Amendment_0004.docx

HHSM-500-2014-RFP-QIN-QIO

Amendment 0004 Responses to Solicitation Questions and Solicitation Amendments

1. Under SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS, the following changes shall be made:

a. Under Subsection B.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES, the following change shall be made:

1) The first sentence is REVISED to indicate that the type of contract is a “multiple” Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) umbrella contract, versus “single” Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) umbrella contract. Therefore, the first sentence is REVISED to read as follows:

“This is a multiple Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) umbrella contract under which individual task orders will be awarded to procure expert healthcare quality improvement services from Quality Innovation Networks – Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs) for purposes of improving care for Medicare beneficiaries in a manner that aligns with the work that Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be doing in its efforts towards achievement of the National Quality Strategy (NQS) and the CMS Quality Strategy along with the other strategies, goals, recommendations, and priorities listed in the Statement of Work.”

b. Under Subsection B.4 TYPE OF CONTRACT, the following change shall be made:

1) The first paragraph of this section is REVISED to change the Government’s intent from single award IDIQ to multiple award IDIQ, and to include cost-plus-award-fee (CPAF) as a potential pricing arrangement. Therefore, the first paragraph is REVISED to read as follows:

“This is a multiple award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with provisions for pricing arrangements including cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF), cost-plus-award-fee (CPAF), and firm-fixed-price (FFP) type pricing arrangements. Specific tasks and/or work to be performed will be detailed in, and solicited by, individual Task Orders issued under this IDIQ contract. The Government reserves the right to issue task orders as a CPFF, CPAF, or FFP, as deemed appropriate by the Contracting Officer.”

2. Under SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA, the following changes shall be made:

a. Under Subsection G.2 TASK ORDER PROCEDURES, ADD paragraph h entitled, Fair Opportunity for Consideration, which shall read as follows:

“h. Fair Opportunity for Consideration - Each awardee under a multiple award IDIQ will be provided a fair opportunity to be considered for each individual Task Order in excess of $3,000 in accordance with FAR 16.505(b).

b. Under Subsection G.2 TASK ORDER PROCEDURES, ADD paragraph i entitled, Consideration of additional QIN Requirements, which shall read as follows:

“i. Consideration of additional QIN-QIO Requirements - Each IDIQ contract may incorporate additional work not currently identified under the service area TOs. If the addition of such workload is in the interest of economy and efficiency, it may be considered an in-scope modification to the work identified in each TO.

The QIN-QIO umbrella SOW is incorporated into each task order with the same force and effect as if it were provided in full text. IDIQ QIN-QIO Base Contract workload reconfigurations may be necessary in order to comply with the efficient and effective implementation of the Social Security Act or other programs that may be enacted by legislation. CMS may initiate new task orders or modify existing task orders as follows:

(a) Special Innovation Projects (SIPs) – Smaller scaled projects requested by CMS to test new ideas for future projects, explore variation in care not explained by the data, or pilot a new initiative based on CMS and HHS priorities. The expectation is that all QIN-QIO IDIQ holders will be invited to submit proposals to conduct SIPs. CMS would then review those submittals and determine which projects it will pursue after fairly considering all submittals. However, a circumstance may arise in which CMS has a need to issue an order for an SIP in a specific area. In such a situation, the government may issue such an order for an SIP as a modification to the existing QIN-QIO task order in that specific state or service area.

(b) QIN-QIO Initiated Projects. Small scaled projects may be requested by the QIO to test a new idea coming from the field, explore variation in their quality improvement data, or pilot a priority from the local area. In these instances, all QIN-QIO IDIQ holders will be permitted to submit ideas and modifications to the IDIQ holder’s task order will be issued.

(c) Future QIN-QIO work or projects may be required for each service area. There are certain core projects under development by CMS that will be done by each of the service areas when ready for implementation. CMS would receive proposals for each of the projects and a new task orders will be negotiated and awarded under the IDIQ, with the expectation that each of the QIOs would perform the task in their service area with people they are already working with on other quality improvement projects.

(d) National projects may be competed among all the QIN-QIO IDIQ holders and awarded to one or more QIN-QIOs. While it is not anticipated that this would happen frequently, it is possible that CMS will award a task order to a QIN-QIO IDIQ contractor that would cross several areas that other QIN-QIOs are working in.

3. Under SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, the following changes shall be made:

a. Under Subsection J.1 QIN-QIO TASK ORDER 001 ENTITLED “EXCELLENCE IN OPERATIONS AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT”, under Section B.2.8.6, Paragraph G, Table 1, entitled, “Minimum Recruitment for Participating Physician Practices/Offices/Clinics and Beneficiary DSME Targets” is DELETED, and REPLACED in its entirety with the following:

Table 1. Minimum Recruitment for Participating Physician Practices/Offices/Clinics and Beneficiary DSME Targets Monitoring Period (by Quarter) % of New PPs Recruited (% of QIN-QIO Target) % of New Beneficiaries Completing DSME (% of QIN-QIO Target)

of PP Target Year 4

b. Under Subsection J.1(b) QIN-QIO EVALUATION MEASURES TABLE, the TAB entitled, “Task B.4” is DELETED, and REPLACED in its entirety with Attachment A, Tab Task B.4.

4. Under SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS, the following changes shall be made:

a. Under Subsection L.3 TYPE OF CONTRACT FAR 52.216-1 (APR 1984), REVISE this Subsection to indicate that the Government contemplates award of “multiple” indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) 5 year contracts, versus “single” indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) 5 year contracts, and to include cost-plus-award-fee as a potential pricing arrangement. Therefore, the subsection is DELTED in its entirety and REPLACED with the following:

L.3 TYPE OF CONTRACT FAR 52.216-1 (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a multiple indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) 5 year contract with provisions for pricing arrangements including, but not limited to, fixed price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-plus-award-fee. Specific tasks and/or work to be performed, will be detailed in, and solicited by, individual Task Orders issued under this IDIQ contract.

b. Under Subsection L.11 GENERAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR A SINGLE INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY (IDIQ) CONTRACT AND TASK ORDERS, this Subsection shall be RETITLED as follows, “L.11 GENERAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS for a MULTIPLE INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY (IDIQ) CONTRACT AND TASK ORDERS.

c. Under Subsection L.15 VOLUME II: EXCELLENCE IN OPERATIONS AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (INDIVIDUAL STATES PROPOSAL), the following change shall be made:

1) Section E. FISMA/FedRAMP Compliance (not included in the page count), is hereby REVISED as follows to require the offeror’s attestation letter rather than certification:

“E. FISMA/FedRAMP Compliance (not included in the page count)

If the offeror is currently compliant with the FISMA/FedRAMP requirements, a copy of the offeror’s attestation letter shall be included in the Technical Proposal. If the offeror is not currently compliant, the offeror shall demonstrate in their Technical Proposal how it will become (and remain) compliant with the requirements set forth at the CMS Information Security provisions within 90 days of contract award.”

d. Under Subsection L.17 VOLUME IV: BUSINESS PROPOSAL, the following changes shall be made:

1) Under Section B, Contract Form and Representation and Certifications, this paragraph is DELTED and REPLACED with the following, to require the submission of Section K Representations & Certifications from Prime Offerors only, and not subcontractors.

“The SF-33 and the Representations and Certifications contained in Section K must be executed by an official authorized to bind the Offeror and provided by the Prime Contractor only. In addition, Sections B, G and H of the RFP shall be completed where applicable.”

2) The final paragraph of Section G. Indirect Cost Submission, is REVISED to read as follows in order to clarify the proposal assumptions regarding indirect rates:

“The indirect rate proposal must also include an explanation of what the rates are based on, as to how they were determined. For the purposes of proposals in response to this solicitation, offerors must specify that the rates are based on current contracts plus the award of one QIN-QIO IDIQ award including three (3) state Task Orders (TOs). The Government will not instruct contractors how to budget their costs; however, in order to make a determination of fair and reasonable, the Government must know the basis of the indirect rates proposed.”

5. Under SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD, the following change shall be made:

a. Under Subsection M.1 GENERAL PROCEDURES, the following change shall be made:

1) Paragraph j is REVISED to state that the Government anticipates making “multiple” IDIQ awards versus “single” IDIQ awards. This paragraph is revised to read as follows:

“j. CMS reserves the right to make a single IDIQ award or multiple IDIQ awards, but anticipates making multiple IDIQ awards. In addition, the RFP may be amended or canceled as necessary to meet CMS requirements. For purposes of efficiency, the Government may award a single task order for an entire QIN-QIO area or individual state task orders.”

ALL OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE SOLICITATION REMAIN UNCHANGED AND IN FULL EFFECT.