Solicitation RFP-CMS-2009-0028 Questions and Answers.docx

DOCX document 33 KB Posted Dec 23, 2009

Attached to: Commercial Banking Services for Medicare Administrative Contractors Federal contract opportunity
Solicitation number: rfp-cms-2009-0028
Issued by: Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

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Amendment 1 Attachment 2 - This attachment includes the answers to the first set of contractor questions. Another set of answers will be released as soon as possible.

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Other files for this federal contract opportunity

Other files attached to Commercial Banking Services for Medicare Administrative Contractors, newest first.
File	Type	Posted
Tripartite Status 12.30.09 final.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Dec 30, 2009
Tripartite12-30-09.doc	DOC document	Dec 30, 2009
Solicitation RFP-CMS-2009-0028 Questions and Answers set 2.docx	DOCX document	Dec 30, 2009
Fee Schedule Workload B	—	Dec 30, 2009
Fee Schedule Workload A	—	Dec 30, 2009
BANKING SOW FINAL no water mark.docx	DOCX document	Dec 23, 2009
Fee Schedule Workload B	—	Dec 17, 2009
BANKING SOW FINAL 110509.docx	DOCX document	Dec 17, 2009
MAC Banking Solicitation 12.17.09.pdf	PDF	Dec 17, 2009
Tripartite agreement.doc	DOC document	Dec 17, 2009
Banking RFP Addendum 4 tech eval Final	—	Dec 17, 2009
Fee Schedule Workload A	—	Dec 17, 2009

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Attachment 2, First Set of Answers to Contractor Questions

SOLICITATION SECTION

SECTION, PAGE NUMBER

OFFEROR QUESTION

CMS ANSWER

General Questions

Will CMS grant an extension or partial extension for the deadline date of the response?

No. Due to the strict deadline to transition, the winning contractor is to begin work by 3/31/09.

The proposal provides mailing instructions for the delivery of the response, what are the sign-off requirements for in-person delivery?

The procedure for proposal drop off will be as follows. Upon arrival at the CMS complex security desk, contact Salem Fussell at 410.786.8859 or Kathy Markman at 410.786.8916 for proposal delivery. A sheet of paper will be signed by both parties verifying the time that the proposal was given to us, and you will receive a copy of this paper for your records.

How many copies of the response must be submitted?

Please provide 7 copies of your proposal.

Should Pricing response and Technical Response be submitted in the same volume or kept separate?

Please submit the Pricing response separately from the Technical response.

Can our pricing include a note referencing what is bundled in each line item?

Yes.

How many references are needed to satisfy the “Past Performance” portion?

Please submit between three (3) and five (5) references.

How should the 29 page Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Item and Tri-Partite Bank Agreement be included in the response as an attachment? If not, what is CMS’s preference including this information?

The solicitation/contract/order for commercial item and Tri-Partite Bank Agreement should be signed and filled in as appropriate, and returned to CMS as part of your solicitation submission as a separate attachment.

Offeror Representations – Where in the proposal should we include our proposed Minority Business Enterprise that we will be partnering with to perform the banking services?

Please be sure that you answer all questions in FAR Clause 52.212-3, which is included in the solicitation, and then provide any additional information in your technical approach.

Solicitation

1.1 – page 3

The second paragraph references 2 contract awards. Are workloads A and B synonymous to Medicare Parts A and B, or will the workloads be divided by some other criteria? If some other criteria, how is that determined?

No, Workloads A and B have no relation to Medicare parts A and B. Each workload was designed with the criteria of balancing the volume of claims in Workload A and B. Payments from both Medicare parts A and B will be part of each workload.

1.1 – 6.1(a)

Understanding that one bidder cannot win both A and B, can bidders put in a response for Workload A and Workload B in the event they are selected for one or the other in the proposal process?

Yes.

2.0 and 2.1 – page 4

Are any other agreements required as part of the solicitation/award of business? If so, please provide a copy of the documentation requirements. Will CMS and/or the MACs sign standard bank documents?

CMS will only sign the Tri-Partite Agreement and the contract between CMS and the bank that results from this solicitation.

The bank may require the Medicare Contractor to sign any additional document they normally require to open a commercial account, but CMS will not sign any other documents.

4.5 – page 6

Is the Director a permanent position like a Program Manager, or temporary like an Implementation Manager? Is there a line item on the pricing template to bill if a permanent position?

The Director should be a permanent employee of the proposing bank, but need not be fully dedicated to this contract.

No. There should not be a separate line item on the pricing template to bill for this position.

4.9

Letter of Credit are you looking for any terms of a letter of credit in this request for proposal (CMS-2009-0028) or will you be leveraging the terms of an existing Letter of Credit?

If using an existing letter of credit – who is the issuing bank?

This item needs clarification because it also appears in the implementation approach as ability to obtain letter of credit In what amount is your current letter of credit What credit amount are you seeking if any in this request for proposals?

What financial statements should we examine to determine approval?

The letter of credit is issued by CMS through the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and it allows banks to use funds from the Federal Reserve to pay claims. Please see Section I. Scope for more information on this topic.

5.1 – page 7

Please outline any PHI that CMS believes will be included with the transactions.

None of which we are currently aware.

6.1.a – page 11

Is the commercial price list in addition to the pricing templates provided in the solicitation?

If separate, please describe the relation to the pricing templates provided in the solicitation?

Yes, the commercial price list should be provided in addition to the pricing templates provided.

The relationship is that the commercial pricing templates include the normal charges for the services CMS is requesting, and the pricing template is a list of the prices actually offered to CMS as part of the proposal.

6.1.a – page 11

Please further define options. Is this considered option years or other criteria?

These are considered Option Years

Addendum 1 (Statement of Work)

II. Requirements

“CMS requires the bank to meet the minimum financial stability criteria established by CMS and the US Dept of treasury”—what is this criteria?

This evaluation will be handled exclusively by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The criteria used are those created by the Department of the Treasury, and are administered exclusively by them. All potential contractors will be submitted by CMS to the Department of the Treasury for its review and approval.

II. Requirements

“2) comply with the rules and regulations for electronic banking established by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency /U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council;”—what are these rules and regulations?

Considerable information pertaining to bank security can be accessed through the following website links:

HTTP://WWW.OCC.TREAS.GOV/FTP/BULLETIN/2008-16.HTML

HTTP://WWW.OCC.TREAS.GOV/FTP/BULLETIN/2008-6.HTML

HTTP://WWW.FFIEC.GOV/PRESS/PR031908.HTM

HTTP://WWW.FFIEC.GOV/ENFORCEMENT.HTM

WWW.OCC.TREAS.GOV/NETBANK/IBI.HTM

WWW.OCC.TREAS.GOV/NETBANK/NETBANK.HTM

WWW.FFIEC.GOV/ABOUT.HTM

HTTP://WWW.OCC.TEAS.GOV/ABOUTOCC.HTM

HTTP://WWW.OCC.TREAS.GOV/ENFORCE/EATYPES.HTM

HTTP://74.125.93.132/SEARCH?Q=CACHE:HSAWF4PBC

II. Requirements

Can the forwarded reports be received electronically?

Yes.

II. Requirements

#17: Define “Service change”

Service Change is any addition or deletion of services offered by the contractor following award of this contract. Any service change to a Medicare Contractor must be approved by CMS.

1.B – page 2

Will CMS only have one or multiple banks per each workload?

CMS will be awarding one bank per workload.

2.A.1 – page 2

Will the FHIBA be in the name and tax ID of CMS or the MAC? How will accounts be titled?

The FHIBA will be in the name of the Medicare Contractor.

The FHIBA will be titled in the following format – “Name of Medicare Contractor/Trust Fund used to pay the claims the particular Medicare Contractor processes.”

2.A.4 – page 3

For the copy of each request for funds, please advise what methods will be acceptable; mail, email, online bank reporting, etc.

Any method is acceptable that is agreed to by the Medicare Contractor and approved by CMS.

2.A.5 – page 3

Please further define reports and information required in the weekly reconciliation.

The reports and reconciliations due each week are those normally used by each contractor as part of its normal banking practices.

2.A.9 – page 3

Will the images be deposited via an image transmission or via desktop/online remote deposit service? Are there any technology/hardware requirements for either image deposit method?

Any method is acceptable that is agreed to by the Medicare Contractor and approved by CMS.

2.A.10 – page 4

Please provide a specific list of items required in full service internet banking.

Any service that is currently available to your institution.

2.B.2.Daily.a – page 5

Please define unsuccessful EFT and paper check.

An unsuccessful EFT or paper check is any EFT or paper check that does not result in a monetary transfer. An example of an unsuccessful EFT would be one that had an incorrect routing number. An example of an unsuccessful paper check would be one that is not negotiable.

2.B.2.Daily.b – page 5

Please provide an example of an overpayment collections.

An example would be any overpayment recouped by the Medicare Contractor.

2.B.2.Daily.c – page 6

Please further define this item and provide an example.

The bank should have ready the information such that they can provide the information to any Medicare Contractor in the case they should make an inquiry to the bank for the information.

2.B.2.Daily.d – page 6

Are specific transactions defined as checks paid inquiry? If not, please further define.

Yes.

What is the highest ACH interday credit limit your financial institution shall assign for your disbursements (including both ACH and Controlled Disbursements)?

In reading the SOW it sounds as if the files are submitted to the bank on business day one and the payments are to be submitted business day. Will funding come on business day one, two, or three to the financial institution?

The highest ACH interday credit limit is determined by CMS dependent upon workload volume.

Please see section I.A – Background for more information about this topic.

Addendum 3, Schedule of Services Price Proposals

There are no volumes listed in the all other charges area of the pricing spreadsheet. Should the bank provide volumes or strictly a price point?

Please provide strictly the price point per service. This value should be created with your assumptions from the volumes listed in parts 1 and 2 of this addendum.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Nov 14, 2017.