Document ID: RFP 728 2500000299 Page: 1

Commonwealth of Kentucky

SOLICITATION MODIFICATION

Modification: Yes Version #: 2

TITLE: Medical Transcription Services C5822

Date Issued:

04/10/2026 Record Date:

04/02/2026

Solicitation Closes Date:

04/17/2026 Time:

14:00

Solicitation No:

RFP 728 2500000299

Reason for Modification

Addendum 1 April 10, 2026

This addendum is to provide responses to Vendor questions, and revise Section 2.03 Reporting.

Questions and responses can be found beginning on page 35.

Online Bidding Prohibited: No

For Information Call:

Nina Anglin 502-564-7606

Bid Receiving Location:

Bid Receiving

See Terms & Conditions for Bid Submission Instructions

Other KY

Vendor Customer Number:

Vendor Name:

Phone Number:

Fax Number:

Email Address:

Ordering

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

Contact Phone Number:

Payment

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

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Ownership Type

__ Sole Proprietorship __ Partnership __ Corporation __ Other_________________________

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED AGENT IS REQUIRED UNLESS RESPONSE

IS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY. FAILURE TO SIGN SHALL RENDER

THE BID INVALID.

Signature X_________________________________________ FEIN#____________________ Date____________

Document ID: RFP 728 2500000299 Page: 2

All offers subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

Document ID: RFP 728 2500000299 Page: 3

Line Items

Commodity Group: Default

Line CL Description Quantity UOM Unit Cost Line Total or Contract Amnt

1 Medical Transcription Services

Comm Code Comm Description Manufacturer Model # Manuf Part #

96172 Transcription Services: Academic, Braille, Legal, Medical, e

Extended Description This solicitation outlines the required qualifications for vendors interested in providing tele-dictation and transcription services to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Department for Public Health (DPH), and Office for Children with Special Healthcare Needs (OCSHCN). Services will include secure, accurate, and timely tele-dictation and medical transcription of various pediatric medical reports, such as patient visits, consultations, referrals, and discharge summaries.

Shipping Information

Billing Information CHFS DPH Ofc for Children with Special Health Care Needs

310 Whittington Pkwy, Suite 200

Louisville KY 40222

Document ID: RFP 728 2500000299 Page: 4

Submission Checklist

The following items will be required to be submitted with bid:

Item Technical Proposal Cost Proposal Orals, if necessary

Addendum 1

April 10, 2026

This addendum is to provide responses to Vendor questions, and revise Section 2.03 Reporting. Questions and responses can be found beginning on page 34.

Revised February 2026

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

The Vendor MUST include the following with the proposal submission.

If the items highlighted below are not submitted with the proposal submission, the Commonwealth MUST deem the proposal non-responsive and SHALL NOT consider for award.

All other items MUST be submitted prior to award.

_____ SIGNED AND COMPLETED SOLICITATION –Section(s) 8.00 and 8.10 of this RFP (not required if submitting electronically)

_____ *PROPOSED SOLUTION (TECHNICAL) UNDER SEALED COVER AND BY CLOSING DATE --

Section(s) 8.00 and 8.10 of this RFP

_____ *PROPOSED SOLUTION (COST) UNDER SEALED COVER AND BY CLOSING DATE --

Section(s) 8.00 and 8.10 of this RFP

_____ TRANSMITTAL LETTER – Section 8.20 of this RFP

_____ PROOF OF REGISTRATION WITH SECRETARY OF STATE BY A FOREIGN ENTITY

(Section 8.00 of the Personal Service Contract Terms and Conditions of this RFP)

_____ REQUIRED AFFIDAVIT(S) – Section 8.20 of this RFP

*The Commonwealth defines SEALED as “a closure that must be broken to be opened and that thus reveals tampering” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seal

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2500000299 Final Medical Transcription Services C5822 Total Pages: 43 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seal

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

FOR

PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACT

Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Office for Children with Special Healthcare Needs Medical Transcription Services

RFP 767 2500000299

This document constitutes a Request for Proposal for a Personal Service Contract from qualified individuals and organizations to furnish those services as described herein for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the behalf of the Office for Children with Special Healthcare Needs.

Offerors are advised that any personal service contract resulting from this RFP must comply with all applicable provisions of KRS 45A and KRS 12.210 prior to becoming effective.

A contract, based on this RFP, may or may not be awarded. Any contract award from this RFP is invalid until properly approved and executed by the Finance and Administration Cabinet and filed with the Legislative Research Commission, Government Contract Review Committee.

1.00 Purpose and Background

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued to solicit a vendor to provide tele-dictation/transcription services for the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN). OCSHCN is a federal and state-funded agency that operates under the Kentucky Department of Public Health (KDPH), Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Commonwealth of Kentucky.

OCSHCN has eleven (11) locations throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Offices are located in Barbourville, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, Prestonsburg, and Somerset. Each location provides clinics and/or services for children from birth until age 21 in the following areas: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cardiology, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Lip and Palate, Cranial Facial Anomalies, Neurology, Orthopedics, Otology, Scoliosis, Audiology, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, and Social Services.

OCSHCN contracts with over 200 providers and relies on external transcription services. Transcriptionists must review audio dictation from providers and transcribe this information into a typed and properly formatted document.

The transcribed document is uploaded to OCSHCN’s internally operated and maintained Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. The system consists of two web-based applications – a provider-facing application, Physician Access System & Transcription Application (PASTA), and a staff-facing application, Computerized Utilization Program (CUP). Upon uploading to the electronic health record system, providers will review the transcriptions for accuracy and edit the document as necessary. The provider then electronically “signs off” on the transcription in the PASTA application to signify final approval. The interface between the applications allows for the viewing of transcriptions in both PASTA and CUP.

The Contractor must deliver transcriptions with 98% or greater accuracy within 24 hours of receipt for standard reports and within 4-6 hours for stat reports. OCSHCN also expects excellent customer service from the Contractor, prompt return of phone calls, cooperation with all dictating providers and OCSHCN staff, open communication and skilled problem solving. OCSHCN expects the Contractor to provide a tele-dictation system that is "user-friendly" for the dictating provider or staff person. OCSHCN also expects that the Contractor’s equipment will be properly functioning, maintained, and serviced in a timely manner.

Prompt and accurate transcription of dictations is essential as clinical documentation is often necessary for payors to approve medical evaluations and/or medications. If the Contractor fails to perform the contract requirements, OCSHCN’s service to its clients is severely compromised. Therefore, disruptions in service, quality problems, or late reports are unacceptable.

The Contractor must demonstrate the capacity to perform at the required level from the onset of the contract. The selected Contractor will be expected to manage fluctuations in volume successfully, as fluctuations are normal in the OCSHCN workload. The Contractor must demonstrate at least 36 months of experience successfully managing medical transcription contracts of similar size and complexity to this project.

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2.00 Scope of Work

The Contractor must provide secure, accurate and timely tele-dictation and medical transcription services for the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN), a division of the Kentucky Department for Public Health. These services are required to support pediatric specialty providers across the Commonwealth.

Services must include, but are not limited to:

1. Secure Access for Dictation Submission: Provide toll-free telephone access, secure mobile apps, and web-based portals that comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements for clinicians to submit dictations.

2. Medical Transcription: Transcribe a variety of pediatric medical reports, including but not limited to patient visits, consults, referrals, and discharge summaries. Ability to create medical reports, letters, care coordination notes, case management reports, and audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech reports in various formats as needed is required. Promptly respond to OCSHCN and dictators’ questions, concerns, and technical difficulties.

a. Medical transcriptionists must have sufficient knowledge of childhood-onset medical conditions, including but not limited to Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Lip and Palate, other Cranio-Facial Anomalies, and Scoliosis. Familiarity with common medical terms used by pediatric subspecialists, such as Cardiologists, Neurologists, Orthopedists, and Otologists, is essential.

3. Turnaround Time:

a. Standard reports must be completed and returned within 24 hours.

b. Stat reports must be completed within 4–6 hours.

4. Delivery of Transcripts: Provide transcripts in Microsoft Word and/or PDF format via secure, encrypted delivery (web portal, SFTP, or encrypted email).

5. Quality Control: Maintain a transcription accuracy rate of 98% or greater. Disruptions in service, quality problems, or late reports are unacceptable.

6. HIPAA Compliance: Ensure full compliance with HIPAA and all applicable federal and state privacy regulations. Execute a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).

7. Technical Support: Provide onboarding training, technical assistance, and a dedicated account manager for issue resolution. Contractor’s equipment must be properly functioning, maintained, and serviced in a timely manner.

8. Equipment: The Contractor should assume all expenses and responsibility for the maintenance of their equipment and communications necessary to ensure reliable and uninterrupted service. OCSHCN should not incur any expense for the maintenance or operation of the Contractor’s equipment.

a. Awarded Contractor should provide toll-free (800) number(s), which callers will use to access the dictation system. Availability of toll-free service must extend to callers in the contiguous 48 states. The Contractor should provide, maintain, and monitor on an ongoing basis, a state-of-the-art dictation system, which provides 24-hour access, seven (7) days a week.

b. The dictation capture system must accept signals from commonly used cellular and touch-tone telephones and permit multiple callers to access and dictate at the same time.

c. OCSHCN requires a system that can accommodate multiple simultaneous dictators, thus generating no busy signals.

d. The system must provide a verbal message that gives dictating instructions to the caller. Language for the message is to be approved by OCSHCN.

e. The Contractor should assure that the dictation system used to fulfill the Contractor’s obligation under this contract is secure at all times so that unauthorized users cannot access protected health information in dictations. Furthermore, the Contractor must comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws (e.g., the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)) governing the use and security of protected health information (PHI).

f. The contractor must provide a mechanism for dictators who are interrupted during dictation to dial back in and continue the dictation. The transcription of a "split" dictation should be merged before sending it to OCSHCN.

9. Confidentiality:

a. All equipment and related software should comply with the Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009.

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b. The Contractor may not use or further disclose any information given to them by OCSHCN except as permitted by this contract and must employ appropriate safeguards to prevent use or disclosure of the information other than as allowed by the contract.

c. The Contractor will implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that reasonably and appropriately protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information that it creates, receives, maintains, or transmits on behalf of the OCSHCN, as required by the security standards.

d. The Contractor will report to OCSHCN any security incident relating to the electronic information that the vendor maintains for OCSHCN.

e. The Contractor should perform all work under this contract in a secure facility. Transcription of dictated reports may be performed remotely so long as the Contractor ensures the same standard of protection for electronically protected health information as if performed in a business setting.

f. The Contractors’ employees assigned to this contract should be required to sign a statement of confidentiality provided by OCSHCN upon award of the contract.

g. The Contractor agrees to prohibit employees from listening to, transcribing, reading, and/or duplicating any report on any individual with whom they have any familial, financial, or other relationship.

h. The Contractor guarantees confidentiality of all transcriptions.

2.01 Commonwealth Information Technology Policies and Standards

1. The Contractor and any subcontractors shall be required to adhere to applicable Commonwealth policies and standards.

2. The Commonwealth posts changes to COT Standards and Policies on its Commonwealth Office of Technology - Home - Commonwealth Office of Technology (Kentucky) website. The Contractors and subcontractors shall ensure their solution(s) shall work in concert with all posted changes. The Contractors or subcontractors that cannot comply with changes must, within thirty (30) days of the posted change, request written relief with the justification for such relief. The Commonwealth may: 1) deny the request, 2) approve an exception to the policy/standard, or 3) consider scope changes to the contract to accommodate required changes. The Contractors or subcontractors that do not provide the response within the thirty (30) day period shall be required to comply within ninety (90) days of the change.

2.01.01 Compliance with Kentucky Information Technology Standards (KITS)

The Kentucky Information Technology Standards (KITS) reflect a set of principles for information, technology, applications, and organization. These standards provide guidelines, policies, directional statements and sets of standards for information technology. It defines, for the Commonwealth, functional and information needs so that technology choices can be made based on business objectives and service delivery. The Contractor shall stay knowledgeable and shall provide a solution that works in concert with these standards for all related work resulting from this RFP. https://technology.ky.gov/about-the-agency/Pages/kits.aspx

2.01.02 Compliance with Industry Accepted Reporting Standards Based on Trust Service Principles and Criteria

The Contractor must employ comprehensive risk and threat management controls based on defined industry standards for service organizations such as ISO AICPA TSP section 100, Trust Services Principles and Criteria.

The Contractor must annually assert compliance and engage a third-party certification registrar to examine such assertions and controls to provide a Report, such as ISO 9000, ISO 14001, AT101 SOC 2 type 2, on Controls at a Service Organization Relevant to Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy, which contains an opinion on whether the operating controls effectively support the assertions. All such reports, including publicly available reports (i.e. AT 101 SOC 3) shall be made available to the Commonwealth for review.

2.01.03 System Vulnerability and Security Assessments

The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct, in collaboration with the Contractor, non-invasive vulnerability and security assessments of the software and infrastructure used to provide services prior to implementation and periodically thereafter. Upon completion of these assessments, the Commonwealth will communicate any findings to the Contractor for action. Any cost relating to the alleviation of the findings will be the responsibility of the Contractor. Mitigations will be subject to re-evaluation after completion. In cases where direct mitigation cannot be achieved, the Contractor shall communicate this and work closely with the Commonwealth to identify acceptable

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2500000299 Final Medical Transcription Services C5822 Total Pages: 43 https://technology.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx https://technology.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx https://technology.ky.gov/about-the-agency/Pages/kits.aspx compensating controls that will reduce risk to an acceptable and agreed upon level. An accredited third-party source may be selected by the Contractor to address findings, provided they will acknowledge all cost and provide valid documentation of mitigation strategies in an agreed upon timeframe.

2.01.04 Privacy Assessments

The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct privacy assessments of the collection, use, maintenance and sharing of Commonwealth data by any Contractor services, software, and infrastructure used to provide services prior to implementation and periodically thereafter. Upon completion of this assessment, the Commonwealth will communicate any findings to the Contractor for action. Any cost relating to the alleviation of the findings will be the responsibility of the Contractor. Mitigations will be subject to re-evaluation after completion. In cases where direct mitigation cannot be achieved, the Contractor shall communicate this and work closely with the Commonwealth to identify acceptable compensating controls or privacy practices that will reduce risk to an acceptable and agreed upon level. An accredited third-party source may be selected by the Contractor to address findings, provided they will acknowledge all cost and provide valid documentation of mitigation strategies in an agreed upon timeframe.

2.01.05 Privacy, Confidentiality and Ownership of Information

The Commonwealth is the designated owner of all Commonwealth data and shall approve all access to that data.

The Contractor shall not have ownership of Commonwealth data at any time. The Contractor shall not profit from or share Commonwealth data. The Contractor shall be in compliance with privacy policies established by governmental agencies or by state or federal law. Privacy notice statements may be developed and amended from time to time by the Commonwealth and will be appropriately displayed on the Commonwealth portal (Ky.gov). The Contractor should provide sufficient security to protect the Commonwealth and COT data in network transit, storage, and cache. All Commonwealth data, including backups and archives, must be maintained at all times within the contiguous United States. All Commonwealth data, classified as sensitive or higher, as defined in Enterprise Standards, must be encrypted in-transit from Contractor’s network and at rest while stored on Contractor’s laptops or other portable media devices.

2.01.06 End User Agreements

Any proposed end user agreements shall be in compliance with the contract terms and conditions and shall be read as applicable only to the extent permitted by Kentucky law and no term in violation of the Kentucky law, inclusive of Kentucky Procurement Law, shall be given effect. Such agreements should be submitted to the agency with the quote and before the order is placed.

2.01.07 Applicable Security Control Framework Compliance

The Contractor must have an awareness and understanding of the NIST Special Publication 800-53 Security Control Framework and employ safeguards that meet or exceed the moderate level controls as defined within the standard.

The Contractor must provide sufficient safeguards to provide reasonable protections around the Commonwealth’s data to ensure that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability is maintained at an appropriate level.

These include but are not limited to:

Access Control

The Contractor must employ policy and process that provide for stringent control to limit physical and logical access to systems that house Commonwealth data, on a need to know basis, provide clear separation of duties, and adheres to least privilege principles.

Awareness and Training

The Contractor must provide the appropriate role specific training for staff to ensure that there is awareness and understanding of roles and responsibilities as they relate to the protections around the Commonwealth’s data.

Audit and Accountability

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There must be sufficient auditing capability to ensure that actions are tracked and there is individual accountability for all actions taken by Contractor staff.

Configuration Management

The Contractor must work within established baselines that provide minimal functionality needed to ensure service delivery without exposing unnecessary risk. The Contractor must also employ structured change control processes that provide a level of coordination with the client agreed upon in a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Contingency Planning

The Contractor must employ contingent planning policy and procedures that ensure service delivery based on agreed SLA levels while maintaining all Commonwealth data within the continental Unites States.

Identification and Authorization

The Contractor must employ appropriate identity and access management policies and procedures to ensure that access is appropriately authorized and managed at a level to ensure that access is provisioned and de-provisioned in a timely and efficient manner.

Incident Response

The Contractor must employ policy and procedures to ensure that an appropriate response to all identified security incidents are addressed in a timely manner and are reported to the appropriate parties in an agreed upon SLA timeframe. The Contractor must also ensure that all staff are sufficient trained to ensure that they can identify situations that are classified as security incidents.

Maintenance

The Contractor must employ policy and procedures that ensure that all maintenance activities are conducted only by authorized maintenance staff leveraging only authorized maintenance tools.

Media Protection

The Contractor must employ policy and procedure to ensure that sufficient protections exist to protect Commonwealth data on all storage media throughout the media lifecycle and maintain documentation from media creation through destruction.

Physical and Environmental Controls

The Contractor must employ physical and environmental policies and procedures that ensure that the service and delivery infrastructure are located in a physically secure and environmentally protected environment to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Commonwealth data.

Personnel Security

The Contractor must employ policies and procedures to ensure that all staff that have access to systems that house, transmit, or process Commonwealth data have been appropriately vetted and have been through a background check at the time of hire and periodically thereafter.

System and Communications Protections

The Contractor must employ physical and logical protection that protect system communications and communication media from unauthorized access and to ensure adequate physical protections from damage.

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2.02 Deliverables

1. Accurate transcriptions of dictated materials within required timeframes.

2. Secure access to completed documents for download or delivery to electronic health record (EHR) systems, where applicable.

3. Support for multiple provider profiles and statewide clinic locations.

4. Dedicated customer support and issue resolution within 24 hours of escalation.

2.03 Reporting

All reports dictated by OCSHCN staff and medical providers should be transcribed and submitted to OCSHCN within 24 hours of receipt of dictation. Delays in meeting turnaround time are unacceptable. A detailed listing of the reports submitted to OCSHCN must be maintained. If performance is unsatisfactory for two (2) consecutive months or occurs in any four (4) months in a twelve (12) month period, a thirty (30) day notice of contract termination may be issued to the Contractor.

Performance reports will include the following:

1. Number of dictations processed.

2. Turnaround time averages for standard and stat reports.

3. Transcription accuracy rates.

4. Summary of any quality control audits.

5. HIPAA compliance attestations and audit logs, if requested.

6. Summary of user-reported issues and their resolutions.

Reports must be submitted electronically no later than the 10th business day of the month following the reporting period.

Format of Medical Reports - All medical clinic reports transcribed as a result of this contract shall include the following title and essential client and visit information.

OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS *CONFIDENTIAL*

PATIENT NAME: (Patient Name)

PATIENT ID: (Identification Number))

DATE OF BIRTH: (Patient's date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY Format)

DATE OF SERVICE: (Date seen in MM/DD/YYYY format)

CLINIC: (Name of Clinic)

COUNTY/DISTRICT: (District)

MANAGING PHYSICIAN: (Managing physician)

DICTATING PHYSICIAN: (Name of individual dictating the report)

HEIGHT: (Patient's height)

WEIGHT: (Patient's weight)

BLOOD PRESSURE: (Patient’s blood pressure)

PULSE: (Patient’s pulse)

HEIGHT: (Patient's height)

Contractor agrees to comply with OCSHCN requirements for any specially formatted documentation templates required.

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Corrected and/or addended reports should follow the same format as the original report with the addition of “Report Revised” and date of report revision displayed conspicuously at the top of the report.

Contractor will set up the necessary format for transcription of OCSHCN letters and forms.

The letters and forms are pre-formatted documents for which OCSHCN staff dictates the fill-ins. The pre-formatting may be either by a shell document and/or may use macros for sections of "standard" vs. "dictated" language. The text sections of these documents should expand (or contract) as needed for the amount of text dictated.

Corrections to letters and form documents should follow the same format as the original document.

OCSHCN may require additional document templates depending on program needs. OCSHCN will work with the Contractor’s contact person in identifying any additional needs with respect to setting up formats, procedures, etc.

2.04 CHFS Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the KDPH to provide oversight and monitoring of all work and reports related to this request and ensure deliverables listed above are completed in a timely manner.

2.05 Monitoring – Federal and State

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH), Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN), will monitor the Contractor’s performance to ensure compliance with the contract's terms and conditions. This includes:

1. Regular review of transcription accuracy, timeliness, and overall quality.

2. Verification that all deliverables are submitted on time and in accordance with the agreed-upon specifications.

3. Evaluation of Contractor responsiveness to any corrections or modifications required during the contract term.

2.06 Pricing and Payment

The Contractor is expected to submit a complete and detailed pricing structure with its proposal. All pricing shall be firm for the duration of the contract, unless otherwise authorized by a formal contract amendment. Pricing shall be expressed using one or more of the following units of measure:

1. Per Line Rate – A line shall be defined as seventy-two (72) characters, including spaces.

2. Per Completed Report Rate – A fixed rate per completed and delivered report.

3. Tiered Volume Pricing – Pricing based on defined transcription volume thresholds. Any tiered structure must clearly identify the applicable volume ranges, the unit rate applied within each tier, and the method used to calculate volume.

The Contractor is expected to clearly identify all pricing components. Costs not specifically identified and approved in the Contractor’s proposal will not be billable under the contract. Additional allowable pricing elements, if applicable, shall be limited to:

1. Premium fees for expedited or “stat” transcription services; and

2. One-time setup, implementation, or training costs.

Recurring administrative, delivery, technology, or quality assurance fees will not be charged unless expressly included in the approved pricing schedule.

Invoices are expected to be submitted separately from transcription logs. Each invoice will include, at a minimum:

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1. The billing period covered by the invoice;

2. The applicable log numbers associated with services billed;

3. Report numbers included in the billing;

4. Dates of completed reports;

5. The total number of billable lines or applicable billing units for each report; and

6. The total amount due for the billing period.

The Contractor is expected to submit a sample invoice with its proposal demonstrating compliance with these requirements. OCSHCN reserves the right to request supporting documentation necessary to verify billed quantities.

OCSHCN shall pay only for lines transcribed and received in completed reports that comply with all specifications, formatting requirements, and quality standards established in this document. OCSHCN shall not pay for revisions, corrections, or rework of reports determined by OCSHCN to be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise unsuitable.

When a provider dictates an addendum or correction to an existing report, no additional charges shall be permitted when such addendum or correction results from a transcription error. Addenda or corrections unrelated to transcription error shall be billable only in accordance with the approved pricing structure.

Invoices for payment will be submitted electronically to OCSHCNCONTRACTINVOICES@ky.gov. Invoices must be submitted no later than thirty (30) calendar days after completion of the service period.

Payment will be conditioned upon receipt of appropriate, accurate, and acceptable invoices submitted in a timely manner.

Invoices should contain two parts:

1. Legislative Research Commission’s Government Contract Review Committee Invoice Form; and

2. Supporting documentation.

Invoices that do not contain the requirements above will be rejected and sent back to the Contractor for re-invoicing.

3.00 Evaluation Criteria

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) shall conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of all proposals. CHFS may reject any proposal that is incomplete or in which there are significant inconsistencies or inaccuracies. CHFS reserves the right to reject all proposals.

CHFS has established a Proposal Evaluation Committee to review, evaluate and verify information submitted by the offeror.

Each Vendor is responsible for submitting all relevant, factual and correct information with their offer to enable the evaluator(s) to afford each Vendor the maximum score based on the available data submitted by the Vendor.

CHFS shall evaluate the proposals by assigning scores as indicated.

Technical Proposal Evaluation

Criteria

Maximum Points Possible

Experience and Qualifications of Offeror

1. Demonstrate history providing secure, HIPAA-compliant medical transcription for pediatric or specialty healthcare organizations.

2. Provide past experience with similar contracts for state agencies or large healthcare networks.

3. Describe organizational capacity to provide statewide services.

4. Provide years in business and stability of operations.

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Staff Qualifications, References and Past Performance

1. Provide qualifications, certifications, and training of proposed transcriptionists, editors, and support personnel, and their knowledge of pediatric and specialty medical terminology.

2. Provide references from three (3) past clients.

3. Provide a history of past performance regarding accuracy, turnaround time, and customer satisfaction.

4. Provide the availability and responsiveness of account management and support staff.

Technical Approach and Methodology

1. Provide a detailed description of the proposed approach to fulfilling the Scope of Work.

2. Describe the procedures for dictation capture, transcription workflow and the delivery of completed reports.

3. Describe the turnaround time strategy to ensure 24-hour completion for standard reports and 4-6 hour completion for stat reports.

4. Describe the proposed work plan, including staffing, scheduling, and workflow for multiple simultaneous dictators.

5. Describe the system's reliability and ability to ensure interrupted service.

Quality Assurance

1. Define the quality control processes for maintaining ≥98% transcription accuracy.

2. Describe the methods for error detection, correction, and the methods to use for continuous improvement.

3. Describe the procedures for handling quality complaints and service disruptions.

4. Describe the internal auditing and performance monitoring standards.

5. Describe the metrics and reporting tools to be used to measure quality and timeliness.

Technology and Accessibility

1. Provide a description of dictation and transcription systems, including toll-free telephone access, mobile applications, and web-based portals.

2. Describe the ability to support multiple simultaneous users without busy signals.

3. Describe the compatibility with Microsoft Word, PDF, and potential integration with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

4. Describe the 24/7 system availability and user support.

5. Provide accessibility for statewide providers and compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards, if applicable.

Data Security and Compliance

1. Provide a statement of compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and all applicable federal and state privacy laws.

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2. Provide the implementation of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for PHI.

3. Describe the encryption standards for data transmission and storage.

4. Describe the procedures for breach notification and incident response.

5. Describe the confidentiality policies and employee non-disclosure procedures.

6. Describe the secure facility and secure remote transcription protocols.

Maximum Points Possible 1500

Proposals scoring fewer than 900 points on the Technical Evaluation shall be eliminated from further consideration.

Cost Proposal Evaluation

Criteria Maximum Points Possible The cost proposal shall be submitted as follows:

The Offeror shall complete and submit the attached Cost Proposal Form in accordance with section 8.30 otherwise the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

The Offeror is responsible for including and identifying all costs associated with the delivery of services.

No travel or training costs will be reimbursed under this agreement.

Maximum Points Possible 600

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Oral Demonstration/Presentation Evaluation, if required

Criteria Maximum Points Possible Oral Presentations/Demonstrations

The Commonwealth reserves the right to require Oral Presentations/Demonstrations to verify or expand on the Technical or Cost Proposals. Oral Presentations/ Demonstrations may be conducted through videoconferencing or by conference call, if it is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to do so.

This is an opportunity for the Contractor to present and demonstrate the solution, and to answer questions or clarify the evaluation committee's understanding, in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part based on the oral presentations/demonstrations.

If required, the top 2 highest-ranking Contractors may be invited. Scheduling should be at the discretion of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth reserves the right not to require oral presentations/demonstrations

Maximum Points Possible 200

Total Proposal Evaluation

Criteria Maximum Points Possible Technical Proposal 1500

Cost Proposal 600

Oral Demonstrations/Presentations, if required 200

MAXIMUM POINTS POSSIBLE 2300

4.00 Schedule of RFP Activities

The following schedule presents the major activities associated with the RFP distribution, written questions and proposal submission. The Commonwealth reserves the right at its sole discretion to change the Schedule of Activities, including the associated dates and times.

Release of RFP 03/10/26

Written Questions due by: 2:00pm 03/19/26

Anticipated Commonwealth Response to Written Questions 04/10/26

Proposals Due by: 2:00pm 04/17/26

*NOTE: ALL TIME REFERENCES ARE TO THE EASTERN TIME ZONE.

5.00 Offeror’s Conference

Not applicable.

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6.00 Point of Contact

The Agency Contact named below shall be the sole point of contact throughout the procurement process. All email communications concerning this procurement shall be addressed to:

Nina Anglin nina.anglin@ky.gov

From the issue date of this RFP until a Contractor(s) is selected and the selection is announced, Offerors shall not communicate with any other Commonwealth staff concerning this RFP.

7.00 Questions Regarding this RFP

Questions must be submitted in writing to the Agency Contact. The Commonwealth will respond to salient questions in writing by issuing an Addendum to the Solicitation. The Addendum shall be posted to the Commonwealth’s eProcurement page.

8.00 Proposal Submission

Electronic Proposals

Proposals shall be received by electronic submission in the eProcurement system, Kentucky Vendor Self Service System.

An electronic proposal shall be authorized by the proper agent of the firm by the act of submitting it electronically through the eProcurement system.

Proposal information MUST be completed online. Response must contain all required information for the Solicitation.

All bidders MUST be registered in the Commonwealth eProcurement System via the Vendor Self Service System at https://vss ky.gov.

Allow 24 – 48 hours to complete Vendor Registration. Vendors must be logged in to their Vendor Self Service (VSS) account in order to submit a response. Registrations completed the day of bid closing must be completed by the Vendor in the VSS portal. The Customer Resource Center is not able to complete registrations and activate accounts on the same day. Closing dates will not be extended for Vendors not registered by the date/time of the bid closing.

All bidders are cautioned to begin their electronic submission in sufficient time to complete before the closing date and time. Delays due to technical difficulties or document upload impediments shall not be justification for acceptance of a late bid or proposal. Vendor attention to this advisory is encouraged. Instructions “How to Submit an Online Response for a Business Opportunity” are posted to Kentucky’s Vendor Self Service, https://vss.ky.gov.

If you need assistance, please contact the Customer Resource Center (CRC) by email at Finance.CRCGroup@ky.gov or phone 502-564-9641 or toll-free 877-973-HELP (4357).

Proposals shall be submitted in three (3) parts: The Technical Proposal, the Cost Proposal, and the Proprietary Information. Each part shall consist of one document attachment. Do not submit multiple document attachments as Technical, Cost or Proprietary. All files shall be labeled accordingly. Attachments may not exceed 65,000 KB.

Proposals submitted online must be in an “Accepted” status and shall be assigned a date and time stamp from the eProcurement system at the time of final acceptance and formal submission by the Vendor. The system will not allow submission of an online proposal after the published date and time for closing.

A proposal may be modified or withdrawn by electronic or written notice ONLY if received prior to the bid closing date and time. An electronic offer may be modified by applying the appropriate electronic signature and following the procedure in the state’s eProcurement signature.

Acknowledgment of Addenda

It is the Vendor's responsibility to check the web site for any modifications to this solicitation. Vendors are encouraged to acknowledge each addendum by signing and submitting the latest addendum with their response. However, signing the face of the solicitation as indicated above constitutes the Vendor’s acknowledgement of and agreement to be bound by the terms of all addenda issued.

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2500000299 Final Medical Transcription Services C5822 Total Pages: 43 https://vss.ky.gov/vssprod-ext/Advantage4 mailto:Finance.CRCGroup@ky.gov

Failure to specifically acknowledge addenda will not excuse the Vendor from adhering to all changes to the requirements of the solicitation set forth therein nor provide justification for any pricing changes.

8.10 Format of Response

Electronic Proposals

Proposals shall be submitted in three (3) parts: The Technical Proposal, the Cost Proposal, and if applicable, Proprietary Information. Each part shall consist of one document. Do not submit multiple documents as Technical, Cost or Proprietary.

1. Proposals must be submitted electronically in the eProcurement System, Kentucky Vendor Self Service site.

a. The Technical Proposal shall be submitted on one (1) document marked Technical (in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or PDF format ONLY). Do not include embedded documents, hyperlinks or hyperlinks to videos. The document should be named in the following manner: Technical – Name of offeror – RFP number

b. The Cost Proposal shall be submitted on one (1) document marked Cost (in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or PDF format ONLY). Do not include embedded documents, hyperlinks or hyperlinks to videos.

The document should be named in the following manner: Cost – Name of offeror – RFP number

c. Any Proprietary Information shall be submitted on one (1) document marked Proprietary (in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or PDF format ONLY). Do not include embedded documents, hyperlinks or hyperlinks to videos. The document should be named in the following manner: Proprietary

– Name of offeror– RFP number

All proposals must be received no later than the close time and date listed in Section 4.00.

Pricing shall only be provided in the Cost Proposal. DO NOT SUBMIT ANY PRICING INFORMATION IN

THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL.

All submitted Technical and Cost Proposals shall remain valid for a minimum of six (6) months after the proposal due date.

8.20 Format of Technical Proposal

The Technical Proposal must be arranged and labeled in the manner set forth below.

Transmittal Letter – a Transmittal letter shall be submitted on Offeror’s letterhead, and signed by an agent authorized to bind the Offeror. The Transmittal letter shall include the following:

a. A statement that deviations are included, if applicable.

b. A statement that proprietary information is included, if applicable.

c. A statement that, if awarded a contract as a result of this Solicitation, the Offeror shall comply in full with all the requirements of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, and shall submit all data required by KRS 45.560 to 45.640.

d. A sworn statement that, pursuant to KRS 11A.040, that Offeror has not knowingly violated any provisions of the Executive Branch Code of Ethics.

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e. A statement certifying that the price in this proposal was arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Offeror or with any competitor.

f. A statement affirming that the Offeror is properly authorized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to conduct business in this state and will remain in good standing with the Office of the Kentucky Secretary of State for the duration of any awarded contract resulting from this Solicitation.

g. The name, address, telephone number, fax number and email address and website address, if available, of the contract person to serve as a point of contact for day-to-day operations.

h. Subcontractor information to include the name of the company, address, telephone number and contact name, if applicable.

i. Foreign entity’s organization number issued by the Secretary of State in a certificate of authority or a statement of foreign qualification, if applicable.

Completed and Signed Solicitation and Addenda – An authorized representative MUST complete and sign the Solicitation form and include the following:

a. “Vendor” box and “Payment” box should be completed.

b. Vendor shall indicate ownership type.

c. Vendor shall provide “FEIN” if applicable.

d. Vendor shall provide date the form is completed and signed.

e. Signed face of the most recent Addenda, if applicable.

Signed and Notarized Required Affidavit for Bidders or Offerors - available at the following link:

https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx.

Signed and Notarized Required Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors Claiming Resident Bidder Status – if applicable. Available at the following link:

https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx.

*Offerors not claiming Resident Bidder Status need not submit this affidavit.

Signed and Notarized Required Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors Claiming Qualified Bidder Status – if applicable. Available at the following link:

https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx.

*Offerors not claiming Qualified Bidder Status need not submit this affidavit.

Response to the Technical Portion of the RFP – Please provide a detailed response to the technical requirements outlined in the Evaluation Criteria. No cost information shall be provided in the technical portion.

8.30 Format of Cost Proposal

The Cost Proposal must be submitted under separate cover from the Technical Proposal and must be arranged and labeled in the manner specified. The proposal with the lowest price receives the maximum score. The remaining proposals with the next lowest price receives points by dividing the lowest price by the next lowest price and multiplying that percentage by the available points.

8.40 Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.209-5, 2 CFR 180.300, 2 CFR 200.318, 2 CFR 200.303, and FAP 111-59-00 the Offeror shall certify, by signing the Solicitation, that to the best of its knowledge and belief, the Offeror and/or its Principal(s) is (are) not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any state or federal agency. If debarred during the life of the contract, the Offeror shall notify the Commonwealth buyer of record within seventy-two (72) hours of the federal debarment.

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2500000299 Final Medical Transcription Services C5822 Total Pages: 43 https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx https://finance.ky.gov/office-of-the-secretary/Pages/finance-forms.aspx

For the purposes of this certification, “Principals”, means officers, directors, owners, partners, and persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager, plant manager, head of subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions.

9.00 Rules of Procurement

To facilitate this procurement, various rules have been established. These are described in the following paragraphs.

Offerors should review and comply with the General Conditions and Instructions for Solicitation/Contract listed under “Response to Solicitation” located on the eProcurement web page at https://finance.ky.gov/eProcurement/Pages/doing-business-with-the-commonwealth.aspx

The procurement process will provide for the evaluation of proposals and selection of the winning proposal in accordance with state law and regulations. KRS Chapter 45A of the Kentucky Model Procurement Code provides the regulatory framework for the procurement of services by state agencies.

9.10 Technical Proposal Evaluation

CHFS will evaluate the proposal based on the technical portion of the Evaluation Criteria. Each Offeror is responsible for submitting all relevant, factual and correct information with their offer to enable the evaluator(s) to afford each Vendor the maximum score based on the available data submitted by the Offeror. Past Offeror Performance may be considered in the award of this Contract. Offerors with a record of poor performance in the last twelve (12) months may be found non-responsible and ineligible for award.

9.20 Cost Proposal Evaluation

CHFS will evaluate the proposal based on the cost portion of the Evaluation Criteria.

Offeror shall only provide cost on the attached Cost Proposal Form; otherwise, the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

9.30 Right to Reject/Waiver of Minor Irregularities

The Commonwealth…