Response to Offeror Questions document.pdf

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RFP #26-09RHT-006 Questions & Answers

Date: March 17, 2026

Subject: Questions and Answers for RFP #26-09RHT-006

In accordance with the subject Request for Proposal (RFP), the following are answers to questions which have been submitted prior to March 10, 2026 at 5:00pm CST. These questions are for informational purposes only; they do not alter the requirements specified within the RFP. Any changes to the RFP will be accomplished by the Office of Procurement Management through the use of an addendum.

1. Question: What is the maximum available budget for the contract period (April 1, 2026

– October 30, 2027), and is the funding fixed or subject to annual appropriations?

Answer: $399,013 is obligated for Year 1 scope of work. Future awards are contingent on availability of funding and budget approval from CMS. Further detail can be found under Section 2.0-Standard Contract Terms and Conditions.

2. Question: Approximately how many Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Community Health Representatives (CHRs), and employing organizations, does the Department anticipate the contractor will support annually across South Dakota?

Answer: The selected vendor will work with existing individuals and organizations, as well as identify new organizations looking to employ CHWs and CHRs. The expected outcome of this initiative is to bring the total number of trained CHWs and CHRs to 500 by the close of the grant period.

3. Question: Are there specific rural counties, tribal communities, or priority populations where the Department would like recruitment and workforce expansion efforts to focus?

Answer: A majority of South Dakota is rural/frontier; therefore, the entire state is a focus area. The Central and Western regions have been identified as areas with opportunities for growth.

4. Question: Does the Department currently have Medicaid billing guidance or reimbursement models for CHW services that the contractor should build upon, or will the contractor be expected to assist in designing these frameworks?

Answer: Medicaid reimbursement for CHW services was developed in 2019 under fee-for-service; the billing and provider manuals for CHW services can be found here: CHW manual. The selected vendor will be providing technical assistance to CHW agencies in navigating current Medicaid billing policies.

5. Question: What CHW training programs, certification pathways, or workforce networks currently exist in South Dakota that the contractor should coordinate with or enhance?

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RFP #26-09RHT-006 Questions & Answers

Answer: There are currently 4 approved CHW training/certifications programs that are recognized in SD. The selected vendor will work collaboratively with new/expanding CHW/CHR programs, the Initiative Lead and the two partnering technical colleges in South Dakota (Lake Area Technical College and Southeast Technical College)for educational training opportunities.

6. Question: How frequently does the Department anticipate the contractor convening stakeholder meetings or learning collaboratives among health systems, community organizations, and CHWs?

Answer: There is no required frequency for meetings. It will be up to the selected vendor to determine the types of collaboration and educational opportunities based on the technical assistance and feedback from CHWs/CHRs and their employers. Ideally, the selected vendor will provide professional development and networking opportunities for current and new CHWs/CHRs at least quarterly.

7. Question: Are there specific performance metrics or key indicators the Department expects the contractor to report on (e.g., workforce growth, retention rates, training participation, or Medicaid claims utilization)?

Answer: The three outcomes written in South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation project narrative for the CHW Initiative include:

Increase the number of individuals trained as CHWs in South Dakota by 45% from 340 individuals to 500 individuals.

Increase the number of Certified CHWs and CHRs by 60% from 180 certified to 300 certified.

Increase the number of Medicaid recipients receiving CHW/CHR services by 40% from 1,250 recipients to 1,750 recipients.

8. Question: Is there a draft version or template of the online application we could receive that outlines the required information, attachments, and budgetary requirements?

Answer: All required information for proposals can be found under Sections 4.0- Proposal Requirements and Company Qualifications, 5.0-Proposal Response Format, and 7.0-Cost Proposal.

9. Question: Could you please confirm if we need to submit any mandatory certifications or forms along with our proposal response?

Answer: There are no mandatory certifications or forms to submit with the proposal aside from the completed contact information document found on page 1 of the RFP.

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RFP #26-09RHT-006 Questions & Answers

10.Question: Please confirm if there is any mandatory requirement to have a local presence in South Dakota?

Answer: Local presence is not required but strongly preferred. Both availability to and familiarity with the project locale will be considered when evaluating proposals.

11.Question: We observed that RFP focuses on technical assistance, medical billing, sustainability planning and program support. Are organizations that primarily provide staffing and recruitment services eligible to bid, or is the intent limited to technical assistance providers? Please confirm.

Answer: Those organizations can still apply; however, the scope of work focuses on the 4 priority areas listed within South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation application:

Financial Sustainability and Payment Frameworks Technical Assistance for Program Development and Expansion Workforce Recruitment and Retention Training, Certification, and Professional Development

12.Question: In the cost proposal it asks for a staffing breakdown (Name, Role, Hours, Rate). Does this mean we must list specific experts who will deliver technical assistance, or can we show general staffing categories if we mainly provide workforce placement? Please clarify.

Answer: It is preferred that the proposal identifies individuals who will be providing the scope of work and the required detail is included within the Cost Proposal.

13.Question: For past performance, will staffing projects (focused on recruitment/placement) be considered relevant, or is the expectation specifically for public health technical assistance projects?

Answer: It is up to the organization to provide examples that best align with the RFP Scope of Work.

14.Question: Could you please confirm if we are required to provide public or private sector client references?

Answer: Both can be submitted.

15.Question: Is this a new initiative? If not, please share with us the current vendor details?

Answer: This is a previous initiative that was paused due to funding constraints.

Historical contracting information can be found on opensd.gov.

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RFP #26-09RHT-006 Questions & Answers

16.Question: What was the previous spent?

Answer: This is a previous initiative that was paused due to funding constraints.

Historical contracting information can be found on opensd.gov.

17.Question: What is the current estimated budget?

Answer: $399,013 is obligated for Year 1 scope of work. Future awards are contingent on availability of funding and budget approval from CMS. Further detail can be found under Section 2.0-Standard Contract Terms and Conditions.

18.Question: Can you confirm whether targets reflect only new additional units or incremental units?

a. For outcome 1 (expanded workforce), is the goal to train 500 new individuals by 2030 (meaning that 840 total individuals have been trained), or to have 500 total individuals trained (implying an incremental increase of 160 trained individuals)?

Answer: The targets are for incremental units. For Outcome 1, the project goal is to identify and train 160 new CHWs/CHRs in South Dakota for a total of 500.

b. For outcome 2, is the goal for 300 NEW CHWs/CHRs to be certified (bringing statewide total to 480), or to have 300 total CHWs/CHRs certified (implying an incremental increase of 120 CHWs/CHRs certified)?

Answer: The targets are incremental units. For Outcome 2, the project goal is to increase the number of certified CHWs and CHRs by 120 for a total of 300.

19.Question: To what extent is the state’s goal for the organization selected through this RFP to directly train CHWs and help them achieve certification (and include those costs in the budget) vs. to promote existing training providers funded through other mechanisms?

Answer: The selected vendor will not need to include educational training costs for new CHWs/CHRs in their proposal. The selected vendor will be required to collaborate with the new/expanding CH/CHR programs/organizations, Initiative Lead, and the two partnering technical colleges in South Dakota for training (Lake Area Technical College and Southeast Technical College).

20.Question: We assume that a primary objective of training is to attain certification, but the outcome numbers appear to assume that only about half of CHWs who complete training attain certification.

Answer: Training is defined as educational learning, such as coursework in a certificate program at one of the two approved CHW programs at the two partnering South Dakota

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RFP #26-09RHT-006 Questions & Answers technical colleges (Lake Area Technical College and Southeast Technical College).

Certification is defined as a professional recognition of CHWs/CHRs who are then able to bill SD Medicaid for CHW services.

Two outcomes written in South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation narrative include:

Increase the number of individuals trained as CHWs in South Dakota by 45% from 340 individuals to 500 individuals.

Increase the number of Certified CHWs and CHRs by 60% from 180 certified to 300 certified.

21.Question: Can the state share more about the type or nature of services it envisions related to “assisting with SD Medicaid claims and billing processes”? Is this intended to primarily focus on technical assistance/support or is the state looking for the offeror to provide a revenue cycle management solution?

Answer: The selected vendor will focus primarily on technical assistance and reimbursement support for sustainable CHW/CHR programs. Offerors may include revenue cycle management in their proposals as an optional or additional service.

22.Question: The RFP states: The cost proposal must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope labeled “Cost Proposal” in addition to following the instructions in section 5.0 for the Proposal Response Format. Since this is an email submission, do you require we send the cost proposal as a separate email?

Answer: The Cost Proposal needs to be sent separately from the overall proposal. This could be in the same email but as a separately labeled document.