be placed through VetRide or VA-approved transportation software. Please confirm whether all BLS transportation orders within the Valley Coastal Bend system are currently being placed through VetRide in practice, and if not, whether the VA has the operational capability and internal controls in place to provide complete, timely, and auditable reconciliations for orders initiated outside of VetRide so that contractors can meet authorization, documentation, invoicing, and performance requirements.

Vetride is utilized for all transportation and invoicing.

15. Will VCB provide office space for travel and communications coordinators? If so, how many desks and chairs can be provided?

No government office space will be provided.

16. Is the VetRide System already in use within the VCB Catchment Area? If so, how long has it been in place?

VCB has been utilizing Vetride to schedule and invoice since October 2024.

17. If yes, is the VetRide System operated by the VA travel department 24/7/365?

It is managed by staff Monday – Friday, 0730-1630.

18. Has the VCB VetRide System been established within the VCB Transportation Division?

Yes.

19. Please clarify PWS Paragraph 4.5.2.2. Cancelations: For transportation requests OUT of Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System ONLY – The contractor will immediately dispatch a vehicle upon receipt of the order (including transportation requests in which the destination may change prior to pick up due to the critical condition of the patient). When the contractor is notified of a cancellation prior to arrival at the Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System campus, there shall be no charge to the Government. If the contractor is dispatched for a transport out of a VCBHCS campus, and they get a cancellation call just before arrival at that scheduled transport location, then the government is not required to pay for the rollout. Is that correct?

Correct.

20. If this is correct, how many times has that occurred in the past three years?

The vendor’s staff verifies appointments prior to picking up. Any cancellation should be known prior to the appointment date. The vendor will be responsible for contacting the Veteran prior to pick up.

21. Please clarify how waiting time billing applies to return transportation legs associated with an authorized outbound BLS transport, particularly when the return leg originates from a distant county location within the catchment area. Specifically, please confirm whether the contractor is expected to remain with the Veteran and bill applicable wait time, or whether the return leg is treated as a separate transport requiring redeployment of another unit?

All transport is authorized for payment (pick up and return). Unloaded miles are not paid.

22. The solicitation provides estimated annual trip quantities. Please clarify whether these quantities are purely planning estimates or whether they are derived from reconciled historical data across VetRide and non-VetRide ordering channels, and how the VA intends to ensure accurate, timely reconciliation and payment for future off-system orders when reconciled historical data is not available to support the solicitation estimates.

The quantities estimated in the solicitation are based on historical data.

23. As per the minimum performance standards outlined for incident reporting, the contractor shall report to the project Program Manager as well as the Beneficiary Travel Department. Who will be the program manager for this effort?

Names will be provided during the first post-award meeting with the awardee.

24. The PWS Paragraph 12.1 states that all contractor personnel who need access to the VA Computer must provide various forms. Does this mean everyone who needs access to VetRide must submit the forms?

Employees will not need access to VA Computers.

25. If yes, please confirm that the forms each employee must complete include SF 85, SF 86, OF 306, VA Form 0710, and the Self Certification of Continuous Service documentation.

N/A. No government access will be provided to the awardee.

26. Section 4.1.1 of the PWS within the solicitation states that “The contractor shall provide Non-emergent Stretcher Transports and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance services on an as-needed basis in accordance with all federal, state, and local regulations.” However, section B.2 of the solicitation states this requirement is a “SINGLE AWARD IDIQ: Wheelchair Transportation Services,” and the narrative sections of section E.4 have language referring to “wheelchair services.” Could the government please clarify whether the scope of work refers to basic life support (BLS) Ambulance Transportation Services, Wheelchair Van Transportation Services, Critical Care Transportation Services (CCT), Advanced Life Support Transportation Services (ALS), or a combination of all?

This solicitation is for non-emergent ground ambulance for Basic Life Support (BLS). PWS has been corrected to reflect BLS.

27. If the scope of work includes more than one category of Ambulance Transportation Services, will the government revise the CLIN structure in section B.2 of the solicitation to reflect separate CLINs for each distinct level of Ambulance Transportation?

This solicitation is ONLY for non-emergent ground ambulance (BLS).

28. If the scope of work for this requirement includes the provision of Wheelchair Van Transportation Services in addition to BLS Ambulance Services, or any other level of Ambulance Transportation Services as defined by DSHS, could the government please provide an estimated annual breakdown for each type of service?

29. Section 4.1.1 of the PWS within the solicitation states “Non-emergent Stretcher Transports and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance services.” Does the government classify Non-Emergent Stretcher Transports as being different from BLS ambulance services? If so, could the government please explain the distinction?

This solicitation is ONLY for non-emergent ground ambulance (BLS). Non-Emergent Stretcher Transports are the same type of Transports as BLS transports.

30. The PWS (Section B.4, Paragraph 4.4.6) and Attachment A require contractors to confirm capabilities for transporting drugs and equipment up to SCT or CCT levels if applicable, including specific lists of medications and equipment. However, the price schedule only includes BLS-related HCPCS codes (A0428, A0398, A0380) with no line items for SCT (e.g., A0434) or CCT services. Could you please clarify whether SCT or CCT transports are within the scope of this contract? If so, how should offerors price these services, and will additional line items be added? If not, please confirm that BLS-level services are the sole requirement for this upcoming contract.

31. The price schedule descriptions for A0398 state that waiting time "more than 30 minutes shall be paid in 30-minute increments." Section 4.9.1 of the PWS states that “All wait times shall be itemized and invoiced in fifteen (15) minute intervals.” Could the government please confirm that waiting time is billable only after the initial 30 minutes and solely in 15-minute increments thereafter?

Waiting time is billable only after the initial 30 minutes, in 15-minute increments, as the PWS states.

32. Are the VA transports defined in the PWS within the specified region currently, or historically, performed under a specific contract, or have they been performed through an open-source, fee-for-service model?

There is currently no contract, only service agreements.

33. Could the government provide a list of the providers who have historically performed the services outlined in the solicitation within the last two years?

Under service agreements: Medex, First Care EMS, R&R Solutions, Bronzestar, and Advance Care.

34. Section B.2 of the Solicitation lists an estimate of 32,000 of HCPCS Code A0428 - Ambulance

Service, Basic Life Support, Non-emergency transport. Could the government clarify if these estimates have been derived on historical transport amounts for the defined region, or should they be treated as a ceiling number for the purposes of this requirement?

Amounts are estimated based on historical information. See estimated quantities in the Price Schedule of the solicitation.

35. Could the government please provide any data on the number of historical transports within the past three (3) years in the defined area by transport category (i.e., annual transports in the area itemized for BLS, ALS, CCT, Wheelchair Van Transport, and any other required level of service under this contract) for technical planning and pricing purposes?

No data for FY 2024, FY25 6735, FY26 2895.

36. Does the contract require Ambulances or are Wheelchair Accessible Vans acceptable?

Stretcher accessible vans.

37. Is this job only open to veteran-owned small businesses, or can a minority owned business apply as well? I currently have my minority cert.

This is a 100% SDVOSB Set-Aside requirement. We encourage SDVOSBs to partner or serve as subcontractors.

38. Section 4.1.1 of the performance work statement (PWS) within the Solicitation states that “The contractor shall provide Non-emergent Stretcher Transports and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance services on an as-needed basis in accordance with all federal, state, and local regulations.” Could the government please clarify if its definition of "BLS ambulance services" aligns with the Section 773.003(2) of the State of Texas Health and Safety Code (i.e., Title 9.

Safety, Subtitle B, Emergencies, Chapter 773 Emergency Medical Services) and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) definitions, specifically the language stating:

"Basic life support" means emergency prehospital care that uses noninvasive medical acts."

The solicitation is only for nonemergency transports in stretcher-accessible vans.

39. Attachment A on page 27 of the Solicitation states that “If a transport is classified as a Critical

Care Transport (CCT) the offeror must be capable of transporting the drugs and/or equipment as required by the patient (listed below), up to and including Specialty Care Transport (SCT) or Critical Care Transport (CCT).” This, along with the CCT equipment listed in page 27 gives the impression that the requirement also includes CCT and SCT transports. Can the government clarify the following:

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

40. Does the scope of this contract also require CCT and SCT transport?

No. only BLS transports. PWS has been corrected.

41. If the scope includes CCT and SCT transports, are the estimated transport numbers outlined in section B.2 of the Solicitation inclusive of CCT and SCT transports under the BLS CLIN

42. If so, would the government consider creating a separate CLIN for CCT and SCT transports to avoid confusion?

44. If not inclusive of CCT and SCT transports, can the government reconcile this with the "BLS" language referred to in our first questions [Re: Section 773.003(2) of the State of Texas Health and Safety Code as "Basic life support" means emergency prehospital care that uses noninvasive medical acts."]

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

45. If transports other than BLS are required under this contract, could the government clarify how the agency intends to evaluate and price services and equipment described in the PWS that appear to exceed or differ from the scope of the Contract Line-Item Numbers, including references to "Wheelchair Transportation" and critical care transportation (CCT), even though the CLIN structure is purely limited to BLS Ambulance Transportation?

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

46. Does the scope of this contract also require Wheelchair transportation or any other type of "Non-Stretcher" related transportation services, like Bulk Van or Wheelchair transportation?

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

47. If transports other than BLS Ambulance Transportation are required under this contract, does the government expect offerors to include pricing, staffing, equipment, and technical capabilities within their proposal for services referenced in the PWS that are not expressly identified in the CLIN structure?

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

48. If the above question is answered in the affirmative, could the government please clarify how these additional elements will be evaluated within the competitive landscape to ensure consistency with FAR 15.305 and without assuming disproportionate performance or compliance risk?

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

49. Can the government supply any historical VA transportation volumes or rough estimations amid the PWS-defined region herein?

Not available.

50. Are the bulk of VA transportation volumes conducted Monday thru Friday? If so, what is the approximate percentage of transport volume during the weekdays? The amounts are estimated amounts.

Most runs occur Monday through Friday.

51. Does the VA request transportation on Saturday and Sunday? If so, what is the approximate percentage of transport volume during the weekends?

There are very few runs on the weekends, mainly service recurring trips due to appointments at the dialysis center.

52. Are the bulk of VA transportation volumes conducted between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.? If so, what is the approximate percentage of transport volume during regular business hours M-F?

Yes, transport is normally conducted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

53. Does the VA request transportation outside of regular business hours after 5 p.m., beginning Friday evening (beginning at 6 p.m.) through Sunday to Monday morning (ending at 8 a.m.? If so, what is the approximate percentage of transportation volumes during the weekends?

Rarely, approximately 5%.

54. Do you have estimated transportation volumes (by percentage or by actual numbers) between the hours of: [8 a.m. to 5 p.m.?]; [6 p.m. to 12 a.m.?]; and [12 a.m. to 8 a.m.?]?

90% of the runs are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., / 10% from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

55. Attachment A on page 27 of the Solicitation lists specific brand and model equipment types and operational capabilities that exceed BLS Transportation requirements. Could the government please clarify the basis for the use of advanced life support and critical care (ALS/CCT) equipment (as opposed to BLS equipment) as outlined in FAR 11.104 and how the government determined that these are necessary to meet the government’s minimum BLS Ambulance transportation needs.

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports. PWS has been corrected.

56. In light of the service disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) set-aside designation, please clarify the required level/s of care and services under this Solicitation and identify how the agency determined that the PWS requirements and CLIN structure support meaningful SDVOSB competition, rather than operating as a nominal set-aside that effectively precludes award to qualified SDVOSB firms that are capable of performing the work.

This is a 100% SDVOSB Set-Aside requirement. We encourage SDVOSBs to partner or serve as subcontractors.

57. Could the government please share the specific safeguards and affirmative measures the agency has implemented to ensure that the Solicitation structure, PWS language, and evaluation methodology do not operate, in effect, as a de facto sole-source or incumbent-aligned procurement, particularly where the entity currently performing substantially identical work is a large business that exceeds the applicable NAICS size standard and is ineligible for award under the stated SDVOSB set-aside

This is a 100% SDVOSB Set-Aside requirement. We encourage SDVOSBs to partner or serve as subcontractors.

58. Under B2 Price Schedule, it states this is a single Award IDIQ for Wheelchair transportation services but the Item number is for BLS transport. Please clarify.

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports. B2 has been corrected.

59. The PWS states that TVCB services 38,667 Veterans and has 32,000 trips for Gurney and BLS services. That amount of estimated trips seems very high considering the number of veterans. Is this number a correct estimate? We currently work with another VA that services 325,000 veterans for about 7500 BLS trips per year.

See updated quantities on the conformed copy and amendment 1.

60. The number of trips stated (32,000), how many are BLS and how many are just gurney services. A separate line item for each one would be a benefit to the Government as well as the provider.

See updated quantities on the conformed copy and amendment 1.

61. What company currently has the contract and what is that contract number?

Medex, First Care EMS, R&R Solutions, Bronzestar, and Advance Care

62. The company that currently has the contract, are they a SDVOSB?

Medex, First Care EMS, R&R Solutions, Bronzestar, and Advance Care

63. With 160,000 BLS trips over 5 years and an IDC maximum of $40,000,000, that leaves pricing far below average Medicare rates in the area and closer to Medicaid rates, which is difficult to operate at with the wage determinations and benefit requirements. My question is if there is, in fact, an estimated 32,000 trips per year, and if so, will the government be willing to change the maximum amount

See updated quantities on the conformed copy and amendment 1.

64. Regarding CLINs 1003, 2003, 3003, 4003, and 5003; Are the quantities of 150 directly related to the number of “trips” that will exceed 25 miles, or is this referencing the total number of “miles” that will be traveled beyond a 25-mile trip? In other words, is this ia per mile rate or a per trip that exceeds 25 miles rate

See updated quantities on the conformed copy and amendment 1.

65. Is there an incumbent contractor for this requirement?

No current contract.

66. Can you please confirm that this requirement is only for BLS services and does not include ALS or Critical Care Transports? There are several instances in the RFP that reference Critical Care Transport Paramedics (CCTPs), who provide advanced medical care that is not typically included in BLS services.

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports.

67. Section 4.4.6 states, “The contractor must be capable of transporting the drugs and/or equipment as required by the patient as listed in Attachment A Specialty Care Transport (SCT) or Critical Care Transport (CCT) Capabilities Confirmation if applicable. The contractor shall have the appropriate medications, including Specialty Care and Critical Care Transport, if necessary, based on the EMS region the ambulance provider is functioning in.” Can you please confirm whether or not Critical Care Transport is required for this contract? Please also confirm whether “Attachment A Specialty Care Transport (SCT) or Critical Care Transport (CCT) Confirmation” is applicable to this requirement, which is calling for only BLS services?

This solicitation is only for BLS stretcher non-emergency scheduled transports. PWS has been updated.

68. Regarding Volume II – Past Performance, will the VA accept CPARS reports for all references provided in Volume II

No. For Volume II - The proposal shall provide at least two (2) references for similar contracts in the public or private sector. References need to include Point of Contact, Name, Number, and E-mail. Describe the magnitude of each listed reference and total contract value, and approximate Ambulance Transport Trips per Month/Year. Recency is considered within the last 3 years from the release of this solicitation. The Government Evaluation team is looking for: Recent, Relevant, and Successful Past Performance in the Performance of Ambulance Transportation Services, commensurate with the magnitude of services required per the PWS.

69. The Price Schedule estimates 32,000 BLS trips/year, but only 150 miles for mileage outside the base rate. The mileage outside the base rate seems extremely low considering the number of annual trips. Does the VA anticipate only 150 miles that exceed the 25-mile base rate?

See updated quantities on the conformed copy and amendment 1.