RFA_042-1644156-DMA.pdf

County of Orange

Health Care Agency

Request for Applications

RFA No.:042-1644156-DMA

Medical Transportation

Released January 5, 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

I. Introduction and General Information

A. Application Focus and Background

B. Contract Term and Funding Availability

C. Time Applications Will Remain Valid

D. Timeline

E. Withdrawal of Application(s)

F. Questions Regarding the RFA Process and Requirements

G. General Instructions for Submittal

H. County’s Rights

I. Use of Lobbyists

J. Protest Process

K. Change Of Ownership/Name and Litigation Status

L. Conflict of Interest

M. Confidentiality

N. Modifications of the RFA

O. Insurance Requirements

II. Description of Services

A. Target Population

B. Services to be Provided

C. Performance Objectives

D. Staffing Requirements

E. Facility Requirements

III. Application Preparation and Evaluation

A. Eligibility To Submit Applications

B. Rejection of Application(s)

C. Minor Irregularities and Deficiencies in Application(s)

D. Non-Responsive Application(s)

E. Evaluation of Applications and Selection of Providers

IV. Minimum Submission Instructions

V. Application for Medical Transportation

Services Questionnaire

Attachments

Attachment I – Contract Template

Attachment II – Forms A-D

Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form

NOTE: Forms and attachments in PDF and/or Excel format are posted on County’s online bidding system as separate attachments to this solicitation.

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION I

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A. APPLICATION FOCUS AND BACKGROUND

The County of Orange (County) Health Care Agency (HCA) is seeking applications from qualified organizations to provide prompt Medical Transportation Services to individuals of all ages whom the County has statutory obligations to provide medical care such as those arrested, incarcerated, or persons detained by HCA’s Behavioral Health Services and/or HCA’s Public Health Services

Disease Control and Epidemiology, and for other persons whose transport by ambulance will assist the individuals in getting their immediate needs met.

The County staff conducts the necessary assessments to determine if the individual requires hospitalization or transportation to designated locations. Once the need for transportation has been determined, County staff will reach out to local non-emergency medical transportation companies to provide the actual transportation.

B. CONTRACT TERM AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY

The County plans to contract with applicants who meet the requirements of this solicitation to provide the subject services. At the discretion of County, the initial term of the contract(s) resulting from this solicitation may be renewed for an additional term or terms. Any renewal is contingent upon available funding, contractor performance, need for services, and County policies.

Successful applicants are expected to accept all of the terms and conditions of Attachment I –

Contract Template, which contains the contract requirements between the County and the applicant regarding the provision of services solicited under this Request for Applicants (RFA). Any exceptions to the Contract Template must be indicated in the Services Questionnaire. The selected application will be retained and incorporated into the contract by reference and made part thereof, except for assurances and promises that are unlawful.

Contract(s) resulting from this solicitation shall be a cooperative Contract and may be utilized by all

County of Orange departments.

The provisions and pricing of any Contract resulting from this solicitation will be extended to other governmental entities. Governmental entities wishing to use this Contract will be responsible for issuing their own purchase documents, providing for their own acceptance, and making any subsequent payments. Contractor shall be required to include in any subordinate Contract entered into with another governmental entities pursuant to this Contract, a Contract clause that will hold harmless the County of Orange from all claims, demands, actions or cause of actions of every kind resulting directly or indirectly, arising out of, or in any way connected with, the use of this Contract.

Failure to do so will be considered a material break of this Contract and grounds for immediate

Contract termination. Governmental entities are responsible for obtaining all certifications of insurance, endorsements, and bonds required. The Parties agree that any other governmental entity utilizing this Contract shall not be deemed to be an agency or employee of County for any purpose whatsoever. The Contractor is responsible for providing each governmental entity a copy of this

Contract upon request. The County of Orange makes no guarantee of usage by other users of this

Contract.

The Contractor shall be required to maintain a list of the County of Orange departments and governmental entities using this Contract. The list shall report dollar volumes spent annually and shall be provided on an annual basis to the County, at the County’s request.

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Subordinate Contracts must be executed prior to the expiration or earlier termination of this Contract and may survive the expiration of this Contract up to a maximum of one year; however, in no case shall a subordinate Contract exceed five (5) years in duration.

The contract(s) awarded through this solicitation is anticipated to be fee for service. The funding source for these services are state, federal, county, and fees/licenses/other funds. Any contract resulting from this solicitation is contingent upon sufficient funds being made available by federal, state, and/or county governments for the term of the contract. The County reserves the right to revise the contract term stated in this solicitation. Start-up funds are not available for these services.

C. TIME APPLICATIONS WILL REMAIN VALID

Applications will remain valid for 365 days from the solicitation due date.

D. TIMELINE

Timeline dates are approximations only and do not constitute any commitment or guarantee by the

County.

Activity Date

RFA Released January 5, 2024

RFA Q&A Deadline One week before closing

Applications Due On going until December 31, 2024

Services Commence Ongoing through year 2024

E. WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATIONS(S)

An application may be withdrawn by the applicant or an authorized representative, provided his or her identity is made known and he or she provides a receipt for the application, but only if the withdrawal is made prior to the application due date.

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F. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RFA PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS

All questions regarding this RFA are to be posted online via The County’s online bidding system

Question and Answer (Q&A) Section and will only be accepted and answered during the Q&A period that lasts until approximately one (1) week prior to the RFA closing date.

All proposers are expected to thoroughly read through the entire RFA package before posting questions. All participating proposers will simultaneously receive a notification via The County’s online bidding system that a question has been posted related to this RFA and will be available for view by all participating proposers. The County’s responses to the questions asked will be posted as promptly as possible to The County’s online bidding system and will be available for view by all participating proposers.

The Q&A Section will be on going. All proposers are encouraged to post any questions regarding the RFA by this deadline. After the close of the Q&A period, bidders may only contact the

Procurement Administrator with questions related to uploading proposals to the County’s online bidding system. No other specific solicitation-related questions will be answered.

It is up to each individual proposer to determine if their organization meets the eligibility criteria stated in the RFA prior to submitting a proposal. The County does not provide any assistance to that effect.

Proposers are to strictly follow the directions above for questions regarding this RFA. During the entire RFA process, no County representative may be contacted for questions or information regarding this RFA with the exception of the assigned Procurement Administrator, Dene Andrea dandrea@ochca.com. Any violation of this direction may be deemed non-responsive with the

RFA process and shall form a basis for the rejection of the proposal.

G. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTAL

1. Use the Application Preparation Checklist (Form A – Attachment II) to plan and monitor solicitation application preparation as well as to verify completion of all materials before submission.

2. Applicant’s application must clearly meet all of the requirements of this solicitation.

3. Applicants should review all requirements and instructions to ensure that each requirement is met. County shall not be responsible for any oral instructions given by any employees of

County in regard to the application instructions, specifications, or application documents as described in this solicitation.

4. Applications and requested documents must be sent electronically to the Procurement

Administrator in PDF format. DO NOT UPLOAD IN THE COUNTYS BIDDING

SYSTEM-OPENGOV Please send directly to dandrea@ochca.com. Please be aware of possible changes to the administrator throughout the duration of the bid. Any changes will be updated on Opengov.

5. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Please make sure that all files are included in your submission. The administrator will confirm receipt of your submission Provide accurate and honest information. Information that is deliberately inaccurate may prompt an investigative review and will affect the evaluation of the application.

mailto:dandrea@ochca.com

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6. Provide documentation where necessary, including items such as forms, licenses, etc.

7. If you omit any required information or data, explain why.

8. Do not include home addresses, home phone numbers, and/or personal email addresses for any employee, volunteer, Board member, etc. in your applications.

H. COUNTY’S RIGHTS

The County reserves the right to:

1. Modify this RFA prior to the time applications are due, provided applicants are granted such extensions as necessary to allow sufficient time for submission of applications in response to the modified RFA.

2. Cancel this RFA at any time, but prior to award of a contract by the Board of Supervisors, in whole or in part, when it is determined that cancellation is in the best interest of the County.

3. Reject any or all applications.

4. Reject an application at any time during the RFA process for reasons stated in this RFA or for false information submitted in response to the RFA.

5. Enter into a contract for all or some of the stated services.

6. Award single or multiple contracts.

7. Based on the County’s needs and availability of funds, modify the scope of service described herein, provided applicants are allowed to re-submit modified applications within a reasonable time.

8. Ask applicants for additional information or documentation.

I. USE OF LOBBYISTS

The County does not require, and neither encourages nor discourages, the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

J. PROTEST PROCESS

Any actual or prospective applicant who alleges a grievance by the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a grievance or protest that this solicitation is unfairly restrictive, ambiguous or contains conflicting provisions.

Protest of Application/Solicitation Specifications

All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to HCA Procurement and

Contract Services no later than five (5) business days prior to the close of the solicitation period.

Protests received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County. In the event the protest of specifications is denied and the protester wishes to continue in the solicitation process, it must still submit an application prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the application submittal procedures provided in the solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract

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In protests related to the award of a contract, the protest must be submitted no later than five (5) business days after the “Notice of Intent to Award Contract” is provided by HCA Procurement and

Contract Services. Protests relating to a proposed contract award, which are received after the five

(5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

Procedure

All protests must be typed under the protester’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

1. The name, address, and telephone number of the protester.

2. The signature of the protester or the protester’s authorized representative.

3. The name of the solicitation or number of the solicitation.

4. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest.

5. The form of relief requested.

Written protests must be sent to: County of Orange/Health Care Agency

Procurement and Contract Services

400 W Civic Center Drive, 3rd floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: Dene Andrea

Dandrea@ochca.com

Appeal Process

If the protester disagrees with the decision of the Contract Services Division Manager, the protester may submit a written notice within three (3) business days from receipt of the Contract Services

Division Manager’s decision to the Office of the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the Procurement Appeals Board.

Written appeals must be sent to: County of Orange/County Procurement Office

400 W Civic Center Drive, 5th floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

Within 15 business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the protest, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the protest shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

K. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP/NAME AND LITIGATION STATUS

Applicant agrees that if there is a change or transfer in ownership of applicant’s organization prior to the completion of the contract, and the County agrees to an assignment of the Contract, the new mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

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Contractor’s duties and obligations contained in the Contract and complete them to the satisfaction of the County.

The County reserves the right to immediately terminate the Contract in the event the County determines that the assignee is not qualified or is otherwise unacceptable to the County for the provision of services under the Contract.

L. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Applicant shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to prevent any actions or conditions that could result in a conflict with the County interests. In addition to the applicant, this obligation shall apply to the applicant’s employees, agents, and subcontractors associated with the provision of goods and services provided under the Contract. The applicant’s efforts shall include, but not be limited to establishing rules and procedures preventing its employees, agents, and subcontractors from providing or offering gifts, entertainment, payments, loans or other considerations which could be deemed to influence or appear to influence County staff or elected officers in the performance of their duties.

The County reserves the right to disqualify any applicant on the basis of any real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the application submitted or any other information available to the

County. This disqualification is at the sole discretion of the County. Any applicant submitting an application herein waives any right to object to the County’s exercise of this right, now or at any future time, before anybody or agency including, but not limited to, the County Board of Supervisors or any court of competent jurisdiction.

M. CONFIDENTIALITY

California Public Records Act

Pursuant to California law, all information contained in an application may be public record, subject to disclosure to any member of the public who requests it through the California Public Records Act

(CPRA). If it is necessary to include proprietary/trade secret information in a response, the County recommends that the applicant clearly and prominently marks the information believed to fall within such categories.

Applicant will include a written statement as to the basis for considering the marked pages confidential including the specific harm or prejudice if disclosed and the County will review the material, applicant’s concerns and make an independent determination.

N. MODIFICATIONS OF THE RFA

The County reserves the sole right to interpret or change any provision of the solicitation at any time prior to the application submission date. Any and all interpretations or changes will be in the form of a written addendum, which will be furnished to all applicants through County’s online bidding system. All addendums issued will become part of the solicitation and resultant Contract. Applicants hereby acknowledge their receipt of any addendum by being registered in County’s online bidding system and acknowledge it is the applicant’s responsibility to check for, and read all addendums posted in County’s online bidding system.

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Should such addendum require information not previously requested, the County at its sole discretion, may determine that a time extension is required for the submission of applications, in which case an addendum will indicate the new application submission date.

O. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Insurance coverage and limits for the awarded Contract will vary based upon the identified services and will be determined during contract negotiations. The baseline amounts and key requirements are as follows:

COVERAGE MINIMUM LIMITS

Commercial General Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence

$2,000,000 aggregate

Automobile Liability, including coverage for owned or scheduled, non-owned and hired vehicles

$1,000,000 combined single limit each accident

Workers’ Compensation Statutory

Employer's Liability Insurance $1,000,000 per accident or disease

Network Security & Privacy Liability $1,000,000 per claims-made

Professional Liability

$1,000,000 per claims-made or occurrence

$1,000,000 aggregate

Sexual Misconduct Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence

1. Increased insurance limits may be satisfied with Excess/Umbrella policies. Excess/Umbrella policies when required must provide Follow Form coverage.

2. REQUIRED COVERAGE FORMS

a. The Commercial General Liability coverage shall be written on occurrence basis utilizing

Insurance Services Office (ISO) form CG 00 01, or a substitute form providing liability coverage at least as broad.

b. The Business Auto Liability coverage shall be written on ISO form CA 00 01, CA 00 05, CA

0012, CA 00 20, or a substitute form providing coverage at least as broad.

3. REQUIRED ENDORSEMENTS

The Commercial General Liability policy shall contain the following endorsements, which shall accompany the Certificate of Insurance:

a. An Additional Insured endorsement using ISO form CG 20 26 04 13, or a form at least as broad naming the County of Orange its elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, and agents as Additional Insureds, or provide blanket coverage, which will state As Required by Written Contract.

b. A primary non-contributory endorsement using ISO form CG 20 01 04 13, or a form at least as broad evidencing that the Contractor’s insurance is primary, and any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the County shall be excess and non-contributing.

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4. The Workers’ Compensation policy shall contain a waiver of subrogation endorsement waiving all rights of subrogation against the County of Orange, its elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, and agents or provide blanket coverage, which will state As Required by

Written Contract.

5. The Network Security and Privacy Liability policy shall contain the following endorsements which shall accompany the Certificate of Insurance:

a. An Additional Insured endorsement naming the County of Orange, its elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, and agents as Additional Insureds for its vicarious liability.

b. A primary and non-contributory endorsement evidencing that the Contractor’s insurance is primary, and any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the County shall be excess and non-contributing.

6. All insurance policies required by this Contract shall waive all rights of subrogation against the

County of Orange, its elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, and agents when acting within the scope of their appointment or employment.

7. Contractor shall provide thirty (30) days prior written notice to the County of any policy cancellation or non-renewal and ten (10) days prior written notice where cancellation is due to non-payment of premium and provide a copy of the cancellation notice to County. Failure to provide written notice of cancellation may constitute a material breach of the Contract, upon which the County may suspend or terminate this Contract.

8. The Commercial General Liability policy shall contain a severability of interests clause also known as a “separation of insureds” clause (standard in the ISO CG 0001 policy).

9. Insurance certificates should be forwarded to the agency/department address listed on the solicitation.

10. If the Contractor fails to provide the insurance certificates and endorsements within seven (7) days of notification by CEO/Purchasing or the agency/department purchasing division, award may be made to the next qualified vendor.

11. County expressly retains the right to require Contractor to increase or decrease insurance of any of the above insurance types throughout the term of this Contract. Any increase or decrease in insurance will be as deemed by County of Orange Risk Manager as appropriate to adequately protect County.

12. County shall notify Contractor in writing of changes in the insurance requirements. If Contractor does not provide acceptable Certificates of Insurance and endorsements to County incorporating such changes within thirty (30) days of receipt of such notice, this Contract may be in breach without further notice to Contractor, and County shall be entitled to all legal remedies.

13. The procuring of such required policy or policies of insurance shall not be construed to limit

Contractor's liability hereunder nor to fulfill the indemnification provisions and requirements of this Contract, nor act in any way to reduce the policy coverage and limits available from the insurer.

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Prior to the provision of services, the successful proposer will be required to purchase insurance at the above minimum standards at proposer’s expense, and to deposit with the County, Certificates of

Insurance including all endorsements necessary to satisfy the provisions identified above.

If Self-Insured, the successful proposer will be required to provide a Certificate of Self-Insurance that meets at minimum, the requirements identified above.

Failure of the proposer to meet these requirements after the proposer has been selected, and prior to the Contract start date, shall result in forfeiture of the proposer’s Contract award.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES SECTION II

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A. TARGET POPULATION

Medical Transportation Services shall be provided to:

1. Persons in the custody of the Orange County Sheriff by reason of the alleged commission or the conviction of a crime.

2. Persons arrested by any law enforcement agency for a violation of any provisions of the laws of the State of California or County Ordinances which are made a crime and where the proper place of detention is in the custody of the Orange County Sheriff.

3. Juveniles residing in or being transported to or from a County juvenile institution.

4. Persons served by Orange County Behavioral Health Services clinical personnel or the

Orange County Sheriff pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150 or 5585 for transportation to an evaluation and treatment facility.

5. Persons who are the responsibility of County under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act or the Short-Doyle Act, Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 5000-58001 and who require transportation between one mental health facility and another mental health facility, or between a mental health facility and a health facility.

6. Persons who are clients of the Orange County Public Defender and who require transportation to or from court in connection with conservatorship.

7. Persons who are conservatees of the Orange County Public Guardian and who require transportation to or from court in connection with conservatorship proceedings.

8. Persons in a County operated Drug or Alcohol Program or County-contracted Drug or

Alcohol Residential Treatment Program and who require transportation to or from a

County-operated Drug or Alcohol Program, County-contracted Drug or Alcohol

Residential Treatment Program, and/or mental health or treatment facility.

9. Persons for whom transportation services have been requested by the Orange County

Sheriff pursuant to California Government Code Section 26612.

10. Persons who, while attending an Orange County Public Health Clinic, experience an anaphylactic reaction to treatment or other factor related to the County’s medical management of the individual and requires emergency transportation to a hospital or non-emergency facility.

11. Persons for whom transportation services have been requested by Orange County

Behavioral Health Services clinical personnel or Correctional Health Services personnel for transportation to an inpatient mental health facility, other mental health facilities, emergency department, or a health facility.

12. Persons detained by HCA’s Behavioral Health Services and/or HCA’s Public Health

Services Disease Control and Epidemiology, and for other persons whose transport by ambulance will assist the individuals in getting their immediate needs met.

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B. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

The County Agencies who are authorized to request services are the following: Health Care Agency, County Sheriff, Probation Department, Social Services Agency, Public Defender, Public Guardian, Fire Authority, and identified County contract providers. The selected applicants(s) shall be responsible for ascertaining the identity of persons requesting services, including their positions and titles within the authorized Agencies. Medi-Cal eligible services provided shall be paid at prevailing

Medi-Cal rates. Individuals with private medical coverage will be billed directly to their medical provider and HCA will pay for individuals without Medi-Cal eligibility with the rates approved by

County. The services shall include but not be limited to:

1. Transport requests will be made utilizing VectorCare, a third-party patient logistics application. Applicants are required to obtain a VectorCare account through the County in order to respond to transport requests.

2. Ambulance services must be available on a 24-hour basis and the applicant must respond to all calls made; however, when applicant’s own equipment is not available by reason of prior use beyond their control, applicant is responsible for updating their status in

VectorCare. Applicant shall provide two (2) staff per ambulance.

3. Provide unscheduled transportation services for individuals who have been authorized by

Orange County Behavioral Health, Correctional Health and Public Health staff which includes but is not limited to transportation for psychiatric evaluation at the County Crisis

Stabilization Unit (CSU) and other County-contracted CSU(s), transportation to and from emergency departments for medical clearance, transportation to facilitate inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, transportation to and from Adult and Older Adult Behavioral

Health (AOABH) Long Term Care Facilities or State Hospitals, and any other designated facilities as authorized by HCA staff and authorized Agencies.

4. The applicant shall be responsible for the maintenance of appropriate records of accountability to report to HCA. The applicant shall establish and maintain a database sufficient to meet the reporting requirements of the requested services and report data in a format approved by HCA on a monthly and quarterly basis. The applicant shall maintain the confidentiality of transportation services, program-related information including passenger-specific information, and shall take measures to safeguard and protect unauthorized disclosure of the passenger information in its possession, and shall establish internal policies to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws and regulations regarding confidentiality. Applicants shall ensure electronic files are in compliance with the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, and the terms of their Contract with HCA.

5. Additional transportation requests outside of County may be required and scheduled on as needed basis and will involve longer driving distances to/from locations including but not limited to: California State Hospitals in central and northern California as well neighboring counties.

6. Provide the services without regard to any illegally discriminatory classification, including without limitation the individual’s race, color, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, age, sex or ability to pay.

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7. The applicant’s staff shall be required to go into designated waiting areas to deliver the individual to the designated locations and/or responsible staff.

8. The applicant shall have sufficient and appropriate staff to handle all incoming calls at all times, and a “live” person shall answer all calls and respond to requests via VectorCare

(i.e., automated answering systems are not acceptable.)

9. The applicant shall develop policies and procedures that address the need for corrective action following one or more instances of “no shows” for expected Medical

Transportation Services, lack of or no response to transportation requests in VectorCare, and uncommunicated delays in ETAs to requestors.

10. The applicant must be able to provide the required services throughout Orange County and must obtain licenses to operate in cities where applicant has no license available at least before the start of the contract.

AMBULANCE TRANSPORTATION RATES

SERVICE RATE

1. Ambulance service, Basic Life Support (BLS) base rate, emergency transport, one way (includes allowance for emergency run) ............ $400

2. Mileage one-way per mile ................................................................................... $6

3. Out-of-County Transport (over 25 miles one-way) ............................................. $450

4. Out-of-County Transport (over 50 miles one-way) ............................................. $500

5. Out-of-County Transport (over 75 miles one-way) ............................................. $550

6. Out-of-County Transport (over 125 miles one-way) ........................................... $650

7. Out-of-County Transport (over 250 miles one-way) ........................................... $750

8. Out-of-County Transport (over 375 miles one-way) ........................................... $850

9. Waiting time over 15 minutes – each 30 minutes ................................................ $60

C. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

The selected applicant shall be required to meet the following performance objectives, which may include but not limited to:

1. Applicant(s) must have a detailed plan for timely response. The applicant must arrive on site as quickly as possible and, in no event shall take longer than 30 minutes for emergency requests. The requesting Agency may permit a 45 minute response time when the incident is unaccompanied by any life-threatening medical emergency but applicant must meet the overall performance target of 80 percent of responses within 30 minutes.

2. Applicant(s) must have a detailed plan as to how they will collaborate with and establish effective working relationships with HCA Behavioral Health, Correctional Health and

Public Health staff.

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3. Applicant(s) must attend quarterly meetings or on an “as needed” basis to review vendor performance, accounting, and billing with designated HCA staff at a site designated by

HCA.

4. Applicant(s) must respond to all requests made by HCA staff and provide quarterly performance statistics and monthly program narratives to Administrator or designee. For requests made within VectorCare, applicants must respond within 5 minutes after a request has been broadcasted. Applicant(s) may be subject to penalties or terminated from the agreement for performance that does not meet the County’s standards.

D. STAFFING REQUIREMENTS

1. Staffing for these services may include:

a. Ambulance service providers rendering the subject services shall be staffed at a minimum with two (2) California certified and Orange County Emergency Medical Services (OCEMS) accredited Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) equipped to render ambulance level care and transport.

b. Ambulance personnel rendering the subject services shall, throughout the term of the contract, be licensed, accredited, and credentialed as appropriate in the County of Orange, and shall maintain evidence of current/valid licenses and/or certifications. OCEMS certification/licensure requirements may be downloaded from the OCEMS website

(https://www.ochealthinfo.com/providers-partners/emergency-medical-services).

2. Applicant’s staff shall be provided with sufficient recovery-oriented training and must have experience working with individuals experiencing acute, serious, and persistent behavioral health conditions.

3. The applicant is permitted to sub-contract transportation services, however, applicant must obtain written approval from HCA of all subcontractors prior to the subcontractor delivering services.

Clearance to enter a secured facility shall be obtained from the OC Sheriff Department for all selected applicant’s staff including its sub-contractors before service can be provided.

E. FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

The applicant shall maintain a “base office” for the handling of referrals, phone calls, and dispatching of vehicles. As services are provided in the field, it is not necessary for each staff to have a dedicated office and equipment; however, the facility shall be large enough to accommodate necessary paperwork, staff meetings, trainings, and other work necessary for the provision of Medical

Transportation Services.

The applicant shall have appropriate storage space to secure confidential passenger records.

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APPLICATION PREPARATION AND EVALUATION SECTION III

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Applicants should review all requirements and instructions to ensure that each requirement is clearly addressed in the application.

A. ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS

To be eligible to submit an application for these services, the applicant must be a [for-profit organization, non-profit organization, community-based organization, specific region or etc.].

Individuals, government offices or etc. are not eligible to submit an application.

In order to be eligible to contract with the County, an individual or entity must not be listed on the current Cumulative Sanction List of the Office of the Inspector General (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), the General Services Administration’s list of parties excluded from federal programs, or the California Medi-Cal Suspended and Ineligible Provider List. Accordingly, County will not review any application submitted by an individual or entity found to be on any of these lists and the application will automatically be rejected. County will notify the applicant of this determination in writing.

The County plans to use the following databases to identify individuals and entities that are not eligible to contract with the County:

• https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/

• https://sam.gov/search/

• Medi-Cal Suspension Search Database

It is the sole responsibility of all applicants to verify that they are not on any of these lists prior to preparing and submitting an application in response to this RFA. Correction of any errors found on any of the lists, above, is the sole responsibility of the applicant and must be made prior to submission of the application.

In addition, in order to be eligible to enter into a contract with the County, an individual or entity must not have any pending charge(s) or conviction(s) for violation of criminal law(s) and/or any sanction(s) or disciplinary action(s) imposed or taken against them by any federal or state law enforcement, regulatory or licensing agency or body, including exclusion from Medicare and

Medicaid programs. Accordingly, all applicants must self-disclose with explanation, or deny the existence of this information pertaining to their principals, executives, and managers directly involved with the performance of the services solicited herein in Attachment II. Form C “Applicant

Certifications”.

B. REJECTION OF APPLICATION(S)

The County reserves the right to reject any application at any time during the RFA process on the basis of any substantiated actual and/or apparent conflict of interest regarding the performance of the proposed services solicited under this RFA. All applicants must self-disclose any potential and/or actual conflict of interest(s) in Attachment II. Form C “Applicant’s Certifications”. Any applicant submitting an application herein waives any right to object to County’s exercise of this right, now or at any future time, before anybody or agency including, but not limited to, the County Board of

Supervisors or any court of competent jurisdiction.

https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ https://sam.gov/search/

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As soon as the County has determined that an applicant has a conflict of interest as stated herein, County will provide written notification of such conflict and rejection of the application.

The County also reserves the right to reject any application at any time during the RFA process on the basis of any one or more of the following substantiated grounds:

1. Evidence of collusion amongst applicants;

2. Lack of such business skills and/or financial resources necessary and appropriate to successfully operate the services solicited in this RFA, as revealed by either the financial statement or experience statement;

3. Default on, or unpaid, County debt;

4. Default on any obligation to County;

5. Current or past failure to perform to County standards any obligation of a contract with County, as determined by County; and

6. Ineligible to enter into a contract with the County, as set forth in Section III.A “Applicants’

Eligibility to Contract with County”.

All applications that are irregular, incomplete, conditional, ambiguous and/or obscure and not minor irregularities and/or immaterial or inconsequential variations from the RFA requirements will be rejected. The County will provide a written notification of the grounds upon which an application is rejected.

C. MINOR IRREGULARITIES AND DEFICIENCIES IN APPLICATION(S)

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion, to accept an application containing a minor irregularity or when a defect or variation is immaterial or inconsequential.

The County reserves the right to waive any and all minor irregularities in lieu of seeking corrections thereof. All requests for correction of minor irregularities or notification of waiver thereof will be given to applicants in writing.

D. NON-RESPONSIVE APPLICATION(S)

Any application which fails to conform to the essential requirements of this RFA, such as specifications, may be rejected as non-responsive.

The County will provide a written notification of rejecting non-responsive applications, which will state the specific grounds for the rejection. Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the applicants to ensure their applications are conforming and responsive to all requirements of this RFA.

E. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION OF PROVIDERS

The County plans to review all applications received and enter into contract negotiations with applicants that meet all requirements.

The County has the right to conduct a compensation plan analysis to review and audit all business records and related documents of any and all applicants (including an affiliated or parent company), Request for Applications 19 of 24 Medical Transportation Service determine the adequacy, fairness, and reasonableness of the application, and to contact any and all client references.

The County’s determination as to whether an applicant is qualified and responsive will be based on the information furnished by the applicant in this solicitation, interview(s) with the applicant (if applicable), as well as from other sources determined to be valid by County. Award will not be made until after such investigations, as are deemed necessary, are made by the County regarding the experience and financial responsibility of applicant, which each applicant agrees to permit by submitting its application.

MINIMUM SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS SECTION IV

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The following are the submission requirements for an applicant to be considered as an eligible candidate to be considered for the requested services described in this RFA. Should any of this information be missing, the applicant may be deemed non-responsive.

Provide the information requested below in one (1) file labeled [Solicitation Name]-[Applicant

Name] per the instructions in Section I. G. “General Instructions for Submittal”. Failure to provide and/or disclose requested information and/or documents may result in disqualification of your application.

A. Cover Page/Executive Summary

All Applications must be accompanied by a cover letter of introduction and executive summary of the application (include what services, if your organization is bidding on multiple services).The cover letter must be signed by person(s) with authority to bind the applicant together with the main office address, and telephone number (including area code). If the applicant is a corporation, two (2) signatures are required: one (1) signature by the Chairman of the Board, the President or any Vice President; and one (1) signature by the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Chief

Financial Officer or any Assistant Treasurer. The signature of one (1) person alone is sufficient to bind a corporation, as long as he or she holds corporate offices in each of the two (2) categories described above. For County purposes, proof of such dual office holding will be satisfied by having the individual sign the instrument twice, each time indicating his or her office that qualifies under the above described provision. In the alternative, a single corporate signature is acceptable when accompanied by a corporate resolution demonstrating the legal authority of the signatory to bind the corporation. An unsigned or improperly signed application submission is grounds for rejection of the application and disqualification from further participation in this RFA process.

B. Complete the Agency Description Form (Form B – Attachment II). Ensure Form B and Applicant’s

Certification (Form C – Attachment II) are signed prior to submission.

C. Complete the Applicant Certification Form (Form C – Attachment II)

D. Board of Directors (Form D – Attachment II)

E. Complete the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form. LEVINE ACT – COUNTY OF ORANGE

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION DISCLOSURE: Effective January 1, 2023, Senate Bill No. 1439 amends § 84308 of the California Government Code, commonly referred to as the “Levine Act.” The

Levine Act precludes an Officer of a local government agency from participating in the award of a contract if he or she receives any political contributions totaling more than $250 in the 12 months preceding the pendency of the contract award, and for three months following the final decision, from the person or company awarded the contract. This prohibition applies to contributions to the

Officer or received by the Officer on behalf of any other Officer, or on behalf of any candidate for office or on behalf of any committee. The Levine Act also requires disclosure of such contributions by a party to be awarded a specified contract.

Proposers/bidders are responsible for reviewing and completing the attached County of Orange

Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form as a minimum submittal requirement for all County solicitations.

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F. Provide three (3) letters from professional references of organizations that have direct knowledge of your organization’s performance within the last year and will corroborate that your organization’s performance for the requested services meets the requirements of this solicitation. Reference letters must be submitted on the organization’s letterhead and signed by an individual that has the authority to sign on behalf of the named organization. Reference letters must include the following information; type of services provided, contract term dates, contract funding amount, and statement regarding satisfactory performance.

G. Provide copies of the documents below. Include an index of all the documents included, and an explanation for any document requested but not provided.

1. If incorporated:

a. Articles of Incorporation executed by the Secretary of State, including all amendments.

b. By-laws, including all amendments.

c. Board of Directors resolution empowering a Corporate Officer either by title or individual name, to act on behalf of the organization by his/her signature alone.

2. If not incorporated, documentation empowering an Authorized Representative to act on behalf of the organization by his/her signature alone.

3. Fictitious Business Name statement filed with the County Clerk and proof of publication.

4. Partnership papers and/or joint venture contracts.

5. Evidence of federal/state tax status.

6. IRS W-9 Form: Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification.

7. Business License/Certifications/Conditional Use Permit (CUP).

8. Table of contents from the organization’s policies and procedures manual covering daily operations and emergency procedures (medical, fire, etc.). If a policies and procedures manual does not exist, provide a plan and time frame for development.

9. Corporate organizational chart that includes all programs, identifies the relationship of the proposed program to the overall organization, and identifies the reporting relationship of each proposed staff position.

10. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): A unique twelve-character identification number required by the federal government as part of their financial request and reporting process, which can be obtained free of charge from the SAM.GOV website (https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration) Every proposer is required to provide a UEI number regardless of the funding source of this solicitation.

11. Good Neighbor Policy: The intent of this Policy is to identify community impacts and measures to mitigate those impacts so as to be an integral part of the neighborhood and community the County serves.

H. Recent financial statement prepared by an independent Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2Fcontent%2Fentity-registration&data=05%7C01%7CJCook-Giles%40ochca.com%7Cc0b8c5e857154afadc1608da24862813%7Ce4449a56cd3d40baae3225a63deaab3b%7C0%7C0%7C637862455865038974%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=saJi5HwhG97zJTwauLvo7rajvZ2EPvRz79mM3hzbxuQ%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2Fcontent%2Fentity-registration&data=05%7C01%7CJCook-Giles%40ochca.com%7Cc0b8c5e857154afadc1608da24862813%7Ce4449a56cd3d40baae3225a63deaab3b%7C0%7C0%7C637862455865038974%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=saJi5HwhG97zJTwauLvo7rajvZ2EPvRz79mM3hzbxuQ%3D&reserved=0

Request for Applications 22 of 24 Medical Transportation Service

I. Any audits, reviews, or inspection reports completed by a CPA firm, regulatory agency (e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration), or other government agency within the last 12 months.

J. Provide a description of any active litigation and resolution, performance issues and/or audit or review of any contractual documents (e.g., invoices, units of service reports, etc.) within the last five

(5) years that resulted in a corrective action plan, reimbursement of money to funder, investigation, and/or termination of any agreements or contracts between your organization and the County of

Orange, other government entity, and/or private organization. Provide a copy of a letter from your attorney and/or in-house legal counsel concerning the status of lawsuits and pending litigation for the most recent year.