36C26124Q0072 Southern Nevada Healthcare System Las Vegas Home Oxygen Supplies and Services Questions and Answers.pdf

36C26124Q0072 Southern Nevada Healthcare System Las Vegas Home Oxygen Supplies and Services

Questions & Answers

Question

Subject

Matter

Question Response

Statement of Work

Section 3 – Government Furnished Property

The following equipment will be issued or authorized by the

VA in the performance of this contract, all of which remain the property of the VA:

All CPAP Devices which may Include masks, Non-heated humidifiers & heated humidifiers

All BIPAP Devices

Nebulizers (to include battery powered)

Suction Pumps

Air Compressors

Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation System (IPV)

Ventilators

The Government may from time to time, not furnish some of the above equipment. Contractor shall submit a price for providing any item listed in the schedule regardless of the above list. Additional equipment or supplies may be added throughout the life of the contract.

Q: The current price schedule does not reflect any of the above items to be provided in case of a Government need.

May the Government consider adding a rental line item for each of the above mentioned items, in case Government stock is unavailable?

Q: May the Government consider modifying the SOW to include the work requirements for the items listed above

Yes. Government can add Ventilators only if Government Inventory is not available.

Yes. Government can update SOW.

Update: Section 3.revised to the below

The government may from time to time, not furnish the above equipment. If equipment listed above is required, the

Contracting Officer Representative

(COR) will request a pricing for that required equipment and will coordinate procurement of that required equipment.

If this equipment is required to be added to the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite

Quantity (IDIQ) Contract, due to a repeated requirement of contractor provided equipment, the government will then update and modify the SOW and price schedule.

Statement of Work

Section 5.3 – Initial Setup CPAP/BiLevel

5.3.1 All VA issued CPAP/Bilevel's shall be delivered and

set-up by an RRT, CRT, or RN within 72 hours of receipt of the VA prescription unless otherwise notified by the ordering facility. Setup shall include the pressure setting(s), instructions, mask fitting, safety, and any other instruction necessary. Contractor shall provide sufficient supplies to last between maintenance visits.

Q The current price schedule does not reflect a line item available for the initial delivery for the CPAP/BiLevel. May the Government please consider adding a CLIN to reflect this requested service?

No

Update: Removed all references to

CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Statement of Work

Section 5.5.2 – CPAP/BiLevels

Shall be performed by the contractor at the request of the facility.

Performed by a qualified technician.

Q: May the Government please clarify if supplies will be provided by a qualified technician at the time of the visit?

No. Update: Removed all references to

CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Q: If supplies are to be provided by the contractor, may the

Government please clarify if the supplies provided (i.e.

masks, tubing, etc.) will be issued from Government inventory?

Q: The current price schedule does not reflect a line item available for the qualified technician visit for the

CPAP/BiLevel. May the Government please consider adding a CLIN to reflect this requested service?

Statement of Work

Section 5.6.1

For all patients with medical equipment providing partial or full ventilator support, a backup ventilator system shall be provided at no charge, which includes self-inflating resuscitation bag and a spare breathing circuit.

Price Schedule Row 38 - Monthly equipment rental and management/monitoring of ventilators for continuous ventilation patients, excludes scheduled preventative maintenance.

Q: May the Government please clarify if it intends to include monthly visit requirements for patients utilizing the ventilator system in a non-invasive manner?

Q: If monthly visits are required for non-invasive ventilation patients, May the Government please consider a new line item or updating the current line item?

Yes. Monthly Visits will be required for patients using Ventilators.

Yes. Government will consider a new line item.

Update to CLINs/Price Sheet.

CLIN added for Noninvasive ventilation patient monthly visit.

Statement of Work

SOW 5.3.1 All VA issued CPAP/Bilevel's shall be delivered and set-up by an RRT, CRT, or RN within

72 hours of receipt of the VA prescription unless otherwise notified by the ordering facility. Set up shall include the pressure setting(s), instructions, mask fitting, safety, and any other instruction necessary. Contractor shall provide sufficient supplies to last between maintenance visits.

Question: Is setting up and maintaining CPAP/Bilevel patients a requirement of this contract? If so, there needs to be a line item on the pricing schedule to reflect this service.

No. Update: Removed all references to

CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Statement of Work

SOW 5.5 Equipment Monitoring/Maintenance Visit

Requirements and Time Frames, states: contractors are to perform an Equipment Monitoring/Maintenance Visit every

90 days for concentrator patients.

Question: There is no line item on the pricing schedule to perform an Equipment Monitoring/Maintenance Visit every

90 days for concentrator patients. A line item to perform this service is needed, especially since some concentrators are government owned.

Yes. This should be added.

Update to CLINs/Price Sheet.

CLIN added for 90 day patient monthly visit. For the quantity I took the monthly amount of rentals and divided in by 4 to reflect the quarterly amount of checks within a 90 day period.

Statement of Work

SOW 5.9 Equipment Maintenance/Repair, states: Contractor shall provide all required service, maintenance, and repairs

Government can add line item.

on all Contractor owned equipment in accordance with manufacturer standards and when required by this contract.

Contractor shall also provide service and maintenance on all

Government Owned equipment, as required by the CPAP, Bilevel, and Ventilator Line Items, no additional maintenance or repairs are required.

Question: There are no such line items on the pricing schedule. If this service is required, please add those line items to the pricing schedule. If this service is not required, please remove from the SOW.

Update to CLINS/Price Sheet.

CLIN added for

Contractor shall provide all required service, maintenance, and repairs on all

Contractor owned equipment in accordance with manufacturer standards and when required by this contract. Contractor shall also provide service and maintenance on all

Government Owned equipment, as required by the CPAP, Bilevel, and

Ventilator Line Items, no additional maintenance or repairs are required.

Statement of Work

SOW 5.14 Traveling Beneficiaries.

Question: Normally when a patient travels, especially by plane, they are prescribed a portable oxygen concentrator

(POC). I don’t see a line item for the rental of a POC.

Consider adding a line item for the rental of a POC along with a separate line item for each additional battery.

Yes.

Update to CLINs/Price Sheet

CLIN added for POC

CLIN added for POC additional battery

Statement of Work

SOW 5.2 Initial Set-ups states: For patients requiring portable oxygen concentrators for travel purposes, the

Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that an RRT or

CRT performed set-up of portable oxygen concentrators within 24 hours of receiving the order from the VA.

Contractor shall be responsible for all maintenance and storage of portable oxygen concentrators rented and/or purchased by VA.

Question: There are no line items on the pricing schedule for rental of POCs nor are there any line items for the set-up of government owned POCs. Consider adding those line items.

Yes

Update to CLINS/Price Sheet

CLIN added for Initial POC set UP

Statement of Work

Under current VA PSAS guidance, all CPAP and BiPAP equipment and supplies are provided by the DLC. As such, it does not align with the intent of the

SOW in paragraph 1.1 for the contractor to provide “all supplies and materials”. There is no intent to

“rent” a CPAP or BiPAP.

Update: Removed all references to

CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Statement of Work

Second, Section 3 of the SOW shows an intent to provide all

CPAP and BiPAP devices as

Government Furnished Property (GFP) or to have the

Contractor provide any item on the schedule regardless of the above list. This raises multiple concerns:

a) The solicitation does not require an offeror to provide any proof that they are authorized to provide CPAP and BiPAP supplies to the VA. To our knowledge, there are no authorized

Update: Removed all references to distributors for the VA’s most popular choice of

CPAP/BiPAPs and supplies (i.e. ResMed) that meet either of the solicitation NAICS. This raises a significant risk for Gray Market devices.

b) The ability to acquire CPAP or BiPAPs and supplies from other than the PSAS approved DLC source raises multiple concerns. The multiple DLC contracts are firmly based on providing those

CPAP/BiPAP devices. The contract does not permit them to be provided by another source.

c) The SOW indicates that these CPAP and BiPAP devices will remain the property of the VA. We understand that historically, across the VA enterprise, these devices become the property of the veteran after issuance to the veteran.

d) There is no SOW requirement to manage this large amount of diverse GFP to any VA or federal

GFP management standard.

Statement of Work

SOW 5.14. POC’s. We are experiencing an increasing trend for POC’s to be used as back-up and portable systems.

Please consider POC’s as a line item for back up, POC as line item for travel and additional line item for extra batteries.

Only for travel at this time.

Update.

POC line items added

Statement of Work

SOW 5.14.3. Why would this contract cover VISN 19?

Isn’t there another contractor servicing VISN 19? Please remove VISN 19.

Remove VISN 19

Update: Removed VISN 19 references in SOW

Statement of Work

SOW 5.7.1/5.7.2: Please consider 5 days to coordinate and remove equipment from patients no longer needing service.

Will Consider

Update SOW revised below to

5.7 Discontinuation of Oxygen Services

5.7.1 Upon termination of oxygen service

to the beneficiary, the Contractor shall pickup all oxygen equipment and supplies no later than five (5) days after receipt of notification from the appropriate P&SAS staff or COR. Payment of services shall cease upon this notification. The final invoice shall be prorated from the date of notification. Final services shall be billed with the next scheduled invoice.

5.7.2 Upon the death of a beneficiary the

appropriate P&SAS or COR will notify the Contractor as soon as the beneficiaries' death has been reported.

The appropriate P&SAS authority will confirm termination of services and equipment pickups in writing.

Arrangement shall be made within five

(5) days to pick up all supplies and equipment. Additional billing will not be honored after the date of the cancellation notice.

Statement of Work

Section 1.6 – If we can’t reach a Veteran by their telephone number how are we supposed to provide service, and confirm they are at the address on file for requested service?

Inform VA unable to reach Veteran within 24 hours to initial set up or 4 hours of discharged patients.

Update SOW revised below to

1.6 Emergency Service

The Contractor shall have twenty-four

(24) hour, seven (7) day a week, 365 days per year emergency service capability. At a minimum, the Contractor shall have a company employee on duty or a twenty-four-hour answering service or, an employee within paging range to respond to emergency calls. Contractor shall respond within 30 minutes by telephone upon receipt of an emergency call and advise patient of the specific emergency procedure to be implemented.

Contractor shall have a backup procedure in the event they are unable to reach the patient by phone. This back-up procedure shall be specific to the geography and conditions of the area being serviced with a copy provided to the appropriate COR at the time of award. If the procedure Is updated a copy shall be sent to the COR within 3 business days. If contractor cannot reach a Veteran by their telephone number Inform VA unable to reach Veteran within 24 hours to initial set up or 4 hours of discharged patients.

Statement of Work

Section 5.3 What line item do we use to bill CPAP/BiPAP setups? Will the VA provide the machine, mask, tubing, filters, and one way valve for patients on oxygen?

None. Do not provide. Update: Removed all references to CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Statement of Work

Section 5.5.2 – If you request a CPAP/BiPAP maintenance visit. What line item is it billed under?

NA Update: Removed all references to

CPAP/BiLevel/BPAP from SOW.

Statement of Work

Section 5.14.3 – Why is VISN 19 at no charge when the

Southern Nevada Healthcare System is only in VISN 21?

NA Update: Revised SOW removing

VISN 19 references.

Statement of Work

Section 6.1.3 – Who is responsible for providing the one-way CPAP/BiPAP valves?

NA Update: Removed all references to

Statement of Work

There is a high demand for portable oxygen concentrators by the Veteran population. Do you anticipate adding this line item for daily use to the contract?

Yes.

Update: POC CLINS added to

CLINS/PRICE Sheet.

Matter

Question Response

Note we can add line items or revise line items in the schedule.

Price

Schedule

Row 7 and 8 - If a request is received to deliver a

Government owned concentrator and there is no

Government inventory available, a vendor owned concentrator will be supplied at the vendor monthly rate

(unit price).

Q: May the Government clarify if rows 7 and 8 are for information use only, to be part of Row 6?

Row 15 - Face masks as required/ordered.

Q: May the Government please clarify if the “face mask” is for oxygen use (i.e. non-rebreather) or for the use with a Ventilator/PAP device?

Row 13, 14, 16, and 17 – Oxygen tubing, cannulas, disposable humidifiers.

Q: May the Government confirm these items will be used for Government issued equipment, and be billable as dispensed when requested by the patients utilizing

Government concentrators (i.e. 0 – 5 LPM or 0 – 10

LPM).

Row 6, 7 and 8 can be combined.

This is only for Ventilators.

Yes. will be billable.

Price

Schedule

Line Items 6 and 7 state: Monthly Rental of Oxygen

Concentrator System with backup system consisting of compressed gas source, regulator, stand, (nasal cannula or mask humidifier, and tubing, etc., when specified).

However, line items 8 thru 12 are for Oxygen tubing, Face masks, Standard nasal cannulas, and Disposable humidifiers.

Question: Are we to bill for each Oxygen tubing, Face masks, Standard nasal cannulas, and Disposable humidifiers? Or are we to include the cost of these items in line items 6 and 7?

Included in the cost of 6 and 7

Price

Schedule

Since cannula, tubing, masks, humidifier are included in the oxygen CLIN, are the additional CLINS 6 and 7 for resupply?

Each Oxygen tubing, Face masks, Standard nasal cannulas, and Disposable humidifiers should be included in the cost of 6 and 7.

Matter

Question Response

RFQ • The current price schedule does not include

CLIN identifiers.

o Q: May the Government please consider revising the price schedule to include CLINs?

CLIN identifiers added.

RFQ • Principal NAICS Code reference 621610 -

Home Health Care Services o Q: May the Government please clarify the intended NAICS code for the solicitation, as the Price

Schedule contradicts the NAICS code listed in the

SF1449 (532283 – Home Health Equipment Rental) of the solicitation?

Correct NAICS code is 532283

RFQ E.1 52.212.-1 Instructions to Offeror Q: Is there a page limit for the technical inquiry?

Maximum email size can be no larger is 5

MB. If your proposal submission is larger than 5 MB, submit it in two or more emails.

If sending multiple emails, for ease, please number them “1 of 4, 2 of 4”, etc.

RFQ The NAICS code listed on the SF1449 is 532283, however the NAICS code associated with each line item on the pricing schedule lists NAICS code

621610.

Question: Please clarify the appropriate NAICS code.

Correct NAICS code is 532283

RFQ Page 133 of 161 states: Vendors should ensure quotes adhere to instructions and complete, timely, and accurate.

Question: This sentence reads as though there was more to be written. Was there more? If so, please provide.

Sentence should read: Vendors should ensure quotes adhere to instructions and are complete, timely, and accurate.

RFQ Page 133 of 161 states: Offers will be considered only from Offerors who are regularly established in the business called for and who, in the judgment of the

Contracting Officer, are financially responsible and able to show evidence of their responsibility, ability, experience, equipment, facilities, and personnel directly employed or supervised by them to render prompt and satisfactory service in the volume required for all items under this contract.

Question: There are only 2 evaluation factors listed in the solicitation, Factor 1 Experience, and Factor 2

Price. In each evaluation factor there is no mention of requesting contractors provide information regarding financial responsibility, equipment, facilities, and personnel. Since we aren’t required to provide this information, how will the contracting officer be in the

Solicitation has two evaluation factors experience and price. Contracting Officer will determine Contractor Responsibility based on evaluation prior to award.

position to make any judgements about our financial responsibility and evidence of our responsibility, ability, equipment, facilities, and personnel directly employed or supervised by them to render prompt and satisfactory service in the volume required for all items under this contract?

RFQ The SF 1449 lists the NAICS as 532283 with a size standard of $41M. The CLINs list the

NAICS as 621610 with a size standard of $19M. It seems likely that your market research was based on

NAICS 532283 with its much larger size standard, rather than on NAICS 621610 with its much smaller size standard.

Correct NAICS code is 532283

RFQ The NAICS code listed on the SF1449 is 532283, however the NAICS code associated with each line item on the pricing schedule lists NAICS code

621610.

Question: Please clarify the appropriate NAICS code.

Correct NAICS code is 532283

RFQ Line xx06 & xx07 – 0-5 LPM rental concentrator and

0-10 LPM concentrators (respectively) Estimated

Total column does not contain a formula. Why?

Excel spreadsheet updated.

RFQ RFP has both payment by third party and EFT (SAM) checked. This choice has a material effect on cost.

EFT is more efficient for vendors and hence the VA.

Can we simply choose EFT?

No. Correction has been made to identify that

Payment will be made through 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party.

RFQ What is the correct NAICS code? SF 1449 specifies

532283, yet the Price/Cost Schedule specifies 621610 for each CLIN.

Correct NAICS code is 532283

RFQ Line item 0029 mentions a COR designated form.

Can you please provide this form?

COR designation form is method of correspondence for communication by email or by phone.