J A_(Public_Release).pdf

Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition Sole Source Acquisition for eHealth Exchange Membership

FAR Subpart 6.3 Other Than Full and Open Competition

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity:

Requesting Activity:

The Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems Defense Health Agency

Contracting Activity:

Contract Operations Division (COD) – Falls Church

2. Nature and/or Description of Action being approved: The purpose of this action is to request procurement assistance in obtaining a 5 year contract; 12 month base sole source task order, with 4 option periods, classified as membership subscription. The goal of this procurement is to acquire an eHealth Exchange membership subscription to support the eHealth Exchange. The proposed action is to award a new firm-fixed-price contract for a under the Statutory Authority 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) and FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(A) “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirement”.

This is ongoing requirement that will be obtained following the procedures in FAR Part 12.

The firm-fixed price contract will be awarded to:

Healtheway, Inc. (d/b/a The Sequoia Project, Inc.)

8300 Boone Blvd, Stuite 500 Vienna, VA 22182-2681 Main Office: 571.327.3640 Fax: 571.327.3640 E-mail: admin@sequoiaproject.org

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Defense Health Agency (DHA) requires an eHealth

Exchange membership subscription to remain members of the eHealth Exchange. This membership enables the Military Health System (MHS) to securely share health information with other private sector and Federal partners across the country using agreed upon industry standards, supported by robust testing requirements and testing process, and access to Health Information Exchange (HIE) partner data necessary to support MHS’s mission.

The eHealth Exchange (formerly the nationwide health information network or NwHIN Exchange) operated as an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) initiative from 2007 through September 2012. Healtheway, Inc. (d/b/a/ The Sequoia Project, Inc.) assumed support and management of the eHealth Exchange in October 2012.

mailto:admin@sequoiaproject.org

The eHealth Exchange is a federated network of exchange partners that enables widespread secure exchange of health information across providers and geographies to improve the health and welfare of Americans. eHealth Exchange participating organizations mutually agree to support a common set of standards and specifications that enable the establishment of a secure, trusted, and interoperable connection among all eHealth Exchange participants for the standardized flow of information, and now support large-scale exchange across the country. In order to sustain the network, participants pay membership fees.

The proposed action is to award a new firm-fixed-price contract. The Independent Government Cost Estimate for this procurement is XXXXX to pay for the initial base year term membership subscription fee plus four (4) additional option year periods, with the prospective period of performance as follows:

The estimated value of this procurement is XXXXXXX (O&M Funding) which will fund the fixed price requirement as follows:

Period Estimated Cost Base Year-Initial Term $X.XX Option Year One (1) $X.XX Option Year Two (2) Option Year Three (3) Option Year Four (4)

$X.XX

$X.XX

$X.XX

Total $X.XX

52.217-8 ($X.XX Optional Extension NTE 6 months)

4. Statutory Authority Cited: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this Requirement is 10. U.S.C 2304(c) and in accordance with FAR Part 6.302-1: Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-

1(a)(2): “For DOD, from only One or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will Satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.” This membership is only available through one provider,

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: To determine if sources other than Healtheway, Inc. could provide the governance, certification, and testing necessary to support eHealth Exchange members, a Sources Sought Notice was published to Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)

Base Year 1 (8/15/2016 - 8/14/2017)

Option 1 - Year 2 (8/15/2017 - 8/14/2018)

Option 2 – Year 3 (8/15/2018 - 8/14/2019)

Option 3 – Year 4 (8/15/2019 – 8/14/2020)

Option 4 – Year 5 (8/15/2020 – 8/14/2021)

$ XX $ XX $ XX

$XX

$XX

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Highlight website (solicitation # HT0011-16-RFI-0022) from June 10, 2016 through June 20, 2016.

Three vendors responded: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX responded.

The capability statements from the above vendors were sent to the DHA Health Information Technology, Information Delivery Division and it was determined that the vendor (Healtheway, Inc. (d/b/a The Sequoia Project, Inc.)) was the only vendor who could provide the required services/membership.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Opportunities for competition will exist when Federal and private sectors sharing partners have another means to share electronic health data than only the eHealth Exchange, and/or when eHealth Exchange Coordinating Committee permits other companies than only Healtheway to support the eHealth Exchange activities (i.e., Governance, DURSA, testing).

8. Market Research: To determine if sources other than Healtheway, Inc. could provide the governance, certification, and testing necessary to support eHealth Exchange members, a Sources Sought Notice was published to Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (solicitation # HT0011-16-RFI-0022) from June 10, 2016 through June 20, 2016. Three vendors responded:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The eHealth Exchange Coordinating Committee designated Healtheway, Inc. to assume operational support of the eHealth Exchange on October 1, 2012. As the designated replacement for the ONC, Healtheway is the only organization entrusted to fulfill the sjones15 Highlight

Highlight responsibilities delegated to it by the eHealth Exchange Coordinating Committee and to support the eHealth Exchange certificates and directories and processes as a necessary shared service to both public and private organizations who wish to interconnect as a network of networks (eHealth Exchange). For DHA to continue to share electronic health data over the eHealth Exchange with its partners, DHA must establish a contract with Healtheway since they are the only organization that currently has support responsibilities for the eHealth Exchange.

This delegation of authority to Healtheway, Inc. is also formally documented within the eHealth Exchange Operating Policies and Procedures, and is enforced by the Coordinating Committee through the DURSA. The Coordinating Committee has not authorized any other organization to provide testing, onboarding or operational support for the eHealth Exchange network or its participants.

Healtheway, Inc. is the sole custodian/operational entity of the eHealth Exchange, thereby precluding the development of alternate specifications, engineering descriptions, statements of work, statements of objectives, or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition. Healtheway, Inc. is exclusively authorized to provide the services on behalf of the eHealth Exchange network and its Participants.

As a result, Healtheway, Inc. is the uniquely qualified to fulfill the tasks outlined in the Sources Sought Notice on behalf of the eHealth Exchange Participants, including the capabilities needed for the DoD to securely share health data sharing with its private sector partners via the eHealth Exchange.

9. Other Facts: N/A

10. Interested Sources: To determine if sources other than Healtheway, Inc. could provide the governance, certification, and testing necessary to support eHealth Exchange members, a Sources Sought Notice was published to Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (solicitation # HT0011-16-RFI-0022) from June 10, 2016 through June 20, 2016. Three vendors responded.

11. Methods to overcome barriers: There are barriers that obstruct this contract from open and fair competition; the unique Qualification substantiating the need for a sole source contract is that there is only one responsible contractor, eHealth Exchange, who offers the EHealth Exchange membership subscription. Other similar memberships considered by the Program Office do not meet the requirements of DHA, HIT, IDD and therefore, the leading EHealth Exchange membership subscription has been selected for use by the Program Office to fulfill the requirement.