RFP_IDIQ_MEPS_final.pdf

IDIQ Request for Proposal v. Jun-15; FAC 80 AHRQ-16-10002

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 1 of 144

Request for Proposal

No. AHRQ-16-10002

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION FORM

Date Issued: October 23, 2015

Date Questions Due: November 04, 2015

Please Note: All questions and inquires will be processed on a non-attribution basis.

Date Notice of Intent Due: December 01, 2015

Date and Time Proposals Due: December 08, 2015, 11:00 AM, EST

You are invited to submit a proposal to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

(AHRQ) for Request for Proposal (RFP) No. AHRQ-16-10002 entitled “Medical Expenditure

Panel Survey (MEPS) Household Component (HC) Support”. Your proposal must be developed and submitted in accordance with the requirements and instructions of this RFP.

Solicitation Information: Please review the table of contents and refer to the appropriate section of this RFP for requirements, proposal instructions and evaluation information. The Government intends to award this contract without negotiations, so it is imperative that all questions are addressed during the solicitation phase, and that all proposals submitted include the required information and accept the terms and conditions as stated. Failure to comply with proposal instructions or submit required information may result in the removal of a proposal from consideration for award. Please review Section L carefully.

Proposal Intent: If you intend to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation, please inform the Contracting Officer of your intent by completing the Proposal Intent Response Form (See section L.10 and Attachment A) and send it to the Contracting Officer no later than Insert Date.

You may mail it to the address below, fax it to 301-427-1740, Attention: Tara Bertolini, Contract

Specialist/Contracting Officer or email it to tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Questions: All Questions regarding this solicitation shall be received in this office no later than the date shown above. All questions shall be submitted electronically by e-mail to Tara Bertolini, Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer, at the following email address:

tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov. Subject line shall read: Proposal Questions RFP No. AHRQ-16-

10002. Answers to questions and all solicitation amendments will be posted to the Federal

Business Opportunities web page: www.fbo.gov. It is your responsibility to monitor the web site.

Additional Information:

An Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity, single-award, task order-type contract is contemplated for an ordering period of 6.5 years.

mailto:Insert%20Name@ahrq.hhs.gov http://www.fbo.gov/

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 2 of 144

The Government anticipates awarding 1 contract from this solicitation on or about July 1, 2016.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must state that they are valid for a period of at least 120 days (reference FAR clause 52.215-1 in Section L of this document.

The NAICS code for this requirement is 518210 with a size standard of $25M.

Proposal Submission: The proposal shall be signed by an authorized official to bind your organization and must be received by the due date specified above.

Your proposal may be mailed to the following address:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Division of Contracts Management

5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 06N34B

Rockville, Maryland 20857

Attn: Tara Bertolini

Hand carried proposals may be delivered to the above location. Please bring all packages to the loading dock. Please mark each box: AHRQ, OMS/DCM, Attn: Tara Bertolini, Mail Stop

06N34B. The packages will be accepted and date/time stamped in the mail room. However, please allow ample time as proposals cannot be accepted until they have gone through security. We will not be held responsible for any delays that may be incurred getting your proposal through security.

NOTE: The U.S. Postal Service’s “Express Mail” does not deliver to our Rockville, Maryland address. Please do not use this means of delivery for proposal submission.

System for Award Management: In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation, all contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to conduct business with the government [See Section I - FAR clause 52.204-7 System for

Award Management]. Access the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov.

Reminder: The Procurement Integrity Act prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of, inquiry about, or acceptance of procurement information. Communications with any other individual outside the AHRQ contracting office may result in rejection of an offeror’s proposal. All requests for any information concerning this RFP should be referred to Tara Bertolini, (301) 427-1705 or e-mail: tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov. Please note e-mail requests should state subject as RFP

AHRQ-16-10002.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:Insert%20Name@ahrq.hhs.gov

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 3 of 144

Table of Contents

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION FORM

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION J – SOLICITATION LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV– REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

Attachments

Attachments listed in Section J are appended at the end of this document.

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 4 of 144

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

““Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) – Household Component (HC) Support”. See

Section C for a complete description.

B.2 TASK ORDERS

This is a Single Award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity IDIQ contract. All services will be acquired on an as-needed basis through issuance of Task Orders. Under this IDIQ contract, the minimum is $500,000, while the total maximum amount of all task orders competed and awarded shall not exceed $310,000,000. No costs shall be incurred or reimbursed on this contract unless the cost is associated with an approved, signed Task Order.

The contract items and associated Statement of Work (Section C) requirements and prices are shown below:

Task Order 1 (MEPS Survey)

CLIN # SOW Task # Services Est. Cost Fixed Fee Total POP

Panel #

0001A 1.5 MEPS Survey Base Year

Severable $ $ $ 01 July 16 – 30 Nov. 16 N/A

B.3 OPTION TASK COSTS (TASK ORDER 1 PRICING ONLY)

If the Government exercises its option(s) pursuant to the option article in Section H of this contract, the Government’s total contract amount represented by the sum of the estimated cost and fixed fee will be revised as follows:

Task Order 1 (MEPS Survey Option Years)

CLIN # SOW Task # Services Est. Cost Fixed Fee Total POP Panel #

0001B 1.6 MEPS Survey OY 1

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 16 – 30 Nov. 17 22

0001C 1.7 MEPS Survey OY 2

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 17 – 30 Nov. 18 22/23

0001D 1.8 MEPS Survey OY 3

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 18 – 30 Nov. 19 22/23/24

0001E 1.9 MEPS Survey OY 4

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 19 – 30 Nov. 20 23/24/25

0001F 1.10 MEPS Survey OY 5

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 20 – 30 Nov. 21 24/25

0001G 1.11 MEPS Survey OY 6

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 21 – 30 Nov. 22 25

0001H 1.12 MEPS Survey OY 7

Severable $ $ $ 01 Dec 22 – 31 Dec. 22 N/A

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 5 of 144

Task Order 1 (Survey Add-Ons)

CLIN # SOW

Task #

Services Est. Cost Fixed Fee Total POP Panel/ Option Year

0002A1a 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002A1b 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002A1c 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 6 months ARO 22/OY 4

0002A2a 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002A2b 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002A2c 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 6 months ARO 23/OY 5

0002A3a 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002A3b 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002A3c 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 6 months ARO 24/OY 6

0002A4a 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

0002A4b 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 6

0002A4c 2.0 Enhance Log. Capacity Severable $ $ $ 6 months ARO 25/OY 7

0002B1a 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 1

0002B1b 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002B1c 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002B2a 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 2

0002B2b 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002B2c 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002B3a 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 3

0002B3b 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002B3c 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002B4a 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 4

0002B4b 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 6 of 144

0002B4c 2.0 Addition of 1,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 25/OY 6

0002C1a 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 1

0002C1b 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002C1c 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002C2a 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 2

0002C2b 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002C2c 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002C3a 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 3

0002C3b 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002C3c 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002C4a 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 4

0002C4b 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

0002C4c 2.0 Addition of 1,500 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 25/OY 6

0002D1a 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 1

0002D1b 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002D1c 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002D2a 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 2

0002D2b 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002D2c 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002D3a 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 3

0002D3b 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002D3c 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002D4a 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 4

0002D4b 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

0002D4c 2.0 Addition of 2,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 25/OY 6

0002E1a 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 1

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 7 of 144

0002E1b 2.0 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002E1c 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002E2a 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 2

0002E2b 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002E2c 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002E3a 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 3

0002E3b 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002E3c 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002E4a 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 4

0002E4b 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

0002E4c 2.0 Addition of 3,000 households Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 25/OY 6

0002F1a 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 1

0002F1b 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 22/OY 2

0002F1c 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 22/OY 3

0002F2a 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 2

0002F2b 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 23/OY 3

0002F2c 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 23/OY 4

0002F3a 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 3

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 8 of 144

0002F3b 2.0 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 24/OY 4

0002F3c 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 24/OY 5

0002F4a 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 4

0002F4b 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 12 months ARO 25/OY 5

0002F4c 2.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin Severable $ $ $ 06 months ARO 25/OY 6

The base period and each option are separate and distinct from one another for accumulation of costs and billing purposes.

B.4 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE (TASK ORDER PRICING):

3.0 Non –Severable Items (to be awarded through the issuance of additional task orders) CLIN # SOW Task # Services Est. Cost Fixed Fee Total POP

0003A1 3.0 Pre-Codes Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003A2 3.0 Pharmacy Provider List Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003A3 3.0 Condition Enumeration Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003A4 3.0

CAPI health Ins. and Employment changes Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003A5 3.0 CAPI Provider Directory Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003A6 3.0 CAPI Medical Events ID Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003B 3.0 Alternative Sample Design Non-Severable $ $ $ 15 months ARO

0003C1 3.0

SAQ1

Non-Severable $ $ $ 36 months ARO

0003C2 3.0

SAQ2

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003C3 3.0

SAQ3

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003C4 3.0

SAQ4

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 9 of 144

0003D1 3.0

SAQ MCC1

Non-Severable $ $ $ 36 months ARO

0003D2 3.0

SAQ MCC2

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003D3 3.0

SAQ MCC3

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003D4 3.0

SAQ MCC4

Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003E1 3.0

Collection Authorization Forms 1 Non-Severable $ $ $ 21 months ARO

0003E2 3.0

Collection Authorization Forms 2 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003E3 3.0

Collection Authorization Forms 3 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003E4 3.0

Collection Authorization Forms 4 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003F 3.0

Critical Path CAPI Instruction Non-Severable $ $ $ 21 months ARO

0003G 3.0 Residence History Non-Severable $ $ $ 21 months ARO

0003H1 3.0 Health Policy Booklets 1 Non-Severable $ $ $ 21 months ARO

0003H2 3.0 Health Policy Booklets 2 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003H3 3.0 Health Policy Booklets 3 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003H4 3.0 Health Policy Booklets 4 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 21 months ARO

0003I1 3.0

Health Policy Booklets Data Abstraction 1 Non-Severable $ $ $ 36 months ARO

0003I2 3.0

Health Policy Booklets Data Abstraction 2 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003I3 3.0

Health Policy Booklets Data Abstraction 3 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003I4 3.0

Health Policy Booklets Data Abstraction 4 Non-Severable $ see above $ $ 36 months ARO

0003J 3.0

Addition of 3,000 households web-based admin.

Non-Severable $ $ $ 21 months ARO

0003K 3.0 Design and Develop Longitudinal Survey Tool $ $ $ 21 months ARO

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 10 of 144

B. 6 PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

a. Items Unallowable Unless Otherwise Provided Notwithstanding the clauses, ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT, and FIXED FEE, incorporated into this contract, unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, the costs of the following items or activities shall be unallowable as direct costs:

(1) Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property;

(2) Rearrangement or alteration of facilities;

(3) Purchase or lease of any item of general purpose-office furniture or office equipment regardless of dollar value. (General purpose equipment is defined as any items of personal property which are usable for purposes other than research, such as office equipment and furnishings, pocket calculators, etc.);

(4) Accountable Government property;

(5) Travel to attend general scientific meetings;

(6) Foreign Travel;

(7) Any costs incurred prior to the contract's effective date;

(8) Rental of meeting rooms not otherwise expressly paid for by the contract;

(9) Any formal subcontract arrangements not otherwise expressly provided for in the contract;

(10) Consultant fees;

(11) Information Technology hardware or software; and

(12) Food and Beverages.

(13) No funding or expenditures are authorized under this contract/task order for travel or meeting expenses of any person that is not an employee of the contractor or approved subcontractor in accordance with the terms of the contract. See 31 USC 1345 for appropriations restrictions.

Note: Food and Beverages are unallowable costs. Contracting Officer Authorization for Food and Beverages will be only made as specifically authorized by statute, which is extremely rare. The contractor shall not provide food or beverages of any type. The contractor shall not accept food or beverages, even if included in, or provided ‘free’ as part of a meeting/conference ‘package’.

b. Travel Costs This contract is subject to the provisions of Public Law (P.L.) 99-234 which amends the

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to provide that contractor costs for travel, including lodging, other subsistence, and incidental expenses, shall be allowable only to the extent that they do not exceed the amount allowed for Federal employees. The Contractor, therefore, shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 31.205-46.

The following applies to Educational Institutions: The Contractor shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with OMB Circular A-21 - "Cost Principles for Educational Institutions."

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SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work as follows:

Statement of Work

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component Support

Introduction

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC), Medical Provider Component (MPC), and Insurance Component (IC), which began in 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.), and employers across the United States. MEPS collects data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently they use them, the cost of these services, and how they are paid for, as well as health insurance held by and available to the civilian non-institutionalized population.

Surveys collecting data on medical expenditures began in the 1970s at a time when the structure of health care services, private insurance, Federal health care programs and the characteristics of the U.S. population were undergoing enormous change. The first of these surveys, the National Medical Care Expenditure Survey (NMCES), was conducted in 1977.

Similar to the MEPS-HC survey, NMCES had three main components: a household survey, a survey of physicians utilized by the household members, and a health insurance employer component. Approximately 14,000 households participated in five core rounds of interviews over a 14-month period.

In 1987, the National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) was conducted. Approximately 16,000 households participated in NMES, including 2,000 American Indian and Alaskan Native households. Once again, the household information was supplemented by surveys of medical and health insurance providers utilized by respondents.

In 1996, the current survey (conducted annually from 1996 to present), the MEPS-HC, is designed to provide more timely information about the nation’s changing health care system.

MEPS-HC introduces a new panel or sample of households into the survey every year and is conducted continually rather than once every 10 years. MEPS-HC households are a subsample of households that previously participated in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately six months to a year prior to MEPS. The MEPS-HC collects data from a sample of families and individuals in selected communities across the United States.

Like the earlier surveys, the information collected in MEPS-HC from households is supplemented by surveys of medical providers.

During the household interviews, MEPS-HC collects the following detailed information for each person in the household: demographic characteristics, health conditions, health status, use of

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 12 of 144 medical services, charges and source of payments, access to care, satisfaction with care, health insurance coverage, income, and employment.

The panel design of the survey, which features five core rounds of interviewing covering two full calendar years, makes it possible to determine how changes in respondents’ health status, income, employment, eligibility for public and private insurance coverage, use of services, and payment for care related.

HC data are available on the MEPS Web site in data tables, downloadable data files (person, job, event, or condition level), and interactive data tools, as well as in publications using HC data. Data is released on a flow basis consisting of the following files: population characteristics; jobs; point in time; other medical expenses; dental visits; home health visits;

office-based visits; emergency room visits; outpatient visits; inpatient stays; prescribed medicines; private health insurance detail; medical conditions; and expenditures. Release of data takes place starting 10 months after data collection and ends with the release of the expenditures file 17 months after the end of the reference period. Data processing takes place throughout the data collection process in order to release the data to the public at the soonest possible date.

The MEPS-MPC, a separate requirement, sample includes all hospitals, emergency rooms, home health care agencies, outpatient departments, pharmacies, and long term health care facilities reported by HC respondents as well as all physicians who provide services for patients in hospitals but bill separately from the hospital (these physicians are identified by the hospitals not the HC respondents). Office-based medical providers (including those in Health Maintenance Organizations) where the provider is either a doctor of medicine (MD) or Osteopathy (DO) or practices under the direct supervision of an MD or DO are included in the MEPS-MPC as well.

The scope of activity under this procurement includes the conduct of the HC data collection, data processing throughout the reference period, the preparation of data files needed for subsequently fielding the MEPS-MPC, imputation and estimation tasks, and the production of an extensive array of analytic files. In addition, the offeror is expected to use and maintain the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) application. A number of modifications to the instrument are anticipated over the life of the contract to improve the functionality. This will be accomplished through the issuance of separate task orders.

Scope

The contractor shall perform the following types of services under this contract:

Survey/project management

Continue operation of MEPS-HC

Preparation of MEPS-HC documentation

Liaison with MEPS-HC principals

Cooperation and liaison with MEPS-MPC contractor assuring timely file transfers for editing/imputation work

Cooperation with AHRQ to obtain clearances

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 13 of 144

Meeting arrangements

Project closeout/transfer of operations

Reporting, work planning, management meetings

Household Component

Implementation and documentation of sample

Development of weights for producing national estimates and variables for variance estimations

Imputation to correct for item nonresponse

Geocoding the database

Producing questionnaires and supporting materials

Revise CAPI instruments as requested by AHRQ

Recruiting, training, and managing interviews

Collecting data

Interviewing in Spanish and other languages

Updating the provider directory on an ongoing basis

Collecting authorization forms and establishing the sample for the Medical Provider Component and providing such to the Medical Provider Component contractor

Data Processing

Providing data security

Between round processing

Forms control and receipt

Data entry

Conducting training program for coders and verifiers

Benchmarking to outside data sources and previous years MEPS estimates

Developing analytic files

Production of public use data files with accompanying benchmarking and documentation

Resources

The contractor and its subcontractors shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the specific requirements below.

Storage

The contractor shall store all necessary materials for a period of time determined by the Government and shall investigate available technology and use the most efficient means to store all the necessary materials and documents and sensitive data.

The contractor shall also set up and maintain a secure encrypted data transmission line so that confidential data and documents can be transmitted from the contractor to AHRQ. The Government will provide hardware to the contractor for the encrypted line.

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 14 of 144

1.0 MEPS Survey (Task Order 1)

1.1 Earned Value Management

1.1a. The contractor shall use an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) in the management of this contract that is consistent with ANSI/EIA-STD-748 guidelines.

1.1b. The contractor shall report earned value monthly based on actual data from (or reconcilable with) its accounting systems. The Government and the contractor shall negotiate the level of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) at which earned value shall be reported. If subcontractors are used, the contractor shall develop and implement a system to ensure that its subcontractors comply with the requirement, and each monthly progress report must address performance at the prime and subcontractor level.

1.1c. The contractor shall deliver with the EVM Work Plan (deliverable is due during base and options 1-6) a contract-level Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) that rolls up all the time-phased WBSs for the individual tasks. This IMS shall include the dependencies that exist between tasks.

1.1d. The contractor shall deliver with the EVM Work Plan a Critical Path at the contract-level.

1.1e. The contractor shall report Earned Value Management (EVM) data for the entire project and specific deliverables/milestones in the monthly report in the form of a Contract Performance Report (CPR). This report should contain all of the elements of the typical CPR to include: Budget at Completion (BAC) – total planned cost of the total project or specified deliverable/milestone at completion; Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) – Cumulative expected planning cost for activities planned to be completed by the end of the reporting month; Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)

– cumulative amount actually spent on activities performed as the end of the reporting month; Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) – cumulative planned costs of the activities actually performed as of the end of the reporting month; and Cost and Schedule Variances – in the form of a %.

1.1f. The contractor shall provide a corrective action plan with the monthly earned value report in cases where cost or schedule, as measured by Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI), exceeds performance thresholds. The Government and the contractor shall negotiate the performance thresholds. The corrective action plan shall address the following items: Brief description of the issue (identify the nature of the issue as cost, schedule, performance, or resources and explain why the issue came to be); Impact on the project completion; Brief description of the corrective action plan, strategy; and Corrective tasks/actions that are required to eliminate or mitigate the issue, including task/action number, point of contact, start and end dates and comments.

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1.1g. If the corrective action plan requires rebaselining (the performance baseline), the corrective action plan also shall address the following items: The proposed new baseline; the reason(s) why rebaselining is required; and Documentation of the reasonableness of the proposed new baselines and the accuracy of any new cost estimates.

1.1h. The Performance Baseline, WBS, BCWS, Integrated Master Schedule, and monthly earned value report shall clearly breakout the deliverables and activities related to the development and maintenance of systems, software, databases, and websites. It shall also clearly separate development, modernization, and enhancement (DME) deliverables and activities from operations and maintenance deliverable and activities.

1.1.i. EVM Work Plan and corrective action plan (as needed) shall be submitted to the COR for review and approval.

1.2 Continue operation of the MEPS-HC

The contractor shall continue operation of the ongoing Household Component of the MEPS (MEPS-HC) beginning with Round 1 field interviewing for the 2017 Household Panel. The contractor shall also begin work on planning for data processing for the 2017 estimation and analytic files upon award of the contract. The transition period between the current MEPS contract and this contract is critical to the MEPS-HC. It is critical that continuity of the data collection instruments, sample design, interviewing techniques, data processing, editing and data file formatting be maintained and that any changes between the old and new contracts be transparent to respondents and data users.

AHRQ will maintain strong oversight over the expenditures, management and operations of this contract. The contractor shall maintain communication and reporting mechanisms to facilitate such oversight. The contractor shall anticipate and plan for periodic in-person observation of data collection and processing activities by AHRQ staff at the COR’s discretion. Such observation shall average 10 per round of data collection over the time period of the contract.

1.2.1 Preparation of MEPS-HC Documentation – Base, Options 1-6

The contractor shall maintain and update a Project Management Plan and shall make an initial delivery 30 days after the effective date of the contract. The Project Management Plan shall detail major milestones in data collection, data processing and data delivery. The proposed completion tasks for the milestones shall remain fixed, but on a bi-annual basis the Project Management Plan shall be updated with actual dates. Discrepancies between proposed and actual dates shall be noted and their implications for final data delivery fully described. An annual methodology report documenting survey progress on each major task ( Household Component, Data Processing, and Delivery, Management) including archival copies of decisions memos shall be delivered to the COR by June 15 of each year, referring to the previous calendar year’s activities (this task is 508 applicable). A subcontracting report will be delivered annually. Deliverable 1.2.1 is due during base and options 1-6. Deliverable 1.2.1.a is due during base and options 1-6. Deliverable 1.2.1.b is due during options 2-6.

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1.2.2 Liaison with MEPS-HC principals

The contractor shall establish cooperative staff-to-staff relationships in pursuit of this objective.

The establishment of a cooperative relationship is imperative in light of the fact that estimations for 2017 will consist of the first year of the 2017 panel (base period of this contract) and the second year of the 2016 panel (data collected by the legacy contractor).

1.2.3 Cooperate with AHRQ in obtaining required OMB clearances

The contractor shall prepare materials required for any and all clearance actions during the course of the contract. This shall include preparing burden estimates, written descriptions of the survey and sample design, the design and description of any special experiments, and electronic copy of survey questionnaires and respondent materials. Deliverable 1.2.3 is due during base (due 30 days after effective date of the contract) and options 1-3.

1.2.4 Project closeout/transfer of operations

The contractor shall turn over all files, computer programs, tabulations, documentation and other items within ninety (90) days of request made by COR in such form (electronic and paper) that the project may be continued by a successor. MEPS data collection is currently conducted using a MEPS questionnaire software application programmed in a commercial software package (Blaise 4.6) augmented by Westat-developed software (WVS). The MEPS questionnaire runs in the Windows 7 operating system on a laptop computer configured with a number of additional applications which support collection, storage, and transmission of MEPS data. This CAPI configuration is to be made available for data collection year 2017, panel 22.

Additionally, the contractor has initiated CAPI modernization efforts, upgrading the CAPI software to COTS Blaise 4.8 (or more recent update). The contractor shall make this available for data collection year 2018, panel 23.

1.2.5 Monthly Progress Reports

Beginning on the tenth day of the second month after the effective date of the contract and on the tenth calendar day of every month of contract performance thereafter, the contractor shall submit to the AHRQ Contracts Office, the COR and other designated Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends (CFACT) staff, a monthly progress report in electronic format, via e-mail as attachments or secure final transfer protocol (ftp) or extranet site with e-mail notification that reports are available for download. When the tenth calendar day falls on a weekend, the EVM report shall be provided to the COR and AHRQ EVM Specialist on the preceding Friday or closet weekday. The rest of the monthly report may be provided after the weekend.

At a minimum, the monthly progress report shall:

Summarize the progress of work performed during the reporting period, note milestones, describe past problems (including a concise statement of success or lack thereof in solving the problems encountered)

Describe anticipated problems and proposed solutions

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Describe work planned for the next reporting period, compare progress and resource expenditures to the original schedule and budget and provide explanations for any variances

Assess whether the current total estimated contract cost is sufficient to complete the contract

Describe significant changes in the contractor’s operational personnel

Summarize all additions, modifications, and configuration changes to all project software and database designs, specifications, testing, quality assurance efforts, maintenance and operational solutions and associated work efforts accomplished during the month

Provide the earned value information requested in 1.1

Also provide disclosure of any new work products, computer databases or programs, or any other inventions that may be subject to intellectual property protection

Provide a description of how the contractor intends to manage intellectual property rights

Deliverable 1.2.5 is due during base and options 1-7.

1.2.5.1 Bi-monthly Management Meeting

During the project the contractor shall hold, at a minimum, a bi-monthly management meeting at its office, at AHRQ, or through conference call during which the project will be discussed. The contractor shall submit an agenda, and any materials to be used for discussion, five working days in advanced of meetings. The participants in the management meetings will include the COR (in person or via telephone) and other Agency staff as appropriate, the Project Director, and relevant contractor project staff as approved by the COR prior to the meeting. Progress will be reviewed, milestones discussed, response rates presented, problems examined, solutions explored, and short-range and long-range plans made. Deliverable 1.2.5.1 is due during base and options 1-7.

1.2.5.2 Bi-monthly Management Meeting Minutes and Action Items

Minutes and action items resulting from this meeting shall be prepared by the contractor and submitted to the COR within ten days after completion of the meeting. If corrections are necessary, revised replacement minutes shall be submitted to the COR within two (2) days after receipt of the COR’s comments.

The contractor shall prepare and distribute minutes of all management meetings, and any other decision making meeting with AHRQ. The minutes shall include the contract number, project director, a list of attendees, a description of the issues discusses, action items, assignments and due dates.

All deliverables to AHRQ should be sent as separate PDF files and a naming convention for all files agreed upon by AHRQ and the contractor shall be used. Deliverable 1.2.5.2 is due during base and options 1-7.

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1.3 Household Component

1.3.1 Implement and document the MEPS-HC sample design

The sample for each new panel of the MEPS-HC will be selected by the Government. The COR shall provide each annual sample to the contractor no later than December 1 of the year prior to the fielding of the sample (for instance December 1, 2016 for fielding in early 2017). The contractor shall submit to the COR sample preparation and data collection plans for the sample transmitted to the contractor, including specifications for sample preparation, the procedures to maximize survey response, monitoring response rates, nonresponse bias studies, procedures for adjusting sample weights for nonresponse, and variance estimations procedures.

Deliverable 1.3.1 is due during base and options 1-3.

The sample for the 2017 panel of the MEPS-HC will be drawn as a subsample of households (dwelling units) that responded to the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The national area probability sample of households (including group quarters as well as other noninstitutionalized and institutionalized dwelling units) will represent the population of the United States and the District of Columbia. Specifically, the 2017 panel sample for the MEPS- HC will be a nationally representative subsample from responding households in two of the four 2016 NHIS panels. (The annual NHIS sample of households is partitioned into four nationally representative subdesigns, referred to as “panels” each with approximately the same number of households. Since 1996, two panels of the four panels in the NHIS have been reserved for use by AHRQ for the MEPS-HC.)

The full (all four panels) 2016 NHIS sample based on the new NHIS sample design implemented in 2016 will consist of 428 sample primary sampling units (PSUs). (It should be noted that in the 2016 NHIS sample redesign many of the NHIS certainty metropolitan areas were partitioned into smaller geographic areas or mini PSUs, (one or more counties), thus a large metropolitan area often contains multiple self-representing or certainty PSUs known as SPSUs (Stratification Primary Sampling Units or sample PSUs). The annual NHIS sample based on the new 2016 design has a targeted sample of approximately 35,000 responding households. The new NHIS sample design has the capacity for sample expansions related to state level estimation in addition to national estimates.

The 2016 NHIS reserved for the 2017 MEPS-HC sample selection will consist of about 200 SPSUs and approximately 18,000 responding NHIS households will be eligible for subsampling for the MEPS-HC. In addition, MEPS-HC may oversample additional policy relevant subgroups of the population from among the NHIS eligible sample.

The data collection for the MEPS-HC shall include obtaining information for all members within sample households. MEPS-HC analyses are conducted using the person, families, and the household as units of analysis. Through the reenumeration section of the Round 1 MEPS-HC questionnaire, the status of each individual sampled at the time of the NHIS interview is classified as “key or non-key” and “in-scope”. Sampling reenumeration takes place in each subsequent interview Round for persons in all households selected into the core survey. The “keyness” and “in-scope” indicators, together, define the sample to be used for person level national estimates. Some definitions follow.

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Dwelling Units. Reporting Units and Other Definitions: The definitions for Dwelling Units and Group Quarters in the MEPS-HC Household Survey are generally consistent with the definitions of households, families, and group quarters employed for the NHIS. A Reporting Unit is a person or group of persons in the sampled dwelling unit that are related by blood, marriage, adoption or other family associations, who are to be interviewed at the same time in MEPS-HC.

Examples of discrete reporting units are:

1.3.1.1 married daughter and her husband living with her parents in the same dwelling are considered one reporting unit

1.3.1.2 husband and wife and their unmarried daughter, age 18, who is living away from home at college, constitute one family, but two reporting units.

1.3.1.3 Three unrelated persons living in the same dwelling unit would be three reporting units.

Unmarried college students under 24 years of age who usually live in the sampled household, but are currently living away from home and going to school, will be treated as separate Reporting Units for the purpose of MEPS-HC data collection.

Key Persons: Key survey participants are defined as all civilian individuals who reside in households that responded to the nationally representative NHIS subsample reserved for the MEPS-HC, with the exception of college students interviewed at dormitories. Members of the armed forces that are on full time active duty and reside in responding NHIS households which include other family members who are civilian individuals are also to be defined as key persons, but will be considered out of scope for person level estimates derived for the survey.

All other individuals who join the NHIS reporting units that define the 2017 MEPS-HC household sample (in Round 1 or later MEPS-HC rounds) and did not have an opportunity for selection during the time of the NHIS interview will also be considered key persons. These include newborn babies, individuals who were in an institution or outside the country moving to the United States, and military personnel previously residing on military bases who joined MEPS- HC reporting units to live in the community.

College students under 24 years of age interviewed at dormitories in the 2016 NHIS will be considered ineligible for the 2017 MEPS-HC sample and not included in that sample.

Furthermore, any unmarried college students under 24 years of age that responded to the 2016 NHIS interview while living away at school (not in a dormitory) will be excluded from the sample if it is determined in the MEPS-HC Round 1 interview that the person is unmarried, under 24 years of age, and a student with parents living elsewhere who resides at his/her current housing only during the school year. If, on the other hand, the person’s status at the time of the MEPS- HC Round 1 interview is no longer that of an unmarried student under 24 years of age living away from home, then the person will be retained in the MEPS-HC sample as a key person.

Alternatively, at the time of the MEPS-HC Round 1 interview with NHIS sample respondents, a determination will be made if there are any related college students under 24 years of age who usually live in the sampled household, but are currently living away from home and going to school. These college students are considered key persons and will be identified and

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Some of these college students living away from home at the time of Round 1 interview will have been identified as living in sampled household at the time of the NHIS interview. The remainder will be identified at the time of the MEPS-HC Round 1 interview with the NHIS sampled households.

Non-key Persons: Persons who were not living in the original sampled dwelling at the time of the NHIS interview and who had a non-zero probability of selection for that survey will be considered non-key. If such persons happen to be living in sampled households (in Round 1 or later rounds) MEPS-HC data, (e.g., utilization and income) will be collected for the period of time they are part of the sampled unit to permit family analyses. Non-key persons who leave any sample household will not be recontacted for subsequent interviews. Non-key individuals are not part of the target sample used to obtain person level national estimates.

In situations where key persons from the NHIS sampled households selected for MEPS-HC move out (in Round 1 or later rounds) and join or create another family, data on all members of this new household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or foster care to the persons from the NHIS sampled household will be obtained from the point in time that the NHIS sampled person joined that new household. Similarly, data will be collected (in Round 1 and later rounds) on all related persons who join NHIS sampled households selected into the MEPS-HC.

Persons in NHIS sampled household selected in MEPS-HC who subsequently enter a long term health care facility and leave the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States will require collection of all data elements, including identification of all medical providers for fielding in the MEPS-MPC during their stay in identified institutions. Note that this is a change from current procedure and may require adjustments to both CAPI application and to field procedures.

Alternatively, persons in NHIS sampled household selected in the MEPS-HC who subsequently enter military service or move out of the U.S. and leave the civilian population of the United States do not require any data collection, but their whereabouts must be monitored during the field period. Upon their return to the U.S. civilian population, these persons shall once again be subject to data collection.

MEPS-HC Data Collection Eligibility: In order for a MEPS-HC reporting unit to be eligible for data collection, the unit must include at least one individual who is “key” and “in scope” for some period of time during the reference period for a given round of data collection. If this condition holds, the persons who are “key” and “in scope” and all other individuals who are members of the reporting unit (living together and related by blood, marriage, adoption or other family associations) are eligible for data collection in a given round of the MEPS-HC.

1.3.2 Development of weights and variables for variance estimation

The contractor shall deliver to the Government a plan that results in the development, improvement, specification and implementation of methods for the development of appropriate round 1/3 and full year sampling weights (including unit and person level nonresponse adjustments based on theoretical and empirical considerations and making use of the most relevant data available and post-stratification and/or raking to adjust weights to population

MEPS – Household Component (HC) Page 21 of 144 control totals). The contractor shall also specify the variables required for variance estimation.

Provisions shall be made for hand off of weights and variables for variance estimation to the Medical Provider Component contractor in a timely manner. Deliverable 1.3.2 is due during options 1-4. Deliverable 1.3.2.a is due during options 2-5.

1.3.2.1 Development of Self-Administered Questionnaire and Diabetes Care Supplement weights

For each of the data deliverables identified, the contractor shall provide a plan that results in the development, improvement, specification and implementation of methods for the development of appropriate Self-Administered Questionnaire and Diabetes Care Supplement weights (including person level nonresponse adjustments based on theoretical and empirical considerations and making use of the most relevant data available and post-stratification and/or raking to adjust weights to population control totals). Deliverable 1.3.2.1 is due during options 1-4.

1.3.2.2 Development of person level base weights

The contractor shall deliver a plan for the construction of the base weights for the MEPS sample.