1 | P a g e

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE)

ICE HEALTH SERVICE CORPS (IHSC)

PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER

BACKGROUND/PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is conducting market research to identify potential vendors capable of providing a comprehensive Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) system. The PBM system must support claims processing, formulary management, pharmacy network management, mail order pharmacy, and specialty pharmacy services.

Interested vendors are invited to respond to the specific questions outlined in the Response Requirements section below.

PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is being issued to assist DHS in identifying potential vendors capable of providing comprehensive PBM services as outlined below. Currently, the government is considering North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number 524292 - Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds. A final NAICS determination will be made after the Market Research is analyzed.

• Pharmacy Services o Purchase stock medications for facility clinics from a wholesaler o Pharmacy Benefits Manger (PBM) Services

Process prescription purchases through retail and mail-order pharmacies Review, approve, or deny prescription claims Manage prior authorization processes for specified medications and therapies.

Request non-formulary review and execute approved overrides Design beneficiary coverage plans and incorporates updates

2 | P a g e

RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

The submission must include response to the following:

1. Please describe your standard timeline, key milestones, and deliverables for transitioning PBM services; the resources and support provided (e.g., transition staff, project management, technical support); steps to prevent service disruption;

contingency plans for unexpected issues; approaches for identifying and mitigating risks with fixed or expediated deadlines; immediate post go-live support; examples and lessons learned from similar transitions and recommended best practices to ensure a successful PBM services transition.

2. Describe your prescription adjudication and claims processing workflows for retail and main-order pharmacies (including claim submission, processing, and payment); how you maintain and manage eligibility, and whether your system supports dynamic enrollment for unregistered identifier pairings.

3. Do you currently offer a portal for pharmacies and/or prescribers? If yes, describe the functionality available (e.g., eligibility verification, formulary lookup, prior authorization submission, non-formulary adjudication, claims status, appeal submission).

4. Describe your reporting capabilities, including real-time or near real-time data sharing (e.g., utilization metrics, cost trends, high-cost and specialty drugs, adherence measures, safety alerts).

5. Describe your geographic coverage (e.g., national, regional) and pharmacy network footprint, including how you ensure access in rural and underserved areas.

6. Describe your billing process and timeline, current and maximum claims processing capacity (daily/monthly volumes), system performance standards, (e.g., adjudication time, accuracy rates), scalability, and any known capacity constraints.

7. What Contract Line Item Number (CLIN)/pricing structures are commonly utilized? Please provide an example.

8. What contract types are typically utilized (i.e. Firm Fixed Price, Labor Hour, Reimbursable, Hybrid etc.)?

9. Does your company have experience providing similar PBM support to other government agencies? If so, please include the below:

• Identify Government Agency

• Government Point of Contact (POC)

• Applicable Contract/Order Numbers

• Annual Contract Value

• Total Contract Value

• Brief Description of Tasks Performed

• Approximate Number of Full Time Employees (FTEs)

• Periods of Performance

3 | P a g e

QUESTIONS

Questions shall be directed to the Contracting Officer, Ms. Genna Braden, via email at Genna.Braden@ice.dhs.gov, and must be received by June 23, 2026 by 3:00 pm Central Time (CT). Verbal questions or requests will NOT be accepted. Questions and requests for additional information may be answered/addressed by publicly posting the government’s responses. Accordingly, questions and requests for additional information shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The government may not provide response to every question or request received. Additionally, questions and requests received after the submission deadline may be answered at the discretion of the government.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Responses shall be in either Microsoft Word or Adobe pdf format and submitted via e-mail to the Contracting Officer at Genna.Braden@ice.dhs.gov. Submissions must be received no later than July 7, 2026 by 3:00 CT. Late submissions may be considered at the discretion of the government.

Additionally, submissions must:

• Address all items outlined in the Response Requirements section.

• Include a Cover Letter which contains the following information:

o Date submitted.

o Company name, mailing address, and website address.

o Company's System for Award Management (SAM) registration status. All respondents must register on the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/.

o Company Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.

o Company’s SAM size and socio-economic status information for the NAICS code(s) considered for this requirement.

o Contracting Point of Contact(s) (Name, title, email, and phone number) o Technical Point of Contact(s) (Name, title, email, and phone number) who has the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with government representatives.

• Be a maximum of fifteen (15) pages inclusive of the cover letter.

• Not include proprietary information. Submissions containing sensitive or proprietary information are highly discouraged unless excluding such information would inhibit the vendor’s ability to provide a complete submission. Any submitted proprietary information must be clearly marked. Only unclassified submissions will be accepted.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION CONDITIONS AND NOTICES

The RFI is solely for market research, planning and information purposes. It shall not be construed as a commitment by the government to issue a subsequent solicitation (Broad Agency Announcement, Request for Proposal, etc.). Furthermore, the government is not at this time seeking quotes and will not accept unsolicited quotes. Respondents are advised that the government will not reimburse for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the mailto:Genna.Braden@ice.dhs.gov mailto:Genna.Braden@ice.dhs.gov http://www.sam.gov/

4 | P a g e interested parties’ expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued.

The agency does not intend to award a contract because of this RFI, but rather gather capabilities and market information pertinent for acquisition planning. The responses to this RFI will be captured as market research and may contribute to the development of an acquisition strategy. Information provided may be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for potential requirements and may lead to the development of a solicitation.

The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the government. All submissions become government property and will not be returned. The government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Unless advised or indicated on the responses to this RFI, all information furnished will be considered non-proprietary.

The government reserves the right to hold one-on-one meetings as a result of responses received from this RFI as part of its market research. In addition, there may be a need to seek further clarification from those respondent(s) identified as capable. This clarification may be requested in the form of brief verbal communication by telephone; written communication;

electronic communication; or a request for a presentation of the response. The government reserves the right to seek additional information from those vendors identified with unique solutions that are determined to be beneficial to the government.