Final Exemption to Fair Opportunity JOFOC - STC Bridge redacted..pdf

Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop B3-30-03 Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Acquisition Title: Single Testing Contractor (STC) Bridge for Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) Payment Systems Agency: Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (DHHS/CMS) Acquisition Year: 2021 Author: COR

1. Description of Action:

Nature

• ____ New Requirement

• ____ Follow-On Order

• __X__ Modification of Existing Purchase Order / Contract Number: GS-06F-0615Z:HHSM-500-

2015-00472G Contract Type

• ____ Firm-Fixed Price

• ____ Time and Materials

• ____ Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF)

• ____ Term

• ____ Completion

• __X__ Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF)

• ____ Other: ___

Projected Cost / Price:

Funding Source(s): This acquisition using FY2021 appropriated funds.

Name of Proposed Contractor(s): Data Computer Corporation of America (DCCA) of Ellicott City, MD

2. Description of Supplies or Services:

CMS ne d for a short-term bridge contract of a one-month base period followed by five, one-month options in duration for independent testing to the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Payment Systems under the STC contract. This need exists because the term of the STC order currently ends May 1, 2021, while efforts to procure such services to be performed after this date have become mired in post-award protests.

DCCA provides independent testing of design changes to the FFS as part of its role as the STC under Contract GS-06F-0615Z, Task Order HHSM-500-2015-00472G. Specifically, this work entails on-going test functionality for the Shared Systems and interfaces, Beta testing, Quarterly Release Test Management (QRTM), regression testing, off-quarter testing of releases, and production fixes and enhancements. The STC contract also supports the Combined Common Edits Module (CCEM) and its interfaces with the Fiscal Intermediary Shared System (FISS), for institutional Part A and B services, the Multi-Carrier System (MCS), for physician and other practitioner services, release regression and integration testing of the FFS Shared Systems responsible for developing Medicare claims processing and payment services operating under the legacy shared systems. Other testing needed to support interface testing includes Provider Enrollment Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), Integrated Data Repository

. However, all contracts other than STC (performed by DCCA) are generally focused on integration testing for agile programs, which is significantly different from the independent testing work required by CMS.

Furthermore, CMS considered the results of the recent MIST competition, and from that considered as potential sources, given they were selected as the awardee for the MIST order twice albeit those source selections have been challenged by protest to GAO. Given the short term nature of the immediate requirement and the need for this work to continue without the significant interruption caused by the ramp-up of a new source, CMS determined that only DCCA can meet the agency's needs.

5. Actions to Increase Competition:

CMS is currently in the process of performing corrective action related to the award of a GSA FSS order for the needed services using the fair opportunity ordering procedures set forth in FAR 8.405-2.

6. Any other facts supporting the justification:

None