RFI for QA Review of Disability Cases.pdf

Request for Information (RFI) – 60RRBH24S0002 Quality Assurance Review of Disability Cases

This is a Request for Information (RFI) - Sources Sought for Quality Assuarance Reviews – Disability Claims.

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR OFFERS OR BIDS, and the RRB will not transmit acknowledgements of receipt of potential offeror's submissions.

I. INTRODUCTION

The U. S. Railroad Retirement Board (“RRB”) is an independent Federal agency that administers a retirement and survivor benefits program for railroad employees and their families. The RRB was established by the Railroad Retirement Acts of 1937 and 1974. Its benefits program was the forerunner of the more familiar Social Security System. The Railroad Retirement System is unique inasmuch as it is the only federally administered benefits program covering a single private industry. The RRB also administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, which provides unemployment and sickness benefits to railroad employees.

The RRB headquarters facility is located in Chicago, Illinois. The RRB also, has 53 field offices across the country in localities easily accessible by large numbers of railroad workers.

The RRB is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain information including pricing estimates from interested vendors for Quality Assurance Reviews of Disability Cases as specified below in sections II and III.

The RRB does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to pay for the information solicited. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR OFFERS OR BIDS and the RRB will not transmit acknowledgements of receipt of potential offerors’ submissions.

The Government will NOT reimburse respondents for any cost associated with information submitted in response to this request.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Cases Reviews

The RRB performs annual quality assurance reviews of 72 initial disability determinations. This review begins the second week of January and is finished on or before April 30TH. Additional Case follow up may occur on a limited and ad-hoc basis through September 30th.

There are two separate reviews being conducted each fiscal year:

1. The Board Order 20-37 review of 10 initial disability determinations. This review begins November 1st and is finished on or before December 16th.

2. The annual quality assurance review of 72 initial disability determinations.

This review begins the second week of January and is finished on or before April 30TH. Additional Case follow up may occur on a limited and ad-hoc basis through September 30th.

III. OBJECTIVE

The RRB seeks information on quality assurance reviews of disability cases providers/solutions that are commercially available. The objective of this RFI notice is to identify providers, capabilities, solutions and rough order of magnitude pricing (ROM) who are capable of meeting RRB requirements outlined below. The RRB also seeks to identify whether available providers of this type of service are available on a Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) such as a GSA schedule contract as the RRB strongly prefers to utilize a GWAC over an open market order.

B. Minimum Requirements:

At a minimum, a proposed QA Review of Disability Cases shall have:

1. Medical Staff Qualifications

a. The contractor shall ensure that all physicians performing services under this contract shall (a) be currently licensed in the State in which contractual services are rendered and shall (b) have training and experience necessary to perform the required contractual function.

b. The Contractor shall provide physicians conversant with the various regulations, policies and guidelines related to disability-based benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act and the Social Security Act as each of those Acts are currently stated and as each Act may change during the lifetime of this contract.

c. The RRB will provide the contractor with the various regulations, policies and guideline required for contract performance.

d. No physician performing services under this contract shall have served as a witness in a lawsuit either against or for a railroad employer, or be an employee of a railroad, of the RRB, or subcontractor of an RRB contractor for disability related examinations services. In addition, no physician shall perform services under this contract for any case where they have provided medical exams, opinion or RFC assessments as a treating or consulting physician.

e. The Contractor shall not employ, under this contract, the services of any individual or entity who is excluded, suspended, or otherwise barred from participating in Medicare, Medicaid or any other Federal or Federally-assisted program.

2. Quality Control Plan – Must be able to provide, as part of any subsequent solicitation, the ability to maintain an ongoing quality control plan to ensure that the requirements of this contract are satisfied. The plan shall include methods for identifying, resolving, and preventing deficiencies in the quality and timeliness of services performed under this contract to ensure the level of performance meets the contract requirements.

IV. Request for Information Submission Requirements.

A. Interested parties having the ability to furnish the required services shall submit an information packet including budgetary pricing detailing the proposed solution(s) to the RRB.

Potential offerors shall respond by providing an information packet consisting of, at a minimum, the following:

1. The name, email address, and phone number for the company’s point(s) of contact for the information packet submission.

2. A descriptive and detailed narrative, with brochures and/or pamphlets, as applicable, detailing how their proposed solution/system and services meets the minimum requirements outlined in this RFI, with statements addressing the minimum requirements and desired features outlined in this RFI.

3. An estimated timeline to deliver and implement the proposed solution, including start-up after receipt of an order or contract.

4. An estimated level of effort for RRB resources, required by the contractor to accomplish delivery and implementation of the proposed solution.

5. “Fully loaded” estimated/budgetary pricing [rough order of magnitude (ROM)] for the solution and services. The RRB defines “fully loaded” as the price inclusive of direct wages, fringe benefits, all overheads, general and administrative (G&A) costs, profit and fees, and all travel and per diem costs for the contractor’s employees to perform necessary services at the RRB headquarters facility, located in Chicago, Illinois.

B. The RRB reminds responding interested parties that the RRB does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request for information or to pay for the information solicited. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR OFFERS OR BIDS and RRB will not transmit acknowledgements of receipt of potential offerors’ submissions.

C. Responses to this RFI shall be submitted by March 22, 2024 at 11:00 AM Central Time. FOR GSA RESPONDENTS ONLY – submit your RFI replies through GSA eBUY. ALL OTHERS – submit your replies via email to proposals@rrb.gov. The agency will accept PDF or Microsoft Word documents.

Include “60RRBH24S0002 QA Review of Disability Cases RFI” in the email subject line.

D. Any questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing and received by this office in sufficient time to allow the timely transmission of written answers by solicitation amendment. To ensure this the RRB will only answer questions received in this office no later than 11:00 AM Central Time, March 13, 2024. Questions shall be sent to proposals@rrb.gov with a CC to Michel.disalvio@rrb.gov with the e-mail subject line “RFI 60RRBH24S0002”.

mailto:proposals@rrb.gov mailto:Michel.disalvio@rrb.gov

E. Information Requested

Although not required, vendors may include a maximum of three (3) examples of past performance on previously executed and completed solutions performed for Federal, State, or local Government that are very similar to the solutions required in this solicitation. Examples should relate to the technical solutions required in this RFI in order to demonstrate specific previous experience doing the same type of work.

Vendors may include any additional relevant information or diagrams that may enhance the description of the proposed solution. The entire response should be contained within one document and should not exceed 20 pages in total.