36C26126Q0420 Questions and Responses.pdf

1. Line Item 0001, 1001, 2001, 3001 & 4001 - Rental of Contractor Owned Portable

Concentrator System Priced Per Month. HCPCS CODE E1390.

Question: HCPCS CODE E1390 is for a stationary concentrator system. The proper

HCPCS CODE for rental of a portable oxygen concentrator system is 1392. Please clarify.

Response: CLIN 0001 has been revised to match 1001 – 4001.

2. PWS Section 1.2 Contractors shall have a facility or resources physically located in the geographic area in which they shall provide service.

Question: The requirement that contractors shall have a facility or resources physically located in the geographic area in which they shall provide service is a condition of operating the contract, correct? In other words, this location doesn’t need to be in place prior to an award, just as long as the location is in place prior to contract start date, correct?

Response: May be established after award but must show binding evidence prior to start of performance.

3. PWS Section 4.1 4.10 Portable Concentrator: Portable Concentrator (FAA Approved) shall be a minimum of 5 LPM, weight 20 pounds or less, AC/DC capability, 12 hours battery life, continuous and pulse doses (40 ml or greater) flow option. Available for travel purposes only.

Question: Are POCs only used for travel purposes in the operation of this contract?

Response: Yes

4. What FAR is being used for the Evaluation and award for this contract?

Response: RFO FAR Part 12.

5. What are the average number of monthly patients? Both home oxygen and ventilation.

Responses: As noted on page 4 section B.2 of the solicitation, the quantities are estimates only. Numbers could fluctuate due to our Veteran’s needs.

6. B.2 Price/Cost Schedule - The maximum aggregate value of orders that can be placed under this contract is $6,000,000.00.

Question: Based on the estimated quantities provided on the Price/Cost Schedule, $6M doesn’t seem to be high enough. Can you please verify the estimated quantities on the

Price/Cost Schedule for accuracy and/or adjust the Maximum?

Response: As noted on page 4 section B.2 “Quantities are estimates only.”

7. Are CPAPs and BiPAPs a requirement of this contract? If so, line items will need to be added to the Price/Cost Schedule.

Response: No

8. For CLIN 0001 (Portable Concentrator System), please confirm whether this CLIN includes a stationary concentrator (HCPCS E1390), or only a portable concentrator

(HCPCS E1392).

Response: See above response.

9. If CLIN 0001 includes a stationary concentrator, please clarify what equipment and services are intended to be covered under CLIN 0001a (Low Decibel Concentrator

System, HCPCS E1390).

Response: Disregard. CLIN 0001 has been corrected.

10. If CLIN 0001 does NOT include a stationary concentrator, please confirm that CLIN

0001a represents all stationary concentrator utilization, and explain why CLIN 0001 is assigned HCPCS E1390 rather than E1392.

Response: See above.

11. For patients assigned to CLIN 0001 (Portable Concentrator System), please confirm the expected standard configuration (portable only, portable + stationary, portable + backup cylinder system, or other).

Response: Stationary + backup cylinder system

12. Are CLIN 0001, 0001a, and 0001c intended to represent mutually exclusive patient populations?

Response: Yes

13. It appears Central California and Northern California may be interpreting CLIN 0001 differently. Please confirm whether a single standardized interpretation applies to both locations, and if not, provide location-specific definitions.

Response: These are two separate solicitations and shall be treated as so.

14. E.7 52.212-2 states the following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Factor 1, Technical Capability, Factor 2: Location / Geographic Coverage, Factor 3: Past

Performance and Factor 4: Price. How will this evaluation criteria be weighted to determine which offeror provides the best value? Are some evaluation factors more important than others?

Response: The factors are not weighted. As stated in RFO 52.212-2(a) “The quotes will undergo a comparative evaluation to determine which vendor provides the best value to the government in terms of meeting the performance work statement, while also providing a competitive price.”

15. Will the evaluation rate offerors proposals under Factor 1, Technical Capability, Factor 2:

Location / Geographic Coverage and Factor 3: Past Performance? If so, what ratings will be used and how are those ratings defined?

Response: See response above.

16. Would the VA consider making a best value decision to a technically superior, higher-priced vendor?

Response: As stated in RFO 52.212-2(a) “The quotes will undergo a comparative evaluation to determine which vendor provides the best value to the government in terms of meeting the performance work statement, while also providing a competitive price.”

17. Alternatively, would the VA consider making a best value decision to a technically inferior proposal (as compared to another offeror), with lower-price?

Response: See response above. This is a comparative evaluation and not lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA).

18. Factor 1 states the VA “will evaluate the extent to which the offeror demonstrates the ability to meet the requirements of the Performance Work Statement, including:

Compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC) standards (PWS 1.5) – Contractor qualifications (PWS 5.2) – Infection Control Plan (PWS 5.8) Factor. Will the VA evaluate the offeror’s ability to meet the other requirements in the PWS besides 1.5, 5.2 and 5.8?

Response: Please see RFO 52.212-2 on how accepted quotes will be evaluated.

19. Factor 1 states the VA will evaluate the compliance with the Joint Commission (TJC) standards and cites PWS 1.5 Section 1.5 of the PWS states “Accreditation: The

Contractor shall meet or exceed all The Joint Commission (TJC) standards (previously known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or

JCAHO) or equivalent accrediting standards for all services provided herein. Contractor shall submit proof of meeting or exceeding all TJC standards as part of its technical proposal.” RFP at 36. Is Factor 1 evaluating compliance with the Joint Commission

(TJC) standards or is it also evaluating “equivalent accrediting standards.” What is an

“equivalent accrediting standard”?

Response: If you are providing an “equivalent accrediting standard” then you shall provide the evidence on how it is equivalent to and we will verify and confirm.

20. Factor 3 provides that the “Government will evaluate the offeror's recent and relevant past performance.” Will the Government also evaluate subcontractor past performance under Factor 3?

Response: The evaluation is regarding the entire quote.

21. How will past performance be evaluated for a joint venture? Will the Government evaluate the past performance by each partner to the joint venture and the past performance by the joint venture?

Response: See previous response.

22. In evaluating price under Factor 4, will the VA evaluate whether total price, or CLIN pricing, are too low, such that there may be a risk of poor performance, or to confirm a offeror’s understanding of the requirements of the solicitation? Could an offeror be rejected for offering low prices?

Response: As stated in RFO 52.212-2(a) “The quotes will undergo a comparative evaluation to determine which vendor provides the best value to the government in terms of meeting the performance work statement, while also providing a competitive price.”

23. Please identify all documents that are part of each solicitation package. At present, the package appears to include only the solicitation document, the Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan, and the Past Performance Questionnaire. Please confirm whether any additional attachments, exhibits, maps, utilization schedules, incumbent inventories, or transition data exist.

Response: Those are all the documents at the time of the posting.

24. Please provide an editable Microsoft Excel version of the full price schedule for this solicitation.

Response: An excel spreadsheet will be provided but only to enter pricing. No other edits will be allowed.

25. Please provide actual utilization by Contract Line Item Number for the incumbent contract, by month, for at least the prior twenty-four months and year-to-date, in

Microsoft Excel format.

Response: As noted on page 4 section B.2 of the solicitation, the quantities are estimates only. Numbers could fluctuate due to our Veteran’s needs.

26. Please provide the current number of unique active patients by major modality, including oxygen concentrator, gaseous oxygen, liquid oxygen, portable oxygen concentrator, suction, ventilator, and government-owned ventilator setup.

Response: This will not be provided. Please use the estimated quantities on page 4 section B.2 of the solicitation.

27. Please provide patient distribution by county and, if possible, by ZIP code or service area cluster, so offerors can price travel, staffing, and transition requirements accurately.

Response: See page 36, section 1.2 of the Performance Work Statement.

28. Please provide the current number of ventilator patients by invasive versus non-invasive modality and identify whether any patients are dependent on government-furnished equipment.

29. Please identify the incumbent contractor for each catchment area and confirm whether the incumbent is currently using contractor-owned equipment, government-owned equipment, or a mixed inventory.

Response: This will not be provided.

30. Please provide historical actual utilization for all Contract Line Item Numbers, including line items presently shown as zero quantity, because quantities are estimates only and many line items appear materially understated or unused.

31. Please confirm whether zero-quantity Contract Line Item Numbers must still be priced and, if so, whether those prices will be evaluated for reasonableness or only retained for possible future use.

Response: As stated on page 4, section B.2 “Each item requires a quoted price even if the item reflects a quantity of zero (0).” Also, page 100 RFO 52.212-2(a) “The quotes will undergo a comparative evaluation to determine which vendor provides the best value to the government in terms of meeting the performance work statement, while also providing a competitive price.”

32. Please confirm unit for each Contract Line Item Number is consistent quantity (e.g., CLIN 0009 reflects a quantity of 2 with a unit of “month,” which creates ambiguity for extended price calculations).

Response: Confirmed

33. Please confirm the descriptions for Contract Line Item Number 0010 (HCPC E0465) and

0011 (HCPC E0565) (and subsequent option periods), differentiating between invasive home ventilator and air compressor.

34. Please confirm whether the maximum ceiling of $6,000,000.00 for this solicitation is based on historical actual utilization, a budget cap, a planning estimate, or another methodology.

Response: This will not be responded to.

35. Please clarify whether the Government intends to evaluate extended prices using the estimated quantities shown in the schedule, notwithstanding the statement that quantities are estimates only.

Response: Not sure what you are asking. The ordering periods are clearly defined.

36. Please provide a schedule showing historical annual spend under the incumbent contract, by base year and option year if available, to explain the relationship between historical award values and the current maximum ceiling.

Response: Denied

37. Please confirm whether delivery charge Contract Line Item Number A9901 is intended only for deliveries not otherwise compensated through monthly rental line items, and please provide historical utilization for that line item.

38. Please confirm whether Respiratory Therapist visit line item VA120 applies only to

Government-requested visits outside the standard statement of work cadence or whether it may also apply to additional medically necessary visits requested by the facility.

Response: Confirmed . Government requested Respiratory Therapist visit not covered by other Line Items

39. Please confirm whether offerors may propose equivalent equipment and supplies meeting the required function and performance characteristics wherever a particular branded or specific named item appears in the schedule or narrative. If so, please revise the schedule and solicitation to state 'or equal' or 'same/similar' as appropriate.

Response: No brand names mentioned.

40. Please confirm whether maintenance of government-owned ventilator systems is limited to the listed model(s) or whether other government-owned ventilator makes and models may be issued during performance.

41. Please provide the current population, historical usage, and expected ordering assumptions for government-owned ventilator setup and maintenance Contract Line Item

Numbers.

42. Please confirm the correct product/service for this solicitation.

Response: W065 is the correct PSC.

43. Please confirm HCPCS codes are consistent for the base year and option years CLINs

(e.g., CLIN 0001 lists E1390, while corresponding option year CLINs 1001–4001 list

E1392).

Response: CLINS 1001 – 4001 corrected.

44. The Performance Work Statement requires monthly home visits for ventilator patients and every ninety days for home oxygen patients, but the Quality Assurance Surveillance

Plan measures only a ninety-day assessment and report. Please revise the Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan so it aligns with the Performance Work Statement and includes ventilator-specific surveillance metrics.

Response: Please refer to the QASP pg.2 section 4

45. The Performance Work Statement requires quarterly infection control and performance improvement reports due by the fifth working day after quarter-end, while the Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan refers to semiannual reports due by the eighth calendar day of the sixth and twelfth months. Please identify which requirement governs and revise the documents to eliminate the discrepancy.

Response: has been corrected on the QASP see attachment. It is quarterly.

46. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan references patient refusals, patient decline of back-up systems, emergency service not provided within six hours, ninety-day assessment and report, and semiannual reports, but does not expressly measure order confirmation timeliness, same-day setup, ventilator setup, monthly ventilator home visits, or local after-hours coverage. Please confirm whether the Quality Assurance Surveillance

Plan will be amended to match the full statement of work.

Response: It’s all part of the 90 day assessments and will not be amended, when they are being set-up all the paperwork is being turned in within 5 business days to the

COR.

47. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan provides that the Contractor shall be given two hours after notification to correct unacceptable performance. Please clarify how this cure concept applies to completed service failures that cannot be retroactively corrected, such as a missed same-day setup or missed emergency response timeline.

Response: The Contractor shall be given two (2) hours after notification to correct the unacceptable performance or the COR/designee may approve additional time if the COR/designee considers additional time appropriate. If the deficiencies are not corrected within the required time frame the COR/designee shall notify the

Contracting Officer for action.

48. Please confirm whether the home visit report requirement in the Performance Work

Statement, including date of last home visit, due date of next home visit, incomplete visits, action plan, and individual visit reports within five business days, will be incorporated into surveillance metrics or otherwise enforced only through statement of work compliance.

49. Please clarify whether the Contractor is responsible only for equipment-related assessment and education or whether the Government expects broader clinical reassessment functions. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan states patient assessment and plan of care are solely provided by Department of Veterans Affairs staff, while the Performance Work Statement requires extensive Respiratory Therapist activity.

Response: Contractor is responsible only for equipment-related assessment and education

50. Please confirm the required timing for order confirmation. The ordering section states confirmations are required for any order placed, but does not specify a uniform deadline.

Please define the required acknowledgment timeframe for routine, urgent, and emergency orders.

Response: Timing for order confirmation is within 2 hours

51. Please confirm whether 'same day when the prescription is received by 3:00 PM local time' governs across all days, including weekends and holidays, and whether that same standard applies to ventilator setups or only oxygen/service calls.

52. Please confirm whether the requirement for a staffed branch office or available resources within fifty miles of each medical center applies to every solicitation location and whether a shared regional resource model satisfies the requirement.

53. The current phase-in period is up to ninety days after award. Given the need to safely transition oxygen patients, ventilator patients, government-furnished equipment, and incumbent-owned equipment without interruption, please extend transition-in to a minimum of one hundred eighty days.

54. If the Government will not extend transition-in to one hundred eighty days, please provide the rationale for a ninety-day phase-in and identify the assumptions underlying that timeline, including expected patient volume, incumbent cooperation, and the number of ventilator patients.

Response: N/A

55. Please clarify whether the incoming contractor is expected to replace all contractor-owned incumbent equipment within ninety days even where the incumbent equipment remains clinically appropriate and no patient-safety issue exists.

56. Please provide a transition roster showing current active patients by modality, county, and equipment type, including identification of government-owned equipment and any ventilator-dependent patients.

Response: Any transition information will be provided AFTER award to the awardee.

57. Please confirm whether the Government will require a formal transition plan as part of the technical submission and, if so, please provide evaluation criteria or a template.

Response: See page 97 of the RFQ for required items to be submitted.

58. Please clarify how proration will be handled when the incumbent remains in place during phase-in, including the treatment of partial-month rental, Respiratory Therapist visits, and delivery line items.

Response: See page 67, section 5.4 of the Performance Work Statement.

59. Please identify whether the Government will facilitate joint transition meetings among the incoming contractor, incumbent contractor, Contracting Officer’s Representative, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, and clinical leadership.

Response: See page 67, section 5.4 of the Performance Work Statement.

60. Please confirm whether the incumbent must continue service beyond contract expiration under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.237-3 Continuity of Services if transition is incomplete, and please identify whether that clause will be expressly incorporated in the awarded contract.

Response: Beyond 52.237-3, no.

61. Please identify whether the Government anticipates any patient populations that will require delayed transition, such as ventilator patients, pediatric-equivalent complex respiratory patients, skilled nursing facility residents, or patients using unique home modifications.

Response: This will not be responded to.

62. Please clarify what documentation is sufficient to establish capability to meet contractor qualifications in Performance Work Statement section 5.2, including licenses, certifications, staffing rosters, and resumes or curriculum vitae.

Response: The Performance Work Statement section 5.2 explains what needs to be met.

63. Please confirm whether a subcontractor’s Respiratory Therapist staff, branch resources, accreditation support, and equipment resources may be relied upon to satisfy technical capability and geographic coverage requirements, provided limitations on subcontracting are met.

64. Please clarify whether a certified Respiratory Therapist and a registered Respiratory

Therapist are both acceptable for all required setup and home-visit tasks or whether any tasks require only a registered Respiratory Therapist.

65. Please identify the minimum staffing assumptions expected by the Government for after-hours service, ventilator coverage, and local branch support.

Response: Minimum

66. Please confirm whether proof of accreditation by a nationally recognized organization other than The Joint Commission will be accepted as equivalent and identify any specific documentation the Government expects with the quote.

67. Please confirm whether the requirement for a direct local number with an employee on duty for after-hours orders prohibits the use of an after-hours call service that escalates to local on-call personnel, or whether a local live-answer model is sufficient.

Response: local live-answer model is sufficient.

68. The posted Past Performance Questionnaire refers to 'temporary medical staffing or similar services.' Please confirm that the form is intended for these home oxygen and ventilator procurements and that references for home oxygen, ventilator, respiratory therapy, durable medical equipment, or analogous in-home respiratory support services will be considered relevant.

Response: Form has been updated.

69. Please clarify how many past performance references are required if the offeror has relevant Federal contracts in Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System and also intends to submit non-Federal references.

Response: The Past Performance Questionnaire is not required. If the vendor is satisfied with their CPARS record, then that it sufficient.

70. Please confirm whether the Government will consider subcontract past performance or key personnel past performance where the prime offeror can demonstrate direct relevance to home oxygen or ventilator service delivery.

Response: All performance will be evaluated if in the quote.

71. Please confirm whether the evaluator must use the posted questionnaire verbatim or whether a letter on the evaluator’s letterhead addressing the same topics will be accepted if the evaluator declines to complete the form.

Response: The attached questionnaire is required if not using only CPARS.

72. Please clarify whether references received after April 16, 2026 but before quote closing will be considered, especially where evaluator response timing is outside the offeror’s control.

Response: Questionnaires received after the cutoff date will not be accepted.

73. Please confirm whether the Government will consider past performance for home oxygen and ventilator contracts that include similar service components even if the reference contract used a different North American Industry Classification System code or product/service code.

Response: The evaluation of past performance will be on the performance of the vendor regardless of the NAICS.

74. Please confirm whether adverse Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System information will be evaluated in context, including evidence of correction, rebuttals, and subsequent performance improvement.

Response: If additional information is required then this will be at the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

75. Standard Form 1449 states Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.212-5 is attached, but the contract clause section as posted does not clearly reproduce or itemize the specific

52.212-5 clauses applicable to this acquisition. Please provide the full text or attachment for Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.212-5 and identify all checked subclauses applicable to this procurement.

Response: The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) has removed 52.212-5 regardless of what the SF 1449 states in block 27a and 27b. All clauses and provisions by reference can be found in section C & D of the RFQ.

76. The transition section expressly references Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.237-3

Continuity of Services, but that clause does not appear to be expressly listed in the clause section provided. Please confirm whether Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.237-3 is intended to be incorporated into the awarded contract and, if so, amend the solicitation accordingly.

Response: If required, this clause may be utilized through a bilateral modification but the RFQ does include RFO 52.217-8 which can meet this need.

77. Please confirm whether the use of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 Option to

Extend Services is intended to operate in addition to the phase-out language in the

Performance Work Statement and how the two provisions should be read together if transition extends beyond expiration.

Response: See response above.

78. Please confirm whether the checked and unchecked commercial item clause structure on

Standard Form 1449 is final and whether any additional addenda to Federal Acquisition

Regulation 52.212-4 or 52.212-1 are anticipated by amendment.

Response: If you are referring to block 27a it states “by reference” which they are not. They are provided in full text.

79. Please confirm whether the product/service code shown in the price schedule is correct and amend if necessary.

Response: Yes.

80. Please confirm whether quotes, rather than proposals, are the intended submission format, given the Standard Form 1449 reflects a request for quote. If the Government expects proposal-style narratives, please identify any page limits, formatting requirements, and file naming conventions.

Response: This is solicited under RFO Part 12 utilizing Simplified Procedures so an

RFQ is correct.

81. Please confirm whether there are any page limits, file size limits, or file format limitations for the technical submission, pricing schedule, certifications, and past performance materials.

Response: There is no page limit but if you send large files, please note that our servers cannot receive large files so, please send multiple emails. It is the

Contractor’s responsibility to ensure all emails and files are received PRIOR to the date and time cutoff.

82. Please confirm whether offerors may submit a subcontractor Letter of Intent or Teaming

Agreement in support of technical capability and geographic coverage.

Response: Offerors may send. This does not change the evaluation factors.

83. Please confirm whether the Government will permit clarifications if a required attachment is inadvertently omitted, given the statement that award may be made without discussions.

Response: If clarifications are needed, this will be made at the discretion of the

Contracting Officer.

84. Please clarify whether 'facility or resources physically located in the geographic area within fifty miles of each medical center' must exist at the time of quote submission or may be established by award with binding evidence of capability.

Response: May be established after award but must show binding evidence prior to start of performance.

85. Please confirm whether proof of local resources may include subcontractor resources, leased space, warehousing arrangements, or service agreements rather than only a wholly owned staffed branch.

Response: Yes, but if working with a different subcontractor after award then this will need to be verified prior to start of performance.

86. Please confirm whether technical capability, location/geographic coverage, past performance, and price are listed in descending order of importance or whether they are of equal importance. The current evaluation language does not expressly state relative weight.

Response: They are not weighted.

87. Please confirm whether the Government will evaluate only compliance with the three items listed under Factor 1 Technical Capability or whether broader Performance Work

Statement requirements will be comparatively assessed.

Response: See RFO 52.212-2 on page 100 of the RFQ.

88. Please confirm whether make and model information will be required in the quote where the Government requests commercial product debrief information on make and model of the delivered product.