Q&A Set 1

b) Are there any maximum bill rate caps per classification or region? a) There is no recommended maximum bid rate for each THPP classification.

b) Will rates proposed in the cost workbook be locked in for the entire contract term, or will there be opportunities for renegotiation based on market changes or facility-specific requests? a) Refer to Addendum 3 Attachment 6, Exhibit B, Section 4.A - "All THPP Classification rates shall be firm fixed for the MSA term, including any optional year extensions, unless a rate adjustment is granted for the THPP Hourly Rates."

b) Refer to Addendum 3 Attachment 6, Exhibit B, Section 4.A - "All THPP Classification rates shall be firm fixed for the MSA term, including any optional year extensions, unless a rate adjustment is granted for the THPP Hourly Rates.The Hourly Overhead rates are not subject to rate adjustments. The determination of rate adjustments shall be at the sole discretion of the State, and rate adjustments may be requested no more than once annually in accordance with the following guidelines.

1) Rate adjustments shall not be requested or made until one month after the first term of the awarded MSA has ended.

2) Rate adjustments will be based on the rates of the comparable CalHR classification posted on the CalHR Pay Scales / Classification Salary webpage. If the Contractor’s rate(s) fall below the comparable CalHR classification, the maximum rate adjustment allowed will be the minimum salary percentage increase from the previous year.

3) The Contractor is solely responsible for notifying the DGS-PD via email to the DGS Contract Administrator, as specified in the MSA User Instructions, of a rate adjustment request, no earlier than July 1st and no later than July 31st. Requests for rate adjustments will be reviewed in the order they are received. The Contractor shall identify the classification and provide a copy of the Pay Scales / Classification Salary to the Contract Administrator. The subject line of the email request must contain "Request for Rate Adjustment – MSA Number XXX". In the event of a rate increase, should the Contractor fail to make a request and submit supporting documentation to the DGS-PD within the timeframe noted above, the Contractor shall be deemed to have waived its right to any increase in rate for that year.

1) Rate adjustments shall not be requested or made until one month after the first term of the awarded MSA has ended.

2) Rate adjustments will be based on the rates of the comparable CalHR classification posted on the CalHR Pay Scales / Classification Salary webpage. If the Contractor’s rate(s) fall below the comparable CalHR classification, the maximum rate adjustment allowed will be the minimum salary percentage increase from the previous year.

3) The Contractor is solely responsible for notifying the DGS-PD via email to the DGS Contract Administrator, as specified in the MSA User Instructions, of a rate adjustment request, no earlier than July 1st and no later than July 31st. Requests for rate adjustments will be reviewed in the order they are received. The Contractor shall identify the classification and provide a copy of the Pay Scales / Classification Salary to the Contract Administrator. The subject line of the email request must contain "Request for Rate Adjustment – MSA Number XXX". In the event of a rate increase, should the Contractor fail to make a request and submit supporting documentation to the DGS-PD within the timeframe noted above, the Contractor shall be deemed to have waived its right to any increase in rate for that year.

b) Should proposers include all indirect costs (fringe, overhead, G&A, fee) within the “Hourly Rate,” or should the “Hourly Overhead Rate” represent a separate additive component to avoid duplication? a) Proposers must provide an hourly rate and an overtime rate. Refer to RFP Section 4.1.2.i, "Hourly rates submitted shall be inclusive of labor, personnel, training, and equipment costs necessary to perform services described in this RFP, including travel cost. Refer to, Exhibit A – Scope of Work. Only the rates submitted in the Cost Workbook shall be included in the awarded agreement. No other fees can be charged to User Agencies unless otherwise identified in the RFP." Refer to RFP Section 4.1.2.j, "Overhead rates submitted shall be inclusive of all expenses related to administration, recruitment, overhead, travel, and operating cost."

b) Can you have different rates per region? a) No. Rates must be at or above the Minimum Hourly THPP Rate indicated in Attachment 2, Cost Workbook. Refer to Attachment 2 - Cost Workbook, Instructions Tab Rate Details.

b) Please confirm if all other expenses, besides payroll taxes (including FICA, unemployment, workers comp, etc.) and travel time, which relate to the administration, recruitment, overhead, travel, and operating cost should be included in the Hourly Overhead Rates. a) Refer to RFP Section 4.1.2.i, "Hourly rates submitted shall be inclusive of labor, personnel, training, and equipment costs necessary to perform services described in this RFP, including travel cost. Refer to, Exhibit A – Scope of Work. Only the rates submitted in the Cost Workbook shall be included in the awarded agreement. No other fees can be charged to User Agencies unless otherwise identified in the RFP."

a) Can DGS confirm whether entities that are not physician-owned (e.g., healthcare staffing or management firms that employ or subcontract with licensed practitioners) are eligible to submit proposals as long as they comply with the Act through their contracting structure (e.g., using W-2 employees or subcontracted licensed providers) rather than physician ownership?

b) Additionally, can DGS clarify whether a general attestation in Attachment 3 – Narrative Response is sufficient to meet this requirement, or if supporting documentation is required? a) For classifications of Physicians/Psychiatrists, companies must be in compliance with Calfornia's Corporate Practice of Medicine.

b) A general attestation to Question 7 in the Attachment 3 - Narrative Response will suffice to meet the requirement for this solicitation.

b) Regarding Attachment 3 – Narrative Response, please confirm whether proposers are only required to provide “Yes” or “No” responses in the Excel file, or if additional written narrative explanations are expected for certain items. If narrative responses are required, please clarify which specific sections or questions must include detailed explanations versus simple “Yes/No” answers. a) Refer to RFP Section 2.1.6 Narrative Response. Proposers may add attachments to the Attachment 3 Narrative Response to further explain its response, but there is no additional requirement to do so.

a) Attachment 6, Page 7 b) Proof of State and Federally mandated training for healthcare providers. Unless otherwise specified by the User Agency, neither the Contractor nor the THPP shall receive payment for training.

b) Attachment 6, Page 7 c) Provide proof of clinical competency consistent with current California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and/or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standards, unless otherwise stated by the User Agency. a) Examples of State and Federally mandated training may include, but is not limited to:

- Infection control and bloodborne pathogens

- Mandatory reporting (child abuse, elder abuse)

- Cultural competency and language access

- Workplace safety and harassment prevention

b) Proof of clinical competency varies depending on the role of the healthcare provider and may include, but is not limited to:

- Licensure/Certification

- Training Records

- Competency Assessments

b) Will awards be made to a single vendor or multiple vendors, and will they be distributed by region, healthcare group, or position category?

c) Is there a maximum number of vendors that may be awarded per region or group? a) The number of awarded Contractors will vary depending on the amount of proposals received and awarded. There is no maximum number of awarded vendors.

b) Refer to RFP Section 6.3 - Selection and Award, "DGS-PD intends to award to all responsive and responsible Proposer(s) within each Region by Healthcare Group within the corresponding baseline rate as outlined in RFP Section 6.2.6."

b) Will all openings go to all awards vendors, or can State employees choose to work with only certain awarded vendors?

c) Are agencies allowed to directly select from multiple MSA holders, or will assignments be rotational/competitive among awarded vendors?

d) How will participating agencies be made aware of the vendor pool participants? Once the vendor pool is established, can those staffing firms reach out to participating agencies to understand their needs?

e) Will there be a secondary award tier (e.g., primary and backup vendors) per region?

f) In the event of a contract award, please clarify whether awarded vendors will be permitted to directly engage with individual departments/agencies for staffing requests or if all requirements will be routed through a centralized system?

g) Once awarded, is it permissible for vendors to initiate contact with hospital systems within their awarded regions to introduce services and build relationships, or must all communication be initiated through formal RFOs?

h) Are awarded vendors allowed to market this contract to all Department across the State of California? a) No. A User Agency contact will be identified upon award of a Request for Offer (RFO) for a User Agency Agreement. Bidders can reach out to the User Agency contact on the RFO for additional information.

b) For each region and Healthcare Group, User Agencies must send a Request for Offer (RFO) to a minimum of three Contractors.

c) For each region and Healthcare Group, User Agencies must send a Request for Offer (RFO) to a minimum of three Contractors.

d) The State Contract Administrator will prepare and administer User Instructions. User Agencies must refer to the User Instructions before ordering services and utilizing the RFO Contractor selection process. Staffing firms are not able to reach out to agencies until they have been contacted to participate in the RFO Contractor selection process by a User Agency.

e) No. There will not be a secondary award tier per region.

f) Awarded vendors will not be able to reach out to agencies until they have been contacted to participate in the RFO Contractor selection process by a User Agency.

g) Staffing firms are not able to reach out to agencies until they have been contacted to participate in the RFO Contractor selection process by a User Agency.

b) Can DGS-PD clarify if two customer references are required for the proposal, or if two customer references are required per service type?

c) Please confirm the number of Customer Reference Forms (Attachment 4) required for submission. The RFP specifies that proposers must submit two (2) completed customer reference forms with their proposal. Kindly confirm whether only two are required, or if proposers may (or are encouraged to) submit more than two references for evaluation purposes.

d) Do we need to have references for each region and for each category? Or can we have one reference that covers all regions and categories? a) Refer to RFP Section 3.2.1. Two customer references are required for the entire proposal.

b) Refer to RFP Section 3.2.1. Two customer references are required for the entire proposal.

c) Refer to RFP Section 3.2.1.5. Proposers are asked to submit no more than two (2) customer references. If more than two (2) customer references are submitted, DGS-PD shall evaluate only the first two (2) customer references

Would DGS-PD allow proposers to provide reference contact information (name, title, phone, and email) in lieu of completed written forms, and permit DGS to conduct brief phone verifications directly with those contacts, asking the customer reference questions outlined in Customer Reference Forms (Attachment 4)?

b) If so, will the state require TB screenings and related items that are only pertinent to in-person services? a) No. Refer to RFP Section 4.1.2 b, Proposers must propose on the same in-person services for each Healthcare Group to be eligible to propose on telehealth services for that Healthcare Group.

b) When is the incentive fee due—monthly, quarterly, or on another schedule?

c) Will reporting be required per user agreement or consolidated? a) Refer to Addendum 3, Attachment 6, Exhibit A, Section 10, During the MSA term, the Contractor shall submit a Usage Report to the State Contract Administrator on a monthly basis detailing all invoiced User Agreements.

b) The incentive fee will be due on a monthly basis. Refer to Addendum 3, Attachment 6, Exhibit A, Section 11.

b) Will the State provide IT support for telehealth services? a) IT support is available to User Agencies for State-owned equipment. IT support for Contractor-provided equipment will be the responsibility of the Contractor.

b) IT support is available to User Agencies for State-owned equipment. IT support for Contractor-provided equipment will be the responsibility of the Contractor

- Addendum 3 Attachment 6, Exhibit A, Section 5.A.12, "The Contractor shall maintain Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) compliancy for all written and electronic transmissions of protected health information."

- Addendum 3 Attachment 6, Exhibit A, Section 5.A.13, "The Contractor shall comply with the User Agency policies and any other Information Technology (IT) security standards and specifications identified by the User Agency."

- Addendum 3 Attachment 6, Exhibit A, Section 5.B.4, "Telehealth services and all equipment, connected devices, and connected systems/networks must comply with the User Agency telehealth policies, cybersecurity policies, and any other IT security standards and specifications identified by the User Agency."

b) Will telehealth services follow a consultation model, or be billed on an hourly basis?

c) If a consultancy model is used, what is the expected turnaround time for telehealth consultants (e.g., same day, within 24 hours)?

d) Will telehealth services include both initial consultations and follow-up visits, or only follow-ups? a) The way in which telehealth appointments are scheduled may vary by User Agency and will be determined at the User Agency Agreement level.

b) Telehealth services will be billed on an hourly basis.

c) Not applicable as telehealth services will be billed on an hourly basis.