Response_to_Questions_AHRQ-17-10001.pdf

AHRQ-17-10001

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Medical Provider Component

Responses to Questions

1. Page 31 of the RFP provides detailed descriptions of Optional Tasks A-C, but lacks details for Optional Tasks D-F. On page 114 of the RFP under Task 4.1 the offeror is instructed to describe staff, equipment, resources, and response rate strategies for additional sample, but no optional sampling specifications are provided. Would AHRQ clarify the scope of Optional Tasks D-F?

Answer: Please refer to Section 4.1 of the SOW of RFP Solicitation Amendment 1.

2. Is the existing Integrated Data Collection System (IDCS) that includes a Web component in which the MEPS-MPC forms are programmed for computer-assisted data entry (CADE) transferrable to a new contractor? Can you describe the technologies in use, licenses required, etc.

Answer: The ICDS is proprietary and not transferable. Please refer to Attachment E of the RFP Solicitation Amendment 1 for reference material available on the MEPS web site and upon request from the Government.

3. Is the existing case management system (CMS) used for data collection transferrable to a new contractor? Can you describe the technologies in use, licenses required, etc.

Answer: The CMS is proprietary and not transferable. Please refer to Attachment E of the RFP Solicitation Amendment 1 for reference material available on the MEPS web site and upon request from the Government.

4. Can AHRQ provide all existing data collection and case management systems design and operations documentation to offerors now?

Answer: The Government will provide this information upon award if requested.

5. What percent of non-pharmacy providers send medical and billing records electronically (e.g., secure file transfer protocol; encrypted email)?

Answer: Less than ten percent of non-pharmacy providers send medical and billing records electronically (e.g., secure file transfer protocol; encrypted email).

6. What percent of non-pharmacy providers send medical and billing records hard copy via regular mail or fax?

Answer: In the most recent data collection cycle (2015 data year), breakouts of provider type by data collection mode (phone or abstraction) are included in the table below. All abstraction was completed from hard copy records received from a provider.

Provider Type Percent Abstraction Percent Phone Data Collection

Home Health 49 51

Hospital 91 9

Institution 31 69

Office Based Providers 49 51

Separately Billing Doctors 20 80

7. In Optional Task A, page 31, please clarify the definition of an “Alternative Care Organization”.

Answer: An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is an organization of health care providers that agrees to be accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of insurance plan beneficiaries who are assigned to it. For ACO purposes, “assigned” means those beneficiaries for whom the professionals in the ACO provide the bulk of primary care services.

8. Would AHRQ consider a one week extension, changing the proposal due date from December 9 to December 16 to provide offerors sufficient time to prepare our response and proposed costs for Options D-F?

Answer: No, the due date and time remain unchanged.

9. On page 108 of the RFP, under L.6 (b), would AHRQ reconsider lifting the 12-point Times

New Roman formatting requirements for charts, graphs, and tables? If not, would AHRQ lift this requirement for the charts, graphs, and tables in the main body of the proposal, if we also provide 12-point font charts graphs and tables in an appendix?

Answer: As long as the text is legible, offerors may use a font smaller than 12-point or Times New Roman for charts, graphs and tables. However, in accordance with the instructions in the RFP, the government will not allow offerors to submit charts, graphs or tables in an appendix.

10. Referring to page 108 of the RFP, under L.6 (b), would AHRQ consider excluding the

Proposal Cover, Table of Contents, and Compliance Matrix from the 100 page count requirement?

Answer: Per Section L.6 of the RFP, the Proposal Cover, Table of Contents and Compliance Matrix are inclusive of the page count requirement. Additional pages will be omitted.

11. RFP Page 121, item 10 requests that a “Complete certificate of current cost and pricing data (See Section J, Attachments)” be provided. Since this is a competitive procurement, is this really required?

Answer: See cover page of the RFP Solicitation Amendment 1 and refer to section L.2(f)(4) of the RFP. Cost realism analysis is required and will be relied upon;

therefore, the government is asking that the contractor certify their cost information at the time of proposal.