RFP2026-05 Interpreter Services - Final~1.pdf

RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services (Rev 2/2023)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #2026-05

Interpreter Services Publish Date: July 13, 2026

CareOregon, Inc. (“CareOregon”) [on behalf of CareOregon Advantage, Columbia Pacific CCO, Jackson Care Connect, CareOregon Dental] is inviting submission of proposals for the Interpreter Services project.

Closing Date/Time: August 11, 2026 - 2:00 PM, Pacific Time

Project Summary: CareOregon seeks to contract with qualified firm(s) to provide Health Care Interpreter services to CareOregon members. Services may be delivered through employees or a managed network of subcontracted interpreters and must support multiple modalities, including in-person, telephonic, and video remote interpreting.

Contact Information: The CareOregon sole point of contact for the procurement process, clarifying questions or technical questions is: Kim Randall at randallk@careoregon.org or call 503-416-4760. A copy of the request for clarifying or technical questions should be sent to vendorservices@careoregon.org.

RFP Location: RFP Documents can be downloaded from OregonBuys at the following address:

https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/. Prospective Proposers will need to sign in to download the information and that information will be accumulated for a Plan Holder's List. Prospective Proposers are responsible for obtaining any Addenda or answers to clarifying questions from OregonBuys.

Submission: All proposals must be emailed to vendorservices@careoregon.org. Do not attempt to submit proposals through or to the OregonBuys website. All proposals must be submitted to the email listed above.

CareOregon encourages proposals from minority, women, service-disabled veteran, and emerging small businesses.

**NO PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED OR CONSIDERED AFTER THE ABOVE

RFP CLOSING DATE/TIME**

SCHEDULE

Request for Proposals Issued…….................................................. July 13, 2026

Deadline to Submit Clarifying Questions....................................... August 4, 2026, 5:00 PM, Pacific Time

Request for Proposals Closing Date and Time (“Closing”)........... August 11, 2026, 2:00 PM, Pacific Time

Anticipated Contract Start Date…….............................................. Anticipated Mid-September 2026 mailto:randallk@careoregon.org mailto:vendorservices@careoregon.org https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/ mailto:vendorservices@careoregon.org

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SECTION 2

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

2.1 Modification or Withdrawal of Proposal: Any Proposal may be modified or withdrawn at any time prior to the Closing deadline, provided that a written request is received by Procurement, prior to the Closing. The withdrawal of a Proposal will not prejudice the right of a Proposer to submit a new Proposal.

2.2 Requests for Clarification and Requests for Change: Proposers may submit questions regarding the specifications of the RFP until the deadline in the Schedule and to the Contact person and email addresses listed.

Requests for changes must include the reason for the change and any proposed changes to the requirements. The purpose of this requirement is to permit CareOregon to correct, prior to the opening of Proposals, RFP terms or technical requirements that may be unlawful, improvident or which unjustifiably restrict competition. CareOregon will consider all the changes requested and, if appropriate, amend the RFP. No oral or written instructions or information concerning this RFP from CareOregon employees or agents to prospective Proposers shall bind CareOregon unless included in an Addendum to the RFP.

2.3 Addenda: If any part of this RFP is changed, an addendum will be published on OregonBuys. It shall be Proposers responsibility to regularly check OregonBuys for any notices, published addenda, or response to clarifying questions.

2.4 Submission of Proposals: Proposals must be submitted in accordance with Section 5. All Proposals must include a signature that affirms the Proposer’s intent to be bound by the Proposal (this may be on cover letter, or on the Proposal). The Certification page must be signed as well. If a Proposal is submitted by a firm or partnership, the name and address of the firm or partnership shall be shown, together with the names and addresses of the members.

If the Proposal is submitted by a corporation, it shall be signed in the name of such corporation by an official who is authorized to bind the contractor. No late Proposals will be accepted.

2.5 Acceptance of Contractual Requirements: Failure of the selected Proposer to execute a contract and deliver required insurance certificates within ten (10) calendar days after notification of an award may result in cancellation of the award. This time period may be extended at the option of CareOregon.

2.6 Investigation of References: CareOregon reserves the right to investigate all references in addition to those supplied references and investigate past performance of any Proposer with respect to its successful performance of similar services, its compliance with specifications and contractual obligations, its completion or delivery of a project on schedule, its lawful payment of subcontractors and workers, and any other factor relevant to this RFP. CareOregon may postpone the award or the execution of the contract after the announcement of the apparent successful Proposer in order to complete its investigation.

2.7 RFP Proposal Preparation Costs and Other Costs: Proposer costs of developing the Proposal, cost of attendance at an interview (if requested by CareOregon), or any other costs are entirely the responsibility of the Proposer and will not be reimbursed in any manner by CareOregon.

2.8 Clarification and Clarity: CareOregon reserves the right to seek clarification of each Proposal, or to make an award without further discussion of Proposals received. Therefore, it is important that each Proposal be submitted initially in the most complete, clear, and favorable manner possible.

2.9 Right to Reject Proposals: CareOregon reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or to withdraw any item from the award, if such rejection or withdrawal would be in CareOregon’s interest, as determined by CareOregon.

Proposals may be rejected in whole or in part if they attempt to limit or modify any of the terms, conditions, or specifications of the RFP or the Sample Contract.

2.10 Proposal Terms: All Proposals, including any price quotations, will be valid and firm throughout a period of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing date. CareOregon may require an extension of this firm offer period. Proposers will be required to agree to the longer time frame in order to be further considered in the procurement process.

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2.11 Oral Presentations: At CareOregon’s sole option, Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation of their Proposals to CareOregon, a process which would provide an opportunity for the Proposer to clarify or elaborate on the Proposal but will in no material way change Proposer’s original Proposal. Any costs of participating in such presentations will be borne solely by Proposer and will not be reimbursed by CareOregon. Note: Oral presentations are at the discretion of the evaluating committee and may not be conducted; therefore, written Proposals should be complete.

2.12 Review for Responsiveness: Upon receipt of all Proposals, the Procurement Department will determine the responsiveness of all Proposals before submitting them to the evaluation committee. If a Proposal is incomplete or non-responsive in significant part or as a whole, it will be rejected and will not be submitted to the evaluation committee.

CareOregon reserves the right to determine if an inadvertent error is solely clerical or is a minor informality which may be waived, and then to determine if an error is grounds for disqualifying a Proposal. The Proposer’s contact person identified on the Proposal will be notified, identifying the reason(s) the Proposal is non-responsive.

2.13 Communication Blackout Period: Except as called for in this RFP, Proposers may not communicate with members of the Evaluation Committee or other CareOregon employees or representatives about the RFP during the procurement process until the apparent successful Proposer is selected. Communication in violation of this restriction may result in rejection of a Proposer.

2.14 Prohibition on Commissions and Subcontractors: CareOregon will contract directly with persons/entities capable of performing the requirements of this RFP. Contractors must be represented directly. Participation by brokers or commissioned agents will not be allowed during the Proposal process. Contractors shall not use subcontractors to perform the Work unless specifically proposed or authorized to do so by CareOregon. Contractor represents that any employees assigned to perform the Work, and any authorized subcontractors performing the Work, are fully qualified to perform the tasks assigned to them and shall perform the Work in a competent and professional manner. Contractor shall not be permitted to add on any fee or charge for subcontractor Work. Contractor shall provide, if requested, any documents relating to subcontractor’s qualifications to perform required Work.

2.15 Collusion: By responding, the Proposer states that the Proposal is not made in connection with any competing Proposer submitting a separate response to the RFP and is in all aspects fair and without collusion or fraud. Proposer also certifies that no officer, agent, or employee of CareOregon has a pecuniary interest in this Proposal.

2.16 Evaluation Committee: Proposals will be evaluated by a committee consisting of representatives from CareOregon and potentially external representatives. CareOregon reserves the right to modify the make-up in its sole discretion.

2.17 Nondiscrimination: The successful Proposer agrees that, in performing the Work called for by this RFP and in securing and supplying materials, contractor will not discriminate against or treat differently, any person on the basis of race, color, religious creed, political ideas, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, or any other class protected by applicable law.

2.18 Best and Final Offer: CareOregon may request best and final offers from those Proposers determined by CareOregon to be reasonably viable for contract award. However, CareOregon reserves the right to award a contract on the basis of initial Proposal received. Therefore, each Proposal should contain the Proposer’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. Following evaluation of the best and final offers, CareOregon may select for final contract negotiations/execution the offers that are most advantageous to CareOregon, considering cost and the evaluation criteria in this RFP.

2.19 PROPOSAL CONFIDENTIALITY: Submitted proposals will be treated as confidential and will only be shared internally with applicable staff for this project. Proposers that responded to the RFP will be notified of the award at the completion of the process. Proposer scores and evaluation notes shall remain private and confidential information for CareOregon purposes only.

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SECTION 3

SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 BACKGROUND

Founded in 1993, CareOregon is a 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit company that draws nearly all its revenue from public programs such as Medicaid (the Oregon Health Plan – “OHP”), Medicare and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”). Coordinated Care Organizations (“CCOs”) are an Oregon innovation that integrates physical, behavioral and oral health care, and treats the whole person.

Through partnerships with our CCOs, we provide integrated managed care services. We partner with Health Share of Oregon to serve the tri-county Portland metro area. We own Jackson Care Connect and Columbia Pacific CCO. In addition to Medicare plans and CareOregon Dental lines of business, Housecall Providers delivers primary, palliative and hospice care to home-bound patients.

Our mission is to inspire and partner to create quality and equity in individual and community health. Our vision is healthy communities for all individuals, regardless of income or social circumstances.

We focus on the total health of our members, not just traditional health care. In teaming up with members, their families and their communities, we help Oregonians live better lives, prevent illness and respond effectively to health issues.

We care about people We serve Oregonians eligible for the OHP and Medicare Advantage members who have us as their health care option. But that’s not all. We are a managed health care company with an overarching goal: to make world-class, high-quality health care available to all Oregon residents, regardless of income.

We support our neighbors We know that some Oregonians are in need but don’t qualify for OHP benefits. We work to strengthen the health care safety net that these Oregonians rely upon, from local health departments and community clinics to rural and migrant health centers. We partner with policy makers and legislators to improve services and provide access to quality care throughout the state, from urban centers to rural neighborhoods.

We work with first-class providers CareOregon has built a health care delivery system that assures access to physicians and health care professionals who understand special needs and provide quality care regardless of a patient’s financial resources.

We work with policy makers to ensure access We provide OHP enrollees access to health care services in exchange for a per member, per month capitation rate. The Oregon Legislature sets this payment rate. The payments are subject to available state funding.

CareOregon takes full financial risk for the health care services our members use. CareOregon, formed by safety net health care providers in the state, is a Safety Net Health Plan. Safety Net Health Plans are nonprofits that derive their revenue from public programs.

To put it simply, CareOregon ensures that members have timely access to high quality health care from a broad network of providers, and CareOregon works hard every day to keep people healthy and active in their homes and communities.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:

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CareOregon recognizes that to achieve the vision of “Healthy communities for all individuals, regardless of income or social circumstances,” it must intentionally cultivate authentic member engagement, community partnerships, and recruit, retain and develop a staff as diverse as the communities it serves. CareOregon has embarked on a continuous effort to understand the effects of historical, institutional and structural oppression on the various communities represented within its membership and personnel. CareOregon strives internally, and in partnership with other like-minded organizations across sectors, to redress policies, systems and health related environmental issues that affect health care disparities and inequities.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion is a cornerstone of CareOregon’s mission, vision and strategic objectives.

CareOregon’s priority is strengthening our communities by making health care work for everyone by ensuring access to a broader and more diverse network of physical, behavioral, and oral health services that address the individual needs and cultural values of our members and reduces barriers to getting needed care.

It is the intent of CareOregon, through issuance of this RFP, to collaborate with like-minded firms that share the same values and that will take actual steps to embody those values in the services provided to CareOregon and its providers, members and clients.

Project Background:

CareOregon serves a diverse member population, many of whom require language assistance to effectively access healthcare services. As a Medicaid and Medicare organization, CareOregon is responsible for ensuring equitable access to care, including the provision of high-quality interpreter services in clinical settings, Medicare sales, and member questions about their plan or provider referrals.

Interpreter services play a critical role in enabling clear communication between providers and members, supporting accurate diagnoses, treatment adherence, and positive health outcomes. These services are also essential to meeting federal and state regulatory requirements, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) guidelines, which mandate meaningful access to language services for individuals.

Currently, CareOregon supports interpreter services across multiple modalities—including in-person interpretation, telephonic interpretation, and video remote interpretation (“VRI”)—to meet the varying needs of clinics, providers, and members. These services are utilized in primary care, dental, specialty care, behavioral health and other clinical environments.

As demand for interpreter services continues to evolve, CareOregon is seeking to ensure that its approach is efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and aligned with best practices in health equity and member experience.

Variability in clinic workflows, utilization patterns, and vendor performance has highlighted opportunities to improve standardization, accountability, and overall service quality.

Through this Request for Proposal (RFP), CareOregon aims to evaluate and potentially partner with a vendor(s) that can deliver comprehensive, reliable, and high-quality interpreter services across its network. The intent of this RFP is to establish Contracts with multiple firms to provide high quality services to our members. The goal is to enhance consistency, strengthen compliance, improve the member and provider experience, and support long-term operational sustainability.

3.2 SCOPE OF WORK

1. Overview:

Interpreter services are tightly regulated for Medicaid plans in Oregon and CareOregon is specifically seeking firm(s) who will be able to meet our goals for filling medical appointments with Oregon Certified and/or Qualified Interpreters. CareOregon spans Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Jackson, Multnomah, Tillamook, and

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Washington counties and will be seeking to deliver in-person, telephonic and remote services with certified/qualified interpreters in each of these counties.

**CareOregon’s preference is to contract with local vendors in Oregon and Washington**

CareOregon’s approach establishes standardized service expectations, pricing structures, and performance requirements across all awarded contractors.

The primary goal of the work is to:

• Improve the quality and accessibility of care for CareOregon members;

• Expand the availability and utilization of Oregon Certified and Qualified Health Care Interpreters;

• Ensure compliance with CMS and Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) requirements;

• Provide meaningful language access across all care settings.

2. Key Definitions:

• Health Care Interpreter: A trained professional and HIPPA compliant individual who provides accurate, complete interpretation while preserving meaning, tone, and intent in a medical setting

• Oregon Certified/Qualified Healthcare Interpreter: An interpreter certified or qualified by OHA

• Fill Rate: Percentage of requested appointments successfully fulfilled

• Service Areas: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Jackson, Multnomah, Tillamook, and Washington counties (in alphabetical order).

• CareOregon Site/Service Site: Internal CareOregon services and Division of Medical Assistance

Program (DMAP) provider locations

• Southern Oregon: refers to Jackson County

• North Coast: refers to Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties

• Portland Metro: refers to Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties

• Languages of Lesser Diffusion (LLD) are defined as languages that meet both of the following criteria within a defined reporting period:

o Lower relative demand within the service population (typically less than 5% of total interpretation requests), and o Limited interpreter availability, which may result in lower fill rates and/or longer connection times o Languages identified as LLD may be managed with adjusted performance expectations to account for market availability, while supporting still meaningful access in alignment with OHA language access requirements.

3. Scope and Service Coverage:

Estimated number of appointments each month per modality for all languages is

In-person 14,000 Telephonic 7,000

VRI 1,600

Contracted services must support:

• CareOregon Sites (services directly provided by CareOregon staff at a CareOregon location(s))

• Service Sites (physical, behavioral, dental, and social service providers working with CareOregon)

4. Strategic Objectives:

CareOregon aims to support a sustainable, high-performing interpreter network that:

• Ensures consistent access to interpreters in members’ preferred languages

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• Integrates interpreters into the care team across clinical and non-clinical settings

• Enhances member experience and health outcomes

• Supports telehealth accessibility with integrated interpreting services

• Promotes growth and professional development within the interpreter workforce

5. Service Requirements:

5.1 General Requirements

Successful proposers will:

• Provide primarily Oregon Certified and/or Qualified Healthcare Interpreters in clinical settings and, as needed, non-certified/qualified interpreters with appropriate training, experience, and subject matter expertise

• Prioritize assignment of Oregon Certified or Qualified Health Care Interpreters in clinical settings whenever available

• Maintain documentation demonstrating good-faith efforts to secure certified interpreters

• Ensure interpreters adhere to national standards, including the National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Health Care and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (“RID”) Code of Professional Conduct

• Coordinate all scheduling, logistics, and administrative functions

• Utilize standard systems for scheduling, communication, and invoicing

• Investigate and resolve complaints related to quality, compliance, or service delivery

5.2 Staffing and Operational Expectations (on-boarding methods) Successful proposers will demonstrate ability to:

• Maintain sufficient staffing to meet fluctuating demand across service areas

• Provide efficient scheduling to maximize fill rates and minimize costs

• Ensure interpreters are appropriately matched to the complexity of each assignment

• Support services across:

o Medical and behavioral health visits o Dental visits o Home visits and community-based services o Multidisciplinary care team meetings o Non-clinical and social determinant-related services

• Contractors may subcontract individual interpreters but must retain full responsibility for service delivery and may not subcontract core administrative functions without prior written approval

5.3 Availability and Emergency Support

We will prioritize utilizing Contractors who can offer the following:

• Services must be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week

• Contractors must support emergency response scenarios requiring rapid interpreter deployment

• Interpreters assigned to emergency situations must be appropriately trained and prepared

5.4 Service Modalities

For all modalities, Contractor must have documented workflow of how they prioritize always filling with Oregon Certified and/or Qualified Healthcare Interpreters in clinical settings and how they are always working to improve access across all clinical sites and modalities for certified and qualified interpreters.

a) In-Person Interpreting

• Provide in-person services across all CareOregon and Service Sites

• Meet required fill rates and quality targets

• Ensure compliance with site-specific health and safety requirements, including immunizations

b) Telephonic Interpreting (OPI)

• Provide both on-demand and pre-scheduled services 24/7

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• Maintain a dedicated, toll-free access line

• Meet defined response time and fill rate standards

• Ensure compliance with CMS timeliness and access requirements

c) Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)

• Provide on-demand and scheduled VRI services 24/7

• Supply all necessary technical infrastructure on the contractor side

• Ensure platform reliability and service quality

6. Quality and Performance Expectations:

6.1 Fill Rate and Access

• Contractor must meet or exceed monthly fill rate targets across all modalities

• Performance will be measured by language tier and service type – see example table below.

Tier I Languages:

Portland Metro: Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic, Burmese, Persian/Farsi, Romania, Dari, Ukrainian, Korean.

Southern Oregon/North Coast: Spanish

Tier II Languages (All Regions) – All other languages

Based on 2025 utilization, interpretation estimates are as follows for projected appointments for 2027:

A. Columbia Pacific CCO, LLC (Columbia, Clatsop, and Tillamook Counties): 1500 appointments total

• Spanish: 1300

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• American Sign Language: 45

• Arabic: 33

• Chinese, Yue: 30

• Vietnamese: 25

• Thai: 25

• Chinese, Mandarin: 10

• Khmer, Central: 10

• Other languages include (n= <10): Panjabi (Eastern), Tagalog, Burmese, Korean, Russian, Cantonese, Karen languages, Mandarin, Italian, Samoan, Swahili

B. Jackson County CCO, LLC (Jackson County): 4800 appointments total

• Spanish: 4500

• American Sign Language: 200

• Chinese, Yue: 45

• Chinese, Mandarin: 40

• Ukrainian: 30

• Russian: 20

• Tagalog: 10

• Other languages include (n=<10): Dari, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi, Panjabi, Eastern, Mandarin, Persian / Farsi, Bengali, Punjabi, Thai, Urdu, Burmese, Maay, Samoan, Chinese (Min Dong), Chuukese, English, Gujarati, and Khmer (Central)

C. Portland Metro Area (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties): 190,000 appointments total

• Spanish: 94,000

• Russian: 14,000

• Arabic: 10,000

• Chinese, Yue: 10,000

• Vietnamese, Dari, and Ukrainian: 5000-10,000 appts for each language

• Somali. American Sign Language, Chinese (Mandarin), Rohingya, Cantonese, Farsi, Burmese, Nepali, Amharic, Persian (Farsi), Chuukese, Romanian, Korean, Pashto: 1000-5000 appointments for each language

• Karen, Haitian, Toishanese, Zomi, Pushto/Pashtu, Khmer (Central), Oromo, Tigrinya: 500-1000 appts for each language

• Haitian Creole, French, Thai, Bosnian, Rwanda, Lao, Tagalog, Maay, Panjabi (Eastern), Hmong, Kinyarwanda, Armenian, Marshallese, Akateko, Zo, Hindi, MayMay, Urdu, Kurdish / Kurdish Sorani, Turkish, Kurdish: 100-500 appointments per language

• Other languages include (n= <100): Persian (Iranian), Farsi (Iranian), Dari, Afghan, Afghani (Dari), Japanese, Iu Mien, Mien, Akateko, Toisanese (Taishanese), Laotian, Arabic (Standard), Arabic (Egyptian Spoken), Arabic (Sudanese Spoken), Arabic (Moroccan Spoken), Arabic (Judeo-Iraqi), Polish, Khmer (Cambodian), Maay Maay, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Bengali (Bangla), Q'anjob'al (Kanjobal), Punjabi (Panjabi), French Creole, French-based Creoles / Patois, Rundi (Kirundi), Chinese (Cantonese, Min Nan, Hakka, Shanghainese, Taishanese), Lingala, Sango, Oromo (Oromifa), Indonesian, Chuj, Albanian, Croatian, K'iche' (Quiche), Kurdish (Central / Sorani), Kurdish (Bahdini), Sorani, Mixteco (Bajo), Tongan, Congo Swahili, Swahili (Kiswahili), Samoan, Wolof, Zomi (Chin), Bulgarian, Tibetan (Central), Tibetan, Serbian, Gujarati, Krio, English, Sinhala, Hungarian, Igbo, Yoruba, Dotyali, Karenni, Malay, Mam, Q'eqchi', Taiwanese, DeafBlind (tactile), Dinka, Pohnpeian, Greek, Ilocano, Chin (Tedim), Hausa, Mandinka, Miskito, Neapolitan, Tamil, Cape Verdean Creole, Congo, Deaf Interpreter (CDI), Dutch, Fulah (Pular), RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services Page 9

Italian, Kaqchikel–K'iche' Mixed Language, Kibajuni, Malaysian, Moldavian (Moldovan), Mongolian, Quechua, Spanish (Latin American), Wik Mungkan

6.2 Certification Requirements

A core objective is to increase utilization of OHA Certified/Qualified Interpreters. Contractors must:

• Demonstrate quarterly improvement in certified interpreter utilization

• Meet or exceed annual performance targets

• Support long-term alignment with OHA goals for certified interpreter usage

6.3 Continuous Improvement

Contractors are expected to:

• Contribute to workforce development and training initiatives

• Partner with CareOregon on service innovation and process improvement

7. Compliance and Flexibility:

• Contractors must comply with all CMS and OHA requirements, including future regulatory updates as needed.

• CareOregon reserves the right to revise service standards as needed

• Establish and maintain a regular cadence of meetings (at minimum, monthly) with CareOregon to review program utilization, identify barriers to access or performance, and proactively recommend opportunities for improvement

• Develop and deliver ongoing reporting on utilization and key performance metrics. Reports must be provided in a format and frequency agreed upon with CareOregon with a summary of anticipated reports listed below:

Monthly Progress Reports: Comprehensive Quality Assurance Reports:

Annual Performance Review:

Contractor shall be required to submit monthly progress reports that identify information, including but not limited to:

Utilization of Language Services Metrics by region Fill Rate data Appointment Status Tracking Certified and Qualified Interpreter Metrics

Quarterly Review Meetings:

Contractor and CareOregon will participate in quarterly review meetings that focus on items such as:

Current quarterly performance goals Metrics by region Performance successes and challenges Establish next quarterly performance goals Long term service enhancement progress

Annually (in addition to the fourth quarter review meeting), Contractor and CareOregon will participate in an annual review that focuses on items such as:

Any changes to the performance metrics Overall service evaluation Service enhancement goals for the next year Specific equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts and goals for client engagement Review of Contractor equity, diversity, and inclusion goals for both its employees and subcontractors Review of living wage for Contractor’s employees and subcontractors Contract updates/changes

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8. Billing Requirements: Contractor may not separately bill any Service Site, provider, or network clinic for any other services or fees associated with the CareOregon member service. The authorized fees in the resulting Contract are the exclusive allowable fees for any Contractor service to a CareOregon member.

Invoice reporting is very specialized and should follow the example listed in Attachment 2.

9. Partnership Expectations:

The awarded Contractors are intended to establish a collaborative partnership focused on:

• Innovation in interpreter service delivery

• Expanding access and equity in care

• Improving operational efficiency and scalability

• Strengthening the interpreter workforce

3.3 Award and Implementation Schedule:

Anticipated Contract award(s) is September 2026. Once contract is awarded, we anticipate a 3-month (October through December 2026) implementation and on-boarding process. CareOregon anticipates a Go-live date no later than January 1, 2027.

3.4 Term of Contract:

The term of the contract shall be from the effective date through December 31, 2028, with the option for two (2) additional two (2) year renewals thereafter subject to the mutual agreement of the parties.

3.5 Sample Contract:

Submission of a Proposal in response to this RFP indicates Proposer’s willingness to enter into a contract containing substantially the same terms (including insurance requirements) of the sample contract identified below. No action or response to the sample contract is required under this RFP. Any objections to the sample contract terms should be raised in accordance with Paragraphs 2.2 of this RFP pertaining to requests for clarification of the RFP/specifications. This RFP and all supplemental information in response to this RFP will be a binding part of the final contract.

The applicable Sample Professional Services Contract for this RFP can be found at https://careoregon.org/contact-us/vendor-resources.

Professional Services Contract (unless checked, item does not apply) The following paragraphs of the Professional Services Contract will be applicable:

Criminal Background Check Requirements Protection of Patient Privacy and Security (Is PHI included) Travel and Other Expense is Authorized (CareOregon Contractor Travel Reimbursement Policy) CareOregon Data Security Requirements (Access to CO data) CareOregon Medicare Compliance Addendum Medicaid Subcontractor Exhibit (Template Attached as Attachment 1)

Required Insurance: Workers’ Compensation, Professional Liability ($1/$2M), General Liability ($1/$2M), Automobile ($1M), If CareOregon needs special insurance, the boxes below will be checked for that special insurance.

Abuse & Molestation Other:_________________________________________ https://careoregon.org/contact-us/vendor-resources

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SECTION 4

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

4.1 An evaluation committee will review all Proposals that are initially deemed responsive and they shall rank the Proposals in accordance with the below criteria. The evaluation committee may recommend an award based solely on the written responses or may request Proposal interviews/presentations.

Interviews/presentations, if deemed beneficial by the evaluation committee, will consist of the highest scoring Proposers. The invited Proposers will be notified of the time, place, and format of the interview/presentation. Based on the interview/presentation, the evaluation committee may revise their scoring.

Written Proposals must be complete and no additions, deletions, or substitutions will be permitted during the interview/presentation (if any). The evaluation committee will recommend award of a contract to the final CareOregon decision maker based on the highest scoring Proposal. The CareOregon decision maker reserves the right to accept the recommendation, award to a different Proposer, or reject all Proposals and cancel the RFP.

Proposers are not permitted to directly communicate with any member of the evaluation committee during the evaluation process. All communication must be facilitated through the assigned Procurement Analyst.

4.2 Evaluation Criteria

Category Points available:

Proposer’s General Background and Qualifications 0-30 Scope of Work 0-35 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Efforts 0-5 Fees 0-30

Available points 0-100

4.3 Once a selection has been made, CareOregon will enter into contract negotiations. During negotiation, CareOregon may require any additional information it deems necessary to clarify the approach and understanding of the requested services. Any changes agreed upon during contract negotiations will become part of the final contract. The negotiations will identify a level of Work and associated fee that best represents the efforts required. If CareOregon is unable to come to terms with the highest scoring Proposer, discussions shall be terminated and negotiations will begin with the next highest scoring Proposer. If the resulting contract contemplates multiple phases and CareOregon deems it is in its interest to not authorize any particular phase, it reserves the right to return to this solicitation and commence negotiations with the next highest ranked Proposer to complete the remaining phases.

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SECTION 5

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

5.1 Vendors must adhere to submission instructions and be advised as follows:

1. Complete Proposals must be emailed to vendorservices@careoregon.org. The subject line of the email must identify the RFP title. Proposers are encouraged to contact Procurement to confirm receipt of the Proposal.

2. CareOregon reserves the right to solicit additional information or Proposal clarification from the vendors, or any one vendor, should CareOregon deem such information necessary.

3. Proposal may not exceed a total of 25 pages (single-sided), inclusive of all exhibits, attachments or other information.

4. Proposers are required to structure Proposals following the below question outline. It is important for answers to be clear and concise.

5.2 Proposer’s General Background and Qualifications (Max 30 points):

1. Description of the firm.

2. Describe your organization’s ability to fulfill clinical interpretation appointments using Oregon

Certified/Qualified Interpreters, including;

a) Total number of interpreters available by language

b) Coverage across the different modalities identified in Section 5.4

3. Describe your minimum qualifications and onboarding requirements for interpreters in your network.

4. How do you support interpreter credentialing, including:

a) Oregon certification/qualification

b) Ongoing training and continuing education

5. Description of providing similar services to entities of similar size within the past five (5) years.

6. What is your customer retention rate?

7. Description of the firm’s ability to meet the requirements in Section 3 – Scope of Work.

8. Description of what distinguishes the firm from other firms performing a similar service.

9. Describe if your firm is currently or potentially engaged in litigation.

10. Provide information demonstrating that your firm is financially stable.

11. Identify any issues or concerns in social media about your firm?

12. Describe any of the proposed services that will be performed by offshore (not US state or US territory) employees or subcontractors?

5.3 Scope of Work (Max 35 points for all sections):

Interpreter Workforce & Coverage

1. Explain how you prioritize and fulfill requests across:

o Pre-scheduled vs on-demand needs o In-person, OPI and VRI modalities o Competing requests for Oregon Certified/Qualified Interpreters

2. Provide details on your language capabilities:

o Top 20 most requested languages o Please provide the top 50 languages currently supported, and another list of for all languages supported.

o Ability to support indigenous, or emerging languages including:

• Sourcing Strategy

• Typical lead times

3. Describe your ability to support the following:

o After normal business hours interpretation services o Emergency situations mailto:vendorservices@careoregon.org

RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services Page 13 o Coverage across all service areas for both Oregon Certified/Qualified interpreters and overall interpreter network.

4. What percentage of requests are fulfilled using subcontractors or partner agencies?

Capacity Management & Contingency Planning

5. Please define when a request is considered at risk of going unfilled and describe the following:

o Escalation protocols o Client notification timelines and methods o Alternative solutions offered

6. Describe your contingency plan when demand exceeds availability of Oregon Certified/Qualified interpreters, including:

o When and how non-certified interpreters may be used. Do you obtain client permission before assigning non-certified interpreters?

o What are the safeguards and prioritization methods?

o

Quality, Training & Performance Management

7. Explain your quality assurance process o Monitoring interpreter performance and accuracy o Ensuring constancy across in-person, OPI and VRI modalities o Managing high-risk or complex clinical encounters

8. Describe your standards and practices related to:

o Cultural competency o Health equity

9. How do you ensure high-quality customer service for clients and patients?

Experience and Past Performance:

10. Describe your experience providing clinical and community interpretation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in Oregon.

11. Provide examples of service challenges:

o A client complaint about interpreter’s performance o Actions taken from intake through resolution o Communication with clients and interpreters o Final outcome o A situation where language access needs were not met and patient care was impacted:

Description of the incident Immediate mitigation steps Corrective and preventative actions Measurable improvements

12. Describe your end-to-end complaint and service failure management process including:

o Intake o Escalation o Root cause analysis o Resolution tracking

Data Security, Reporting & Billing

13. Describe your approach to:

o Data security and HIPAA compliance o Protection of patient and client information

14. Explain your billing and reporting capabilities, including:

o Process to prevent billing errors o Ability to support audits and provide detailed utilization records

RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services Page 14 o Alignment with claims-based invoicing workflows o Ability to process Invoices similar to Attachment 2.

o Handling of disputes and billing corrections

Implementation & Client Support

15. Describe your on-boarding and implementation process for new clients, including:

o Typical implementation timeline o Training provided for clinical and administrative support staff.

5.4 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Efforts (Max 5 points):

1. Describe your firm’s equity, diversity and inclusion values, policies, efforts, and successes. Include specific details of efforts and how they have shaped the composition and spirit of your firm.

2. Supplier diversity is the intentional inclusion of historically underutilized businesses in a firm’s supply base to achieve innovation, cost reduction, and building economic growth in our communities. If you plan to use subcontractors or other third-party services for the services proposed to CareOregon, describe your supplier diversity program.

3. Outline the specific elements of your proposed services that will support and advance CareOregon’s equity, diversity, and inclusion mission.

5.5 Fees (Max 30 points):

The separate Excel File Fee Schedule should be completed for rates per language tier, and region for the different modalities. If there are other rate considerations, please submit those additional fees or a substantially similar fee schedule. NOTE: In the fee schedule there is a column that has C/Q Status: “C” means “Certified”, “Q” means “Qualified” as discussed in Section 3 Scope of Work.

CareOregon is interested in exploring competitive rate structures (example: reduced rate when certain amount of business is directed to your agency). If applicable, please also include your own competitive rate structures, billing, discounts, or bonus/penalty proposals. (Information should be included within the proposal page limit criteria)

5.6 References (No points awarded).

Provide at least three (3) references from clients your firm has served similar to CareOregon in the past three (3) years, including one client that has newly engaged the firm in the past thirty-six (36) months and one (1) long-term client. Provide the name, address, email, and phone number of the references. Please note the required three references may not be from CareOregon staff, but additional references may be supplied. Points awarded for this criteria are based on both the providing of references as well as information gleaned from the provided contacts. Evaluation Committee members may contact references at their sole discretion.

5.7 Completed Proposal Certification (see the form next page)

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1 – Template Medicaid Subcontractor Exhibit

Attachement 2 – Template Invoice Reporting requirements

RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services Page 15

PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

RFP #2026-05 Interpreter Services

Submitted by:

(Must be entity’s full legal name, and State of Formation)

Each Proposer must read, complete and submit a copy of this Proposal Certification with their Proposal. Failure to do so may result in rejection of the Proposal. By signature on this Proposal Certification, the undersigned certifies that they are authorized to act on behalf of the Proposer and that under penalty of perjury, the undersigned will comply with the following:

SECTION I. NONDISCRIMINATION: That the Proposer has not and will not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, color, creed, age, religious affiliation, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or any other protected class. Nor has Proposer or will Proposer discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract because the subcontractor is a disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a woman-owned business, a business that a service-disabled veteran owns or an emerging small business that is certified under ORS 200.055.

SECTION II. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The undersigned hereby certifies that no officer, agent or employee of CareOregon is personally interested, directly or indirectly, in any resulting contract from this RFP, or the compensation to be paid under such contract, and that no representation, statements (oral or in writing), of the CareOregon, its officers, agents, or employees had induced Proposer to submit this Proposal. In addition, the undersigned hereby certifies that this proposal is made without connection with any person, firm, or corporation submitting a proposal for the same material, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud.

SECTION III. COMPLIANCE WITH SOLICITATION: The undersigned further agrees and certifies that they:

1. Have read, understand and agree to be bound by and comply with all requirements, instructions, specifications, terms and conditions of the RFP (including any attachments);

2. Are an authorized representative of the Proposer, that the information provided is true and accurate, and that providing incorrect or incomplete information may be cause for rejection of the Proposal or contract termination; and

3. Will furnish the designated item(s) and/or service(s) in accordance with the RFP and Proposal.

Name:_______________________________________ Date:______________________________________

Signature:____________________________________ Title:______________________________________

Email:_______________________________________ Phone:_____________________________________

Oregon Business Registry Number:________________ OR CCB # (if applicable):________________________

Proposer Primary Point of Contact (Coordination during process and for award information):

Name:_______________________________________

Email:_______________________________________ Phone:_____________________________________

Business Designation (check one):

Corporation Partnership Sole Proprietorship Non-Profit Limited Liability Company

Minority (MBE), Women (WBE), Service-Disabled Veteran (SDV), and Emerging Small Business (ESB):

Certified by the State of Oregon (provide certification number as applicable):

MBE WBE SDV ESB

Self-identified (check as applicable):

MBE WBE SDV ESB

RFP 2026-05 Interpreter Services Page 16

ATTACHMENT 1

EXHIBIT X

Delegated CCO Health Plan Services

CareOregon serves Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations (“CCO”) by providing certain health plan services under contracts with CCOs. All CCOs are parties to standard agreements with the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) titled, “Oregon Health Plan, Health Plan Services Contract,” “Non-Medicaid Health Plan Services Contract,” and “Oregon Health Plan, Bridge – Basic Health Program Health Plan Services Contract,” collectively referred to in this Exhibit as the “CCO Contract”. The CCO Contract applies to CareOregon as the primary subcontractor of a CCO. As a downstream subcontractor of CareOregon, [Subcontractor] also agrees to provide its services pursuant to the CCO Contract.

All requirements set forth in Section 12 of Exhibit B, Part 4 of the CCO Contract and any other applicable provisions of the CCO Contract that apply to CCO Subcontractors also apply to [Subcontractor]’s Downstream Entities as defined in this Exhibit __. For purposes of this Exhibit __, “Downstream Entity” means any party that enters into a written or oral contract or other agreement with [Subcontractor] pursuant to which such party performs one or more of the obligations of [Subcontractor] under the [Subcontractor]’s [Services Agreement] with CareOregon. Regardless of the number of parties that are downstream from [Subcontractor], a party is deemed a “Downstream Entity” of [Subcontractor] if such party is, pursuant to a written or oral contract or agreement, performing the obligations [Subcontractor] is required to perform on behalf of CareOregon under the [Services Agreement].

[Subcontractor] shall comply with the provisions in this Exhibit to the extent that they are applicable to the goods or services provided by [Subcontractor] under this Exhibit for Delegated CCO Health Plan Services (“Exhibit”).

Capitalized terms used in this Exhibit, but not otherwise defined in the Exhibit, shall have the same meaning as those terms in the CCO Contract, including definitions incorporated therein by reference. In the event of a conflict or inconsistency with any term or condition in any contract documents between [Subcontractor] and CareOregon (“Agreement”), this Exhibit shall control.

1. Service Area and Enrollment Limits. For the purposes of this Exhibit, [Subcontractor]’s Service Area is all zip codes contained in the service areas of:

Health Share of Oregon

Jackson County CCO, LLC dba Jackson Care Connect

Columbia Pacific CCO, LLC

2. Interpretation and Administration of Exhibit. The parties acknowledge and agree that this Exhibit is subject to the terms and conditions of the CCO Contract, which is the standard agreement used by the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) with all CCOs. The parties shall interpret and administer this Exhibit in accordance with the CCO Contract General Provisions Section 4.3 titled “Interpretation of Contract” which shall be incorporated herein by reference.

The parties further acknowledge and agree that in the event that any provision, clause or application of this Exhibit is ambiguous with respect to the delegation of CCO Contract provisions due to drafting, technical or similar…