Amendment_3_and_Task_Order_0004_Questions_Responses.docx

RFP-CMS-MIDS-2013-0001

Amendment 0003 Responses to Solicitation Questions and Solicitation Amendments

AMENDMENT 0003

1. Under Attachment J.11-B; Development, Reevaluation and Implementation of Hospital Outcome Efficiency Measures SOW, Chapter 2. General Requirements, references to Section 2.G shall be REVISED to READ Section 2.F – Ad Hoc tasks

2. Under Attachment J.11-A; Development, Reevaluation and Implementation Proposal Instructions and Evaluation Criteria; TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, DELETE the following section:

3. Instrument/Item Development.

a. Describe instrument and data item information technology standards and how these affect development or modification of existing health assessment instruments or other data collection vehicles for the subject Task Order Statement of Work.

b. Describe the approach for supporting instrument and data item development and maintenance for the subject Task Order Statement of Work.

Task Order 0004 QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

STATEMENT OF WORK (J. 11-B)

Section Number: J11-B Section & Title: Chapter 11, Quality Assurance and Performance Evaluation, Section C. Key Personnel Requirements Question: Although the RFP cites a requirement for “Project Director, 2080 hours per contract year,” is CMS open to proposals that potentially include less than 2080 per year based on our estimate of required workload in each year?

Response: Yes, the Offeror shall clearly justify the proposed estimate and provide appropriate detail relative to the workload.

Section Number: Chapter 2 Section Title: Chapter 2. General Requirements page 3 Question: This chapter states that the contractor shall carry out task described in Sections 2.A – 2.G IAW MIDS USOW. We do not find a Section 2.G in the USOW but in Task Order 4 SOW 2.G appears to refer to Ad Hoc tasks, which are 2.F in USOW. Can CMS clarify what 2.G refers to?

Response: The section noted as 2.G should be noted as 2.F – Ad Hoc tasks.

Section Number: Chapter 4 Section Title: Chapter 4 – Quality Measure Development and Re-evaluation Question: On page 6 it states under IAW section 4.B that “the Contractor shall provide re-evaluation of the Hierarchical Condition Category System for risk adjustment of the CMS outcome measures…The contractor shall build on and expand the re-evaluation work that the CMS HCC contractor conducts under their contract with the Center for Medicare (for the 70 HCCs) to include all 189 HCCs for risk adjustment of the CMS outcome measures.” However, it is our understanding, in talking with the CMS HCC contractor, that they re-evaluate all 189 HCCs. Can CMS clarify what re-evaluation work they are asking the MIDS contractor to complete?

Response: It is correct that the CMS HCC Contractor maintains and updates all 189 HCCs. However the CMS HCC Contractor is not required to provide technical support to users in accessing (e.g., SAS mapping code, crosswalk of the changes, reports on the updates, etc.) and using (e.g., updating the risk factors and cohort definitions) the HCCs. For maintaining and developing the CMS outcome measures, the Offeror shall propose a plan to assemble a team to provide the capability to access and use the HCCs relevant to the project.

Section Number: Chapter 7 Section Title: Chapter 7. Reports/Approval Packages Question: On page 7, under Chapter 7 the Contractor is to carry out task described in Section 7A- 7I. However we are not aware of a 7I in the USOW. Can CMS clarify what 7I is?

Response: The Task Order SOW has been corrected to note that Section 7 includes 7.A through 7.H (not 7.A through 7.I).

Section Number: Chapter 8 Section Title: Chapter 8. Implementation, Production, & Assessment On page 8, the SOW states: “ the Contractor shall prepare 2-5 manuscripts for publishing in peer review journals” Question: The publication clause has changed in the IDIQ and is still not clear in the FAR clause. Will CMS require review/approval of all publications related to this work prior to submission?

Response: Yes.

Section/Chapter Number: Appendix A Section Title: Appendix A: CMS Outcome Measures – Base year Question: In Table A, page 11, under Chapter 4- Quality Measure Development The potential payment measure for development is “hospital-wide 30-day episode-of-care payment measure”; given the overlap with such a measure and the Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB) measure that CMS has already implemented, we presume that the Contractor could propose a payment measure for a specific condition/procedure instead. Is this true, or is it CMS’ intention to have the contractor re-evaluate the approach taken in MSPB to develop a new measure appropriate for IQR?

Response: The Offeror shall propose a plan to develop a payment measure appropriate for evaluating the value of care.

Section/Chapter Number: Appendix A Section Title: Appendix A: CMS Outcome Measures – Base year Question: The other vascular readmission measure is listed among measures being implemented for IQR during the base year (Table A page 11), However, we are not aware that this measure has been proposed yet in rulemaking for IQR. Can CMS clarify if this measure is intended to be in IQR next year or should it be slated for Dry run?

Response: According to the SOW (Table A, p.11), the other vascular (readmission) measures pertain to Chapter 8 and are included for implementation for the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program.

Section Number: J.11 – B SOW Section & Title: SOW, C. Key Personnel Requirements Question: CMS has a full time Project Director as required key personnel. Is their flexibility in the effort the Offeror allocates to this position? Given the ebb and flow of measure development, there are natural periods where the Project Director is waiting for responses from other stakeholders, etc.

Response: It is not clear which Task Order is referenced. However, yes, there may be flexibility in regard to the Full-Time Project Director position. The Offeror shall clearly justify the proposed estimate and provide appropriate detail relative to the workload.

Section Number: J.11 – B SOW Appendix A Section & Title: CMS Outcome Measures – Base Year Question: Given that the Offeror is expected to develop two new measures each year, does CMS want new measures proposed in the Technical Approach of the proposal? Or can the Offeror simply describe the approach to new measure development?

Response: The Offeror may describe potential new measure concepts (pertinent to the Task Order in question) and provide appropriate detail to the potential approach. Yes, in addition, the Offeror shall describe the approach to new measure development.

SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES (J. 11-C)

Section Number:

Section Title: Schedule of Deliverables, page 8 Question: Deliverables 8 (MIF) and 9 (MJF) are due date of 2 months following TOA. Are we to assume that we will need to submit updated versions later as we develop the measure specifications?

Response: Yes.

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND EVALUATION (J. 11-A)

Section Number:

Section Title: Conflict of Interest Proposal Instructions pg 10-13 Question: The instructions state: “The Offerors or Contractors must disclose all contracts, both government (local, state and federal) and non-government currently held with CMS, other government health care agencies, or with non-government entities, as a Prime and/or as a Subcontractor, for itself, its parent company, subsidiaries or other affiliated entities. For this Task Order, Offerors or contractors must provide any additional information that differs from the Umbrella IDIQ Organizational Conflict of Interest- Summary List of Contracts, Section L.17. If the following information duplicates any of the information from the Umbrella IDIQ, your response may refer to your proposed response for the base.”

If there are no changes to the Volume III, Conflict of Interest section submitted for the IDIQ, may we copy and resubmit this entire binder or simply state for this section to the Base IDIQ?

Response: If there are no changes to the Volume III, Conflict of Interest between this task order and the base IDIQ award, it is acceptable to refer to the base IDIQ proposal Volume III.

Question: If we are proposing with more than one offeror, can we submit just one Volume III to your office, (that identifies the organizations that we proposing to work with) instead of separate Volume IIIs for each vendor that we are working with?

Response: No, if it is a different teaming arrangement with more than one MIDS offer, then a separate Volume III must be provided for each offer detailing the mitigation strategy for that for that offer.

Section Number:

Section Title: D. Proposal Submission pg 2 Question: If the proposal is sent via United States Postal Service for guaranteed delivery, will CMS accept the proposal if it is later due to United States Postal Service?

Response: No, Offerors are advised to take that possibility into consideration in determining when and how a proposal must be received at the specified location to meet the date and time requirements.

Section Number:

Section Title: C. Subcontracts and Consultants pg 4 Question: If a subcontractor is proposed for TO 4 but was not included in the IDIQ proposal, does the subcontractor have to submit all of the IDIQ required documents (i.e., Sections B-K and all the administrative documents) as part of the response to TO4?

Response: Yes

Section Number: A. Direct Labor Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions, pg 3;

Question: Should we budget each labor category by Chapters in the SOW? Are we to assume the Chapters are the same as Tasks?

Response: No, it is not necessary to break down the cost proposal by Tasks or MIDS Chapters.

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 3 Instructions state “Include all direct labor categories broken out by individuals, to be utilized on the Task Order. For each labor category please show the “number of labor hours times hourly labor rate equals resultant total dollar amount” by year“ Question: Are we required to submit a cost proposal broken out by labor category and individual AND further by MIDS Chapter (or Task) for each year?

Response: The cost proposal should break down by labor category and include actual labor rates for key personnel. However, the cost proposal by Tasks or MIDS Chapters is not necessary.

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 3 - 4 Instructions state “Note: All proposed subcontractors shall submit a complete cost proposal in the same format as the Contractor’s cost proposal. Subcontractors may submit their business proposal spreadsheet showing the breakdown of costs to CMS in a separately sealed package.” The instructions also request that the Prime’s budget spreadsheets show “number of labor hours times hourly labor rate equals resultant total dollar amount” by year” for subcontractors too. The instructions also state, under Fringe Benefits, “Provide detailed breakdown separately for the Prime Offeror and Subcontractors as well as one overall summary table of items and cost.”

Question: If a subcontractor has opted to submit its detailed budget to CMS directly, which of the following information is the Prime expected to provide, regarding the subcontractor’s budget (in the Prime budget)?

· Labor category, individual, # hours, hourly rate, total $

· Subcontractor Costs

· Consultants Costs

· Supplies Costs

· Travel Costs

· Other Costs

· Indirect rate

· Fee

· Total subcontract cost Response: It is acceptable for all of the above information to be provided by the subcontractor. The total subcontract costs must be included in your overall cost proposal.

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 3 - 4 Instructions state “Note: All proposed subcontractors shall submit a complete cost proposal in the same format as the Contractor’s cost proposal. Subcontractors may submit their business proposal spreadsheet showing the breakdown of costs to CMS in a separately sealed package.” Question: How is the Prime to ensure the appropriateness of costs and monitor the budget if this option is taken by the subcontractor?

Response: We are not privy to the arrangement between the prime and the subcontractor.

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 4 Instructions state “Note: All proposed subcontractors shall submit a complete cost proposal in the same format as the Contractor’s cost proposal. Subcontractors may submit their business proposal spreadsheet showing the breakdown of costs to CMS in a separately sealed package.” Question: If a subcontractor chooses this option, can the Prime state that as a reason that some information on the Negotiation Memorandum is not completed?

Response: The overall subcontractor cost must be included in the prime’s cost proposal. The breakdown can be referred to in the subcontractor’s proposal.

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 10-13 Question: Are individual consultants (who are not certified small businesses, but are individual experts) required to submit all of the Vol III documentation and the administrative documents (i.e., Sections B-K from the IDIQ) that subcontractors must provide?

Section Number:

Section Title: Business Proposal Instructions pg 10-13 Question: Are individual consultants (who are certified small businesses, such as a sole proprietorship or with only 2 employees) required to submit all of the Vol III documentation and the administrative documents (i.e., Sections B-K from the IDIQ) that subcontractors must provide?

Response: Yes.

Section Number:

Section Title: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, P. 5-6 Instructions state: “The five (5) sections combined shall be no more than sixty (60) single-spaced (single-sided) or thirty (30) double-sided pages. Type font should be no smaller than Times New Roman 12 point and all page margins must be at least one (1) inch. The 60 pages may be allocated across sections 1 thru 5 as the offeror may determine.

Technical Proposal Format:

Technical Approach Past Performance

Question: Does the 60 page limit include Past Performance and Small Business Utilization?

Response: No, Past Performance and Small Business is not counted towards the page limit.

Section Number:

Section Title: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, P. 5-6 Instructions state: “The task order SOW states that there is no work under Chapter 5 of the MIDS, Instrument/Item Development, yet the instructions include two questions (#3a and #3b) that ask about the approach to the work for Chapter 5 as it relates to the TO SOW?

Question: Could CMS please clarify these instructions and the interpretation of these specific questions?

Response: These 2 questions (#3a and #3 b) do not apply to the SOW and will be removed from the instructions.

Section Number:

Section Title: B. Past Performance, #5, p. 8 Instructions state: “Past Performance information will be used for both the responsibility determination and as an evaluation factor against which Offerors’ relative rankings will be compared to assure best value to the Government. Attachment J.5, Past Performance Questionnaire, must be submitted directly by the references listed in your proposal.

Question: If we are using the same past performance references as used for the IDIQ, do we need to ask the references to fill out the same questionnaires again and submit to CMS?

Response: No, we can refer to the base IDIQ Past Performance Questionnaires.

Section Number: J11 - A Proposal Instructions Section & Title: Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions B.

Question: Will CMS reconsider the Past Performance Questionnaire requirement for Task Order 0004 as all Offerors will have just submitted questionnaires for the MIDS IDIQ Umbrella proposal one week prior, and only Offerors who are awarded the IDIQ will be considered for Task Order 0004?

Response: Yes, we can refer to the base IDIQ Past Performance Questionnaires.

Section Number: J11 - A Proposal Instructions Section & Title: Proposal Instructions, Technical Proposal Instructions B.

Question: CMS does not specify how many projects to include under the Past Performance section. Can CMS provide an idea of how many projects to include?

Response: Please include any contracts and/or subcontracts for same or similar work (completed and/or currently in progress) limited to the last three (3) years.