BFCC_QIO_IDIQ_and_TO_Q&A.xlsx
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- Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) (BFCC-QIO)
- Solicitation number
- 75FCMC18R0034
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IDIQ
| Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) |
| Amendment 1 |
| 6/29/18 |
| Question # | Document, Section, Page Number | Question/Comment | CMS Response |
| 1 | # 14 of Q&A's issued with Solicitation | Where a current government contractor, who has been deemed to have an adequate accounting system by a federal agency, but has not had a review performed within the past 3 years, will CMS have the review performed on that offeror's accounting system prior to a contract award determination? If the contractor's incurred cost submissions have been timely, will this have any effect on the offeror having to have their accounting system reviewed before contract award? | A Government official’s determination that a Government contractor’s accounting system is adequate remains in effect until the contractor’s accounting system is otherwise determined inadequate. Under the circumstance described, CMS will not perform a follow-up accounting system audit prior to a contract award determination. Rather, the Government may (considering multiple factors) perform a follow-up accounting system audit after a contract is awarded. |
| 2 | # 87 Q&A's issued with the Solicitation pertaining to J.1 IDIQ, C.1 to C.6, pages 1-42 | CMS is drafting a plan for transitioning equipment from the 11th SOW to the current SOW. Plan will be made available upon award. | Each task order has its own specific requirements listed and is complete. The TO may reference the IDIQ as appropriate. |
| 3 | General | Please confirm that subcontractors should be included in the IDIQ proposal if they are required to meet the requirements of the IDIQ SOW? | Yes |
| 4 | General | At the IDIQ level, does the PCI need to be completed for the board members and key personnel for TO001 as well? | Yes. Please note that PCI information is not submitted to CMS but is to be submitted and reviewed by the offerors' compliance officer. |
| 5 | General | Please confirm that subcontractors (and their relevant past performance) should be included in the IDIQ proposal if they are required to perform major or critical aspects of the requirements. | Yes |
| 6 | General | Should the offeror assume that QMARs will fully support all of the case review types in real time, at the time of award? | Yes |
| 7 | H.6.d, p. 69 | To confirm, all staff working on the BFCC contracts will be required to get finger printed including current and new employees? | Yes. All BFCC contract awardees will be vetted per CMS security policies. |
| 8 | RFP, Section G.8, Subcontract Consent (pg 28) | Are offerors required to submit Subcontract consent information (as described in Attachment J.10) at the time of submission of the proposal? | Yes |
| 9 | G.12 (f); p. 31 | Is there a plan to allow the transition of servers prior to the start of the 12th SOW as it is indicated no CMS equipment can be used in the 12th SOW? | CMS is drafting a plan for transitioning equipment from the 11th SOW to the current SOW. Plan will be made available upon award. |
| 10 | 75FCMC18R0034, Section G.18, p 41 - 42 | This section states, Automated Data Processing Equipment (ADPE) means those equipments as defined in FAR 31.001. Equipment is not a term defined in FAR 31.001. Please clarify. | CMS will be requiring the use of Contractor Furnished Equipment for this scope of work. Please review the CFE Guidelines and Requirements attachment. |
| 11 | 75FCMC18R0034, Section G.18, p 42 | This section states, Notwithstanding the "Allowable Cost and Payment" clause of this contract, costs for the |
acquisition of GPOE and ADPE shall not be considered as an allowable direct charge to this
| contract. Please confirm that, depreciation, for example, on computer equipment, is an allowable cost that would be considered in an indirect pool. And, that purchases that do not meet the criteria of the Contractor's capitalization policies would also be considered an allowable cost in an indirect pool. | Clause has been updated. For additional guidance see FAR Part 31, 48 CFR 52.216-7 - Allowable Cost and Payment, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS). | |||
| 12 | RFP document, Section H.1 (d)(2)(d) p. 54 | Clause H.1(d)(2)(d) currently contemplates that submission of post-award revisions to the contractor’s COI Disclosure will be required “[a]t least 45 calendar days prior to a change due to proposed or planned business actions, e.g., acquiring or selling a business or business segment, changes in ownership of the organization holding the contract, etc.” See page 54 of the Final RFP. Providing notification to CMS prior to the closing of a corporate transaction, particularly 45 days in advance, may not be possible in at least some circumstances. For instance, the ability of public companies to provide such notification may be restricted or even prohibited under federal and/or state securities laws. Further, certain transactions close in less than 45 days, and thus from a practical standpoint, the draft requirement would effectively force companies to delay transactions in those fast-moving scenarios. For these reasons and possibly others, the pre-notification requirement reflected in section H.1(d)(2)(d) seems unworkable and potentially counterproductive. Would CMS consider removing it altogether? | The purpose of this clause is to allow CMS enough time prior to the transition to make any necessary changes or take administrative actions as required. |
Typical publicly traded company M&A work cannot be disclosed until public notice. Usually public notice occurs after agreement has been reached that a transaction will occur or a public filing is made. For such public companies, notice to CMS at that time is acceptable.
For private companies CMS is unaware of any legal prohibition from notifying a government agency of a pending transaction. If agreement is reached either the closing can wait the additional time or notice can be given with time to spare prior to closing.
In light of its purpose, CMS will not remove or modify this clause.
| 13 | RFP Document, Section H.5, p. 63 | CMS indicates that a contract "shall become and remain compliant" with security requirements yet a couple lines below this language the RFP states that contractors shall ensure security standards are met. Are organizations required to be FISMA and FedRAMP compliant when they submit their proposal in order to receive an award? | Offerors must be able to demonstrate that they are or can become FISMA and FedRAMP compliant when they submit their BFCC IDIQ proposal. |
| 14 | RFP, H.17, Governance requirements, p. 84 | ||
| Please confirm that the requirement for annual performance evaluations for the “body members” refers to the governing body members, i.e., the Directors. Please clarify whether the annual evaluation of CEO, COO and CFO, if they also serve as Board members, may be performed as part of their overall performance evaluations, i.e., there is no need for a separate evaluation of their performance on the Board. | CMS chose “Governing Body” as a generic description for traditional boards (directors, trustee, etc.), as well as for other forms that oversee an entity’s operations. CMS’ concern focuses on annual review in the position being performed. If a corporate officer, managing partner, etc. is also a governing body member, then each position should be independently evaluated in accordance with the separate duties. | ||
| 15 | I.2 HHSAR 352.231-70 SALARY RATE LIMITATION, page 94 | For the purposes of determining salary rate limitations, if an offeror is given multiple Task Order 0002 regional contracts, are they considered separates contracts if they are under the same IDIQ contract? | The IDIQ contract is considered a separate contract from task order contracts. For TO 0002, it is CMS' intent to generate one task order contract per awardee to roll up any awarded regions under task order 0002. Any future task orders will be separate task order contracts. |
| 16 | RFP, M.3, Technical Proposal Evaluation, pp. 150-151 | Please confirm that the governing body does not need to be established at the time of proposal submission, if the proposal contains (1) a commitment to put a Board in place if the contract is awarded and (2) Letters of Commitment from all members that will comprise the Board, including the representative of healthcare providers and the representative of consumers. | CMS will accept an offeror’s commitment to create a governing body in compliance with the governance rules, post award. However, that commitment must also contain a time-line and milestones to be met and reported to CMS’ contracting officer |
| 17 | J.1 IDIQ, C.2.2, page 5 | C.2.2. lists functions that QIOs may be required to perform. Please confirm if Task Order 0002 includes: Function 6, "Provide a physician representative to meet several times a year with medical and administrative staff of each hospital whose services are reviewed by the organization," and whether such a meeting must be in person. This function impacts the technical approach and related resource requirements. | It's a business decision in the approach the offeror takes to meet this requirement. There is no expressed requirement that it must be completed face-to-face. |
| 18 | J.1 IDIQ, C.4.9, page 24 | Question 94 of the IDIQ Q&A response provided an updated CMS link to a Contract Clause. This link is not publicly accessible. Can CMS please provide a way to access the necessary information? | https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/CMS-Information-Technology/InformationSecurity/Info-Security-Library-Items/CMS-Information-Security-Contract-Clause-Provision.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLFilter=cla&DLSort=0&DLSortDir=ascending |
| 19 | J.1 IDIQ Statement of Work; Section C.4.3.1; p. 20 | Indication that VDI will be limited to key personal and CMS will need to approve after a certain amount. As VDI credentialing is different from HCQIS account creation how many VDI credentials will be available per contractor prior to need for COR approval? | VDI Licenses will be issued to the number of employees needed to complete the work assigned within each task order. |
| 20 | Q&A Document, question 14 | The following language has been added to the RFP: Dated within three years of proposal submission, an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Firm completed the Standard Form 1408 Pre-award Survey of Prospective Contractor Accounting System (inclusive of CPA work papers) with the CPA Firm’s recommendation that the contractor’s accounting system is acceptable for award of a prospective flexibly-priced contract award. An SF 1408 without CPA work papers will be considered an incomplete submission. |
| As this requirement to provide working paper is highly unusual, please confirm that workpaper are indeed required. Please indicate which workpapers should be included. | The requirement to supply work papers has been removed. Please see revised language in the amendment. | |||
| 21 | J.1 IDIQ Statement of Work; Section C.4.3.1; p. 19 | Will CMS allow contractors to install software purchased via QualityNet procurement on Contractor Furnished Equipment? For example, 3M Grouper. | Please note this is a correction to a previously issued response of #75 from the IDIQ Q&A posted with the issuance of the RFP: |
Any software outside of the standard image must be approved by CMS and go through the ERB process https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/CMS-Information-Technology/InformationSecurity/Info-Security-Library-Items/CMS-Information-Security-Contract-Clause-Provision.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLFilter=cla&DLSort=0&DLSortDir=ascending
TO1
| Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) | |||
| Amendment 1 | |||
| 6/29/18 | |||
| Question # | Document, Section, Page Number | Question/Comment | CMS Response |
| 1 | General | There is an indication that NCORC and BFCC-QIOs will have same data access. Does this mean both will now have access to backend data tables of CMS designated system? | Both will have access to the CMS Designed System reports and Ad Hoc Reporting module. |
| 2 | General | For all reports that are to be publically reported will they be sent to the QIOs in advance of publication? | It will be CMS' decision which publically facing reports will be shared with the QIOs prior to publishing. |
| 3 | Pricing | Can the government provide an estimated LOE for Task Order 1 | CMS is not providing the LOE for Task Order 1. |
| 4 | Attachment J.2-D TO 0001, F. pg. 17 | If there are no changes from the IDIQ Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance Proposal already submitted in Vol. IB, should we resubmit that volume labelled VOL IIC indicating there are no changes in order to be compliant with the instruction on page 134 of the IDIQ RFP which indicates we are to submit 6 separate volumes? | Yes, the COI submission for task orders can just be a statement that there are no differences from the IDIQ COI submission. |
| 5 | Attachment J.2-E Business Proposal Forms | The budget table, Attachment J.2-E, does not include columns for several task areas under 5.1 Contract Start Up (J.2-A NCORC SOW pg 7,8,9,10) for which there are specific deliverables associated in attachment J.2-B. (e.g. comprehensive work plan, website, Internal quality control plan, system security plan, information security risk assessment). Please clarify how time/labor to complete these tasks should be included in the budget. | SOW has been updated to provide linkage between SOW tasks and categories on the business forms. |
| 6 | Task 1.2.b) Customer Service | For use in budget assumptions, can the Government please provide the anticipated volume of questions to be answered related to BFCC QIO and BFCC SC activities? | CMS is unable to provide an anticipated volume. These questions will be generated from the Monthly BFCC-QIO, NCORC and SC Collaboration Call. |
| 7 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, TASK 1.3, i | Please confirm that the NCORC attends the meetings but is not responsible for planning/logistics of the meetings. | The extent of the NCORC's role is soliciting participation from the BFCC-QIO community for attending these meetings. |
| 8 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 18 | From the solicitation: "b) Participate in--and solicit other BFCC-QIOs to participate in--specific exercises and meetings related to the CMS-Designated Case Review System, in person or via any other means approved by CMS. CMS may also include other stakeholders as participants in such meetings." |
1) How many in-person meetings should bidders budget and for what locations?
| 2) How many "other" meetings? How many participants? And should bidders include cost for webinars? | 1) The meetings can be held remotely. 2) Anticipate at least one meeting, monthly. Number of participants varies depending on the topic; for budgeting purposes expect a minimum of 20 people. Webinar costs do not need to be included as they will be provided by another CMS contractor. | |||
| 9 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 18 | Do materials resulting from meetings need to be 508 complaint? | Materials that are publicly facing must be 508 compliant. | |
| 10 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 18 | From the solicitation: "i) Provide the necessary staff and experts to attend in-person at CMS Baltimore or other locations approved by CMS, the Business Process Modeling (BPM) meetings or any other meeting necessary to provide detailed QIO user input and recommendations at the request of CMS. These meetings shall include TEP (Technical Expert Panels) or any other meetings requiring user input as approved by CMS. The BFCC NCORC shall solicit participation from the BFCC-QIO community for attending these meetings." | ||
| 1) How many in-person meetings should bidders budget? | At least one per year; however most trainings will be completed via Webex or similar technology. | |||
| 11 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 19 | From the solicitation: "j) Assist CMS in gathering and maintaining a panel of BFCC-QIO case review system users who can assist with case review system recommendations, user experiences and testing." | ||
| 1) Does such a panel already exist and if so, could the existing panel be leveraged for the new SOW? | Such a panel exists in the current SOW, and will be empaneled with a similar design in the 12th SOW. | |||
| 12 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 20 | From the solicitation q) "iv) Participate in training, on-site at CMS Baltimore or another CMS-designated location, led by the CMS-designated case review system developer to prepare the BFCC NCORC to provide functional case review training to the broader BFCC-QIO user community." | ||
| 1) How many on-site trainings should bidders budget? | At least one per year; however most trainings will be completed via Webex or similar technology. | |||
| 13 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 20 | From the solicitation q) "v) Provide case review system training to the broader BFCC-QIO user community at CMS Baltimore, a CMS Regional Office or another CMS-designated location." | ||
| 1) How many system trainings should bidders budget? | Two per year. | |||
| 14 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.3, page 20 | From the solicitation "t) The BFCC NCORC shall work with CORs and CMS to provide training and services for the CMS-designated Case Review System using a Learning Management System (LMS) that will provide an effective, efficient mechanism for the BFCC-QIOs and community to access training." | ||
| 1) How many training modules should bidders budget? | Two per year. | |||
| 15 | Task 1.3.w) I) CMS Designated Case Review System | Can the Government please clarify if the BFCC NCORC will be providing direct support to any contractor/vendor for setup, installation, breakdown, etc. of any HW/SW/telecom or providing recommendations only on how the BFCC QIOs are providing support to any contractor/vendor for setup, installation, breakdown, etc. of any HW/SW/ telecom ? | No, BFCC NCORC will not be providing direct support. | |
| 16 | Task 1.3.w) ii) CMS Designated Case Review System | Can the Government please clarify if the BFCC NCORC will be providing direct troubleshooting of any HW/SW/telecom issues related to the CMS-designated case review system or providing recommendations only on how the BFCC QIOs should handle troubleshooting of any HW/SW/telecom issues related to the CMS-designated case review system? | No, BFCC NCORC will not be providing direct support. | |
| 17 | Task 1.3.w) i) CMS Designated Case Review System | From a budget perspective, what is the anticipated LOE of the BFCC NCORC for support to any contractor/vendor for setup, installation, breakdown, etc. of any HW/SW/ telecom ? | None | |
| 18 | Task 1.3.w) ii) CMS Designated Case Review System | From a budget perspective, what is the anticipated LOE of the BFCC NCORC for troubleshooting of any HW/SW/telecom issues related to the CMS-designated case review system activities? | None | |
| 19 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.4 Focused Reviews & Performance Audits (a) BFCC Program Improvement Focused Reviews | Will focus reviews of the BFCC Program be completed nationally, regionally, or per contractor? | Focus reviews may be completed nationally, regionally, or per contractor based on data trends. | |
| 20 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.4 Focused Reviews & Performance Audits (a) BFCC Program Improvement Focused Reviews | Is the volume for this one per year per region, contractor, or nationwide? | One per year and may be inclusive of a region, or a contractor or nationwide. | |
| 21 | Attachment J.2-A NCORC SOW, Task 1.4,b. (pg 21) | For the purposes of creating a uniform approach to budgeting, please indicate how many CMS-Directed focused reviews are anticipated annually. | One per year and may be inclusive of a region, or a contractor or nationwide. | |
| 22 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.4 Focused Reviews & Performance Audits. ( c) Performance Audits. "ii" Annual Performance Audits | Will the expectation be for the NCORC to send the audit criteria to the QIOS prior to the audit? If so how far in advanced will it be expected to be sent out? | This can be determined with the COR/SME pending approval of the Focused Review. | |
| 23 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.4 Focused Reviews & Performance Audits. ( c) Performance Audits. "ii" Annual Performance Audits | How many items are to be included in the audit criteria (is there a set limit)? | Annual performance audits will be done once a year but may differ based on CMS program needs. Please see revised SOW for the listing of items that fall under performance audits. | |
| 24 | Attachment J.2-A NCORC SOW, Task 1.4.c.i. (pg 21) | For the purposes of creating a uniform approach to budgeting, please indicate how many expedited single case reviews are anticipated annually. | Not greater than 25 per year. | |
| 25 | Attachment J-2-A NCORC SOW Task 1.4.c.ii (pg 22) | Can CMS confirm whether travel will be required to each of the 10 QIO services areas to complete the annual performance audit. | Audits can be performed remotely. | |
| 26 | Task 1.4.c) ii) Annual Performance Audits | Does the Government expect the BFCC NCORC to travel to each of the BFCC QIO service areas to conduct the annual performance audit? | Audits can be performed remotely. | |
| 27 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.5: Review for Preventable Patient Safety Events (b) Conduct Intensified Reviews | The CDAC supplied data to the NCORC, will this be automatically updated into the CMS review system? | There is not currently automated functionality. CMS is looking to add the functionality into the CMS designated IT system. | |
| 28 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.5: Review for Preventable Patient Safety Events (d ) Reporting | When referred to the QIOs will these be considered a standard QIO review or should they be considered a sanction upon receipt? | They should be considered a Quality of Care review. | |
| 29 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.5: Review for Preventable Patient Safety Events (e ) Task Partnership | In what medium will the NCORC be expected to transfer this data to the QIOs (i.e. mail, secure file transfer, CMS designated system)? | The medium could be either of these, depending on the partner the NCORC is collaborating with. | |
| 30 | Attachment J-2-A NCORC SOW Task 1.5.a.ii (pg 22) | Refers to the average of adverse events annually. Can CMS give us a percentage? What does the "initial patient safety data set" refer to? | Please see revised SOW. | |
| 31 | Attachment J-2-A NCORC SOW Task 1.7 (PG 27-28) | Task 1.7 Monitoring of Physician Acknowledgment Statements and MOA's does not include deliverables. Can CMS advise if there are specific deliverables related to this task? | Please see revised SOW. There aren't any specific deliverables, rather there are measures to audit the MOA. | |
| 32 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.8, page 26 | From the solicitation: " a) The BFCC NCORC shall assist CMS in answering questions submitted to CMS via different sources, including a CMS-designated online application, related to all BFCC program related activities." | ||
| 1) For budgeting purposes, how many questions should bidders anticipate receiving annually? | The number varies based on collaboration calls and Town Hall events. Generally most questions do not exceed more than 3 per meeting. | |||
| 33 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.8, page 27 | From the solicitation: "f) The BFCC NCORC shall develop and maintain materials, content, and other information used by BFCC-QIOs on a central posting location that will contain information for use by all QIOs, including but not limited to, informational products related to the goals of the 12th SoW. The goal of the website will be to further CMS’s objective of increased standardization throughout the BFCC-QIO community." | ||
| 1) Will CMS require that all materials be 508 compliant? | All public facing material must be 508 Compliant. | |||
| 34 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.8, page 27 | From the solicitation: "h) The BFCC NCORC shall design and facilitate telephone conferences, presentations, seminars, meetings, community of practice calls and content for other venues as directed by CMS." | ||
| 1) For budgeting purposes, how many such conferences does CMS anticipate? | See Task 1.12 General tasks: a, b, c, and d for listing of calls/conferences to take place. | |||
| 35 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.8, page 28 | From the solicitation: "l) The BFCC NCORC shall prepare and coordinate conference presentations, including PowerPoint presentations at national conferences, as specified by CMS." |
1) For budgeting purposes, how many presentations should bidders budget?
2) Will presentations need to be 508 compliant? (1) See Task 1.12 General tasks: a, b, c, and d.
(2) All public facing material must be 508 Compliant.
| 36 | TO_0001 NCORC SOW, Task 1.8, page 28 | From the solicitation: "n) The BFCC NCORC shall coordinate and under the direction of CMS be the lead author of at least three (3) articles, which highlight at least, but not limited to, the BFCC successes, lessons-learned, achievements, trends, and recommendations for improvement, and strategies to overcome barriers." | ||
| 1) Can CMS provide an example of the type of article they envision? Or describe the audience/publication of such articles? | The articles are considered professional-trade articles that are related to the BFCC program. | |||
| 38 | Task 1.8. f) Communication | For budget purposes can the Government provide information as to the expected volume of materials/content to be developed by the BFCC NCORC? | At least quarterly. | |
| 39 | Task 1.8. h) Communication | For budget purposes can the Government provide information as to the expected volume of telephone conferences, presentations, seminars, meetings, community of practice calls and content for other venues to be designed and facilitated by the BFCC NCORC? | See Task 1.12 General tasks: A, B, C, and D. | |
| 40 | Task 1.8. i) Communication | For budget purposes can the Government provide information as to the expected volume of educational communication materials be designed by the BFCC NCORC? | At least quarterly. | |
| 41 | Task 1.8. k) Communication | For budget purposes can the Government provide information as to the expected volume of Help Desk Scripts to be developed and/or revised by the BFCC NCORC? | At least annually. | |
| 42 | Task 1.8. k) Communication | For budget purposes can the Government provide information as to the expected volume of HCQIS memos to be drafted by the BFCC NCORC? | At least quarterly. | |
| 43 | Task 1.8. l) Communication | Can the Government please advise as to the anticipated number of national conferences per year for which the BFCC NCORC will be required to prepare and coordinate conference presentations? What are the associated locations? | One per year. The location will be Baltimore, MD. | |
| 44 | Task 1.8. m) Communication | Are the national conferences to be held at Government facilities or public venues? | Public venues | |
| 45 | Task 1.8. m) Communication | Does the Government have an idea of the number of presentations that will be prepared for each national conference? | The offeror should be prepared to facilitate the development of at least 5 posters, 1 Master Class, 6 presentations, and 1 BFCC-QIO/CMS leadership summit. | |
| 46 | Task 1.11 h) Training and Education | For budget purposes, how many meetings are anticipated for the advisory panels and tiger teams? | At least quarterly. | |
| 47 | Task 1.11 h) Training and Education | For budget purposes, where will the advisory panels and tiger team meetings be held? | Meetings will be held remotely. | |
| 48 | Task 1.11 j) Training and Education | For budgeting purposes, is there an existing IT user training program for the case review system? If so, how many modules? Does the Government anticipate the program will be modified or will new training be developed? | Yes, there are 6 existing training program/modules. There is the potential for at least 2 more training modules to be added. | |
| 49 | Task 1.11 k) Training and Education | For budgeting purposes, can the Government confirm that the intent is for the BFCC NCORC to modify and maintain the current QIO User Manual and Guidance related to the CMS-designated Case Review System rather than developing a new manual in its entirety? | Confirmed | |
| 50 | Task 1.11 k) Training and Education | For budgeting purposes, how many updates are anticipated annually related to QIO User manual and Guidance related to the CMS-designated Case Review System? | At least annually. | |
| 51 | Task 1.11 k) Training and Education | For budgeting purposes, is there an anticipated number of training sessions that will be provided to the QIO community and users of the system? | There are 6 existing training program/modules. There is the potential for at least 2 more training modules to be added. | |
| 52 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section B. Desired Outcomes. 4. BFCC Data Analytics and Management: BFCC AIM 7 | Will improvements identified in this section be state or region based? I.e. 3 improvements per state or 3 improvements per region? | Improvements can be state, region, or national. | |
| 53 | J.2-A NCORC SOW, 5.2 BFCC NCORC Services - Section B. Desired Outcomes. 4. BFCC Data Analytics and Management: BFCC AIM 8 | Will NCORC have direct access to the data needed to complete this AIM? If not who will supply this data and what is the expectation of turnaround time? | Yes. |
TO2
| Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) | |||
| Amendment 1 | |||
| 6/29/18 | |||
| Question # | Document, Section, Page Number | Question/Comment | CMS Response |
| 1 | General | ||
| For the 11SOW, CMS stated that the LOE provided for each review type did not include peer reviewer time and provided a rate for contractors to use for each review type (Q&A document 3, Question #6).. Can CMS confirm that the provided LOE in this proposal do not include physician reviewer time. If that is confirmed, can CMS again provide the projected peer reviewer times per case? | The LOE provided already includes Physician Reviewer time. | ||
| 2 | General | In the 11SOW, CMS supplied Attachment J-19 BFCC Pass Thru Costs for each Area. Can CMS provide the similar projected Pass Thru costs for each Region? | CMS is not providing the LOE for pass-thru at this time as historical pass-thru costs may not be an accurate depiction of future pass-thru costs with the expectation that EHR reduces those volumes and costs for the future. |
| 3 | General | Must physician reviewers be from the same region as the provider where the care was rendered? | No, they do not need to be from the same region, as long as peer reviewers meet the peer review requirements specified in the QIO Manual. |
| 4 | #4 of Q&A's Issued with Solicitation pertaining to J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW, pg. 3; 2. Key Personnel. 2.1 Designation of Key and/or Other Recommended Personnel | The CMS answer to this question was that the Medical Director (1 FTE) was part of the peer review process and needed to meet the qualifications of a physician peer reviewer. Physician peer reviewers must be in active clinical practice for at least 20 hours per week. The RFP requires the Medical Director position to be 1 FTE per region for which a bid is submitted. Please clarify if it is CMS's intent that the Medical Director position be filled by more than one person, each of which has at least 20 hours in clinical practice and the balance of their time devoted to the BFCC-QIO such that the total hours covered by these individuals is equivalent to a full time position instead of 1, full-time Medical Director. If not, please clarify CMS's expectation of a full time Medical Director at the task order regional level. | CMS is not aware of the 20 hours in clinical practice requirement for physician peer reviewers, however the medical director may be filled by more than one person as long as the combination meets the 1 FTE requirement. |
| 5 | #4 of Q&A's issued with the Solicitation pertaining to J.3-A - pg. 1 | The Q&A states that the Medical Director must meet the "active practice" requirement of 20 hours per week, yet the Medical Director is an FTE position. This requires the Medical Director to work fulltime for the contractor, as well as half time in practice - is this CMS's intent? | The medical director may be filled by more than one person as long as the combination meets the 1 FTE requirement. It's CMS' expectation that the offeror provide the most cost-effective and efficient solution based on the number of regions proposed. |
| 6 | # 78 of Q&A's issued with the Solicitation pertaining to J.3-D - pg. 3 | Please clarify whether a company that submits a prime contractor proposal for 4 regions may be a subcontractor bid on the remaining 6 regions. | Yes, but it will be reviewed by CMS to ensure that there is not an overburden on any one contractor. |
| 7 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 7; 5. Task Order Requirement. 5.1 Contract Start-Up (d) (3) | In this section, the BFCC-QIO is directed to use an independent 3rd party to conduct an inter-rater reliability study within the organization. Is it acceptable for the NORC to perform this function under its contract with CMS? That is, can the BFCC-QIO make the assumption that the NCORC will be available to perform an inter-rater reliability study at no cost to the BFCC-QIO for the region or must the BFCC-QIO contract for this function at a cost that should be included in its business proposal? | Yes, the NCORC contractor will be available to perform this function. |
| 8 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 16; 5.2 Beneficiary Protection: Section B. Desired Outcomes (4) BFCC Data Analytics and Management Support an improved quality healthcare system: BFCC AIM 7 | Utilize state-based BFCC program data to identify trends and patterns to propose at least three improvements per year, for each contracted region over the contract period of performance. Identifying patterns and trends in data requires access to all case review data for data mining and analysis. Will the QIO's have data access to QMARS' ad hoc reporting tool and/or Direct database access to QMARS? CMS Response: Contractor would need to provide parameters to have data/reports made available. How will data/reports be made available? How will requests for data/reports be made? What is the expected turnaround time for requested data/reports? | Data/Reports will be made available in Excel and/or PDF format. Requests can be sent via email to CMS COR/SME. Turnaround time is dependant upon the extensiveness of the data request. |
| 9 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 11; 5. Task Order Requirement. 5.1 Contract Start-Up (h) Compliance with Technical Considerations (8) | To confirm, the QIOs will be required to give a list of all BFCC-QIO owned equipment designated for use for the BFCC-QIO contract? | Upon contract award, the BFCC-QIO will have to submit the list of the equipment used to complete the BFCC task order work. |
| 10 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 10; 5. Task Order Requirement. 5.1 Contract Start-Up (g) BFCC QIO website (3) | Please define "Provider Related Information"? | Provider related information pertains to best practices and tools related to the performance of the TO. |
| 11 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 22; 5.2 Beneficiary Protection: Section C. Task Requirements. Task 1.9 Focused Reviews (a). | Will QIOs have access to backend data for this data mining? | Direct access to the database will not be provided. Contractor would need to provide parameters to have data/reports made available. |
| 12 | J.3-A CASE REVIEW SOW; pg. 7; 5. Task Order Requirement. 5.1 Contract Start-Up (d) (3) | Where will the results of the IRR be uploaded? QMARs? | IRR results will be reported to the COR. |
| 13 | J.3B, p. 4 | In the J.3B for sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 it states "Meeting Requirement as Specified in Tasks and by the COR/SME". This is not stated in the J.3A. Can CMS clarify when this deliverable would be required. | Attachment J.3-B has been updated. |
| 14 | Attachment_J.3-D, Section F., p. 12 | This section states, In order to adequately establish the reasonableness and realism of the proposed cost or price, the Offeror shall support their total cost or price with a functional Microsoft Excel spreadsheet breakdown of costs by SOW task/chapter. Can you explain how this differs from documents described in Attachment J.3-F, specifically the Business Proposal Forms, and Section III – Additional Explanation And Justification For Business Proposal? | This does not differ from from the documents (J.3-E) described in J.3-F and Section III - Additional Explanation and Justification For Business Proposal. |
| 16 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 5 Call Center/Beneficiary Helpline? | See Section 5.1 f |
| 17 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 35 Legal and Regulatory Affairs. | See tasks 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11 |
| 18 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 36 Memorandums of Agreement and Joint Operating Agreements. | Not a task but attributable to peer review process; see Chapter 3 of QIO Manual on Agreements |
| 19 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 37 Internal Quality Assurance and Surveillance. | See Chapter 13 of the QIO Manual, Section 13000, bullet number 1 |
| 20 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 38 Training Medical Staff. | See tasks 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11 |
| 21 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 39 Training Other Personnel. | See tasks 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11 |
| 22 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 40. Information Services. | In the rare instance that this cost center column is needed for items related to Information Services, that do not fall under Other Direct Costs, justification will be required. |
| 23 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 43 BFCC Transition Costs. | See section 5.1 k |
| 24 | Attachment_J.3-F, Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, Section IV, p. 6 | What Task(s), as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, are included in Cost Center Column 44 Offsite Storage. | Offsite Storage is for medical records in the rare instance that they can't be stored in the CMS designated system. |
| 25 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What is the difference between an Intensified review and a Focused review? These terms have historically been used interchangeably but different volumes are provided for each type of review. There is no FIVs code for Intensified Reviews, should any work estimates still go under the Focused Review FIVS code? | Intensified reviews are not a review type in this task order. The LOE attachment has been updated. |
| 26 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | Is the Intake LOE not included in the LOE estimates provided for the review types? | Intake is not included in the LOE estimates and will not be provided by CMS. |
| 27 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What are the projected volumes for quality Reconsiderations (BFC09) for each Region? | Offeror should project that Reconsiderations will be 16% of the total Appeals Volumes and 24% of the Quality of Care Volumes for a given region. |
| 28 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What is the projected call volumes, including incoming and outgoing, for each Region? | Call volumes should be based upon the offerors technical approach and case volume projections. |
| 29 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What are the projected review volumes for Readmission Reviews MA (BFC25) for each Region? | These have been removed from the forms as no cost per case is associated. |
| 30 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What are the projected review volumes for Readmission Reviews FFS (BFC23) for each Region? | These have been removed from the forms as no cost per case is associated. |
| 31 | Attachment J3.H: LOE by Case Type and Volume | What are the projected review volumes for HHRs (BFC17) for each Region? | Offeror should base their technical approach on the provided case volume projections and LOE. |
| 32 | Attachment J.3-H, Line 57G | For companies that have a fringe, overhead and a G&A rate, the current format would force those companies to combine the overhead and G&A into line 57. Would the Government consider revising the format to include a separate line for overhead and another separate line for G&A? | Form has been updated to add additional rows to allow for additional rate categories. |
| 33 | Attachment J.3-H, Estimated LOE by Case | Is there an LOE estimate per case for Hospital Requested Reviews? | Offeror should base their technical approach on the provided case volume projections and LOE. |
| 34 | Attachment J.3-H, Estimated LOE by Case | For budgeting purposes, is there a LOE estimate per case for Readmission Reviews? | SOW has been updated to remove Readmission Reviews. |
| 35 | Attachment J.3-H, Estimated LOE by Case | For budgeting purposes, is there a LOE estimate per case for Medical Necessity Reviews? | Estimates for Medical Necessity Reviews is included in every review type. |
| 36 | Attachment J.3-H, Estimated LOE by Case | For budgeting purposes, what is the anticipated LOE of Reconsideration Reviews? | Offeror should project that Reconsiderations will be 16% of the total Appeals Volumes and 24% of the Quality of Care Volumes for a given region. |
| 37 | Attachment J.3-H, Volume Projection | For budgeting purposes, what is the anticipated volume of Medical Necessity Reviews? | Estimates for Medical Necessity Reviews is included in every review type. |
| 38 | Attachment J.3-H, Volume Projection | For budgeting purposes, what is the anticipated volume of Reconsideration Reviews? | Offeror should project that Reconsiderations will be 16% of the total Appeals Volumes and 24% of the Quality of Care Volumes for a given region. |
| 39 | Attachment_J3-H LOE by Case, page 1 | Costs for Non-Review Activities is suggested to be 65% of total Review Costs. Please provide the list of Tasks, as described in Attachment J.3-A Case Review SOW, and the list of Cost Center Columns, as described in Attachment J.3-F – Case Review Business Proposal Instructions Case Review, that are considered Non-Review Activities. | Offeror should describe their non-review costs as a part of their business approach. Reference cost center columns that do not have volumes projected. |
| 40 | Attachment_J3-H LOE by Case, page 1 | Non-Review Activities is suggested to be 65% of total Review Activity. Are Case Review Intake Costs considered part of total Review Costs? | Yes, LOE is inclusive of intake costs. |
| 41 | Attachment_J3-H LOE by Case, page 1 | Do the Levels of Effort include the time of Physician Peer Reviewers? | Yes. |
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