Amendment_A0001_QA_36C26026Q0869.docx

AMENDMENT A0001 – QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Solicitation No.: 36C26026Q0869 Requirement: MO POR Teleradiology 648 Issuing Activity: Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20 Date: 20 August 2026

This amendment publishes answers to vendor questions received regarding Solicitation 36C26026Q0869. These responses clarify requirements and correct template errors. Items below supersede previous interpretations where applicable.

SCHEDULE UPDATE

The solicitation close date is extended to 08/25/2026.

SECTION 1 – PRICE SCHEDULE (ATTACHMENT 8)

Q1. Period of Performance. The solicitation subject line and Description state a period of performance of 09/01/2026 – 08/31/2027. Attachment 8 states "Period of Performance: BASE: 08/01/2026 – 07/31/2027." Please confirm which period of performance controls for pricing purposes.

A1. The correct period of performance for pricing and proposal purposes is 09/01/2026 – 08/31/2027. The dates shown in Attachment 8 (08/01/2026–07/31/2027) were a template carryover.

Q2. Option Years. Attachment 8 instructs that "the same rates must be entered for option years" and reflects a "Total for base performance period and all option years," but the price schedule contains only a single base-year LIN table. FAR 52.217-9 as incorporated reflects a one (1) year extension. Please confirm (a) the number of option periods to be priced, and (b) whether the Government will issue a revised price schedule containing option-year tabs, or whether offerors should add them.

A2. There will be **no option years** for this solicitation. FAR 52.217‑9 will be **removed**. Offerors shall price **only the base period** (09/01/2026–08/31/2027).

Q3. Pricing Methodology and Schedule Format. Attachment 8 states that "the VA will pay the awarded firm fixed percentage of the Medicare rate effective at the time the service is provided," while the price schedule requests a "Proposed Unit Cost" for each LIN and leaves the CPT Code column blank for all twenty line items. How does the Government wish these two approaches reconciled?

A3 (Revised). The Government will accept per‑modality firm‑fixed unit prices for the twenty modality‑based line items. Offerors may also provide the corresponding CMS percentage for traceability/reference. CMS practice‑expense designation should be completed consistent with the offeror’s billing basis. CMS rate basis for evaluation will be the CMS national payment amount (national MPFS rate). A revised Excel schedule with CPT codes populated will be issued.

Q4. Zero-Quantity Line Items. LINs 1016 and 1017 (2D and 3D Mammography, Single Breast Exam) reflect an estimated quantity of zero and are tagged "N/A" rather than a modality. Attachment 8 directs that no LINs or codes be left blank. Please confirm that offerors should provide a unit price for these LINs with a zero extended total, and confirm whether mammography interpretation is within the anticipated scope of orders under the resultant IDIQ A4. Offerors must enter a unit price for LINs 1016 and 1017. Extended totals will remain zero. Mammography interpretation is included in the anticipated IDIQ scope.

SECTION 2 – PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Q5. Conflicting Standards. Attachment 1 contains several turn-around time statements that appear to conflict, and we would ask the Government to confirm a single authoritative standard by exam type:

a. One paragraph states "Urgent exam guarantee turn-around time: Read within two (3) hours." Please confirm whether the standard is two hours or three hours.

b. The same paragraph states an inpatient routine standard of six (6) hours and an outpatient routine standard of 90% within 48 hours / 100% within 72 hours, while a later paragraph states a routine standard of 24 hours during after hours, weekends, and Federal holidays.

Because these standards are the basis of the QASP acceptable quality levels and directly affect staffing and pricing, a consolidated turn-around time table would be helpful to all offerors.

A5. Urgent studies: The correct standard is 2 hours; the “(3)” reference is a typographical error. Routine studies (authoritative consolidated standards): Inpatient routine: 6 hours; Outpatient routine: 90% within 48 hours and 100% within 72 hours; After‑hours routine: 24 hours.

Q6. Recommended Standards for Government Consideration. VetMed Group is prepared to meet the standards the Government ultimately specifies. In the interest of report quality and subspecialty accuracy, we would ask whether the Government would consider the following:

a. Routine studies: Will the Government consider a 72-hour turn-around standard for routine studies? We note that 72 hours is already the outer bound stated in the PWS for outpatient routine exams (100% within 72 hours). A single 72-hour routine standard would harmonize the differing routine figures currently in the PWS and would allow routine studies to be directed to the fellowship-trained subspecialist best matched to the study rather than to the next available reader.

b. Mammography: Will the Government consider a tiered standard of 72 hours for screening mammography and 24 hours for diagnostic mammography? Screening mammography is not time-critical and benefits materially from batched interpretation by a dedicated breast imaging subspecialist with prior comparisons available, consistent with ACR practice parameters and MQSA reporting requirements. Diagnostic mammography, which is performed to evaluate a clinical finding or an abnormal screen, warrants the shorter 24-hour standard.

A6. The Government will retain the PWS standards as written and will not adopt the proposed 72‑hour routine standard or tiered mammography timeframes.

SECTION 3 – SUBMISSION MECHANICS

Q7. Submission Format. Attachment 8 states that all spreadsheets must be submitted in Microsoft Excel, unlocked, and that PDF files are not acceptable. Please confirm (a) that the Government will accept the balance of the quote in PDF format, and (b) whether there is a total message size limit or a preferred file naming convention for submission to david.hurrell@va.gov and nco20healthcareresources@va.gov.

A7. Attachment 8 requires that the pricing schedule be submitted in Microsoft Excel, unlocked. All other portions of the quote may be submitted in PDF format. There is no stated message size limit; offerors should avoid unusually large files. Quotes must be submitted to david.hurrell@va.gov and nco20healthcareresources@va.gov.

Q8. Page Limitations. The solicitation does not state page limitations for the technical capability or past performance submissions. Please confirm that no page limitations apply.

A8. A page limitation of 25 apply to technical capability or past performance submissions.

Q9. Attachment 6 – Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement. Appendix A references "FIRST NOTICE # 36C26026Q0204" and "36C26026Q0204 Acute Bedside Dialysis." We assume this is a template carryover. Please confirm that offerors should substitute solicitation number 36C26026Q0869, MO POR Teleradiology 648, in Appendix A, or advise if a corrected attachment will be issued.

A9. Attachment 6 incorrectly references solicitation 36C26026Q0204. Offerors should substitute 36C26026Q0869. A corrected OCI form will be issued.

SECTION 4 – ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATIONS FROM OFFEROR SUBMISSIONS

Q10. 1. Is there a current incumbent contractor? If yes, please provide the contract number.

A10. There is no incumbent contractor.

Q11. Are the estimated study volumes/quantities listed in the solicitation strictly for overnight/after-hours coverage, strictly for daytime coverage, or a combined total across all shifts?

A11. Quantities primarily represent after‑hours workload (approximately 13,000 annual exams). Daytime reading is backup/on‑demand and not included in the estimated totals.

Q12. How many current federal (in-house) radiologists are reading studies during daytime business hours?

A12. The solicitation does not provide staffing numbers for in‑house VA radiologists during daytime operations, and no such figures appear in enterprise records.

Q13. Please confirm whether this is a single-award or multiple-award IDIQ, and whether a guaranteed minimum order value applies.

A13. The solicitation describes a single supplemental teleradiology contractor and please reference FAR 52.216-19 in solicitation for minimum order.

END OF AMENDMENT A0001