V212--San Diego VA Healthcare System Wheelchair and Hired Car with ad Hoc Medical Companion Transportation Services

AMENDMENT TO PRESOLICITATION NOTICE: This notice is an amendment to Pre-Solicitation Notice 36C26224Q0458 and the associated Request for Quote (RFQ) for Wheelchair and Hired Car Services with ad Hoc Medical Companion Transportation Services.

36C26224Q0022 was posted on 2/14/2024 and quotes were originally due on 2/27/2024 at 10:00 AM Mountain Standard Time. The response deadline to this RFQ is now extended to 2/29/2023 at 10:00 AM Mountain Standard Time.

The following pages are in response to interested vendor questions. The total number of questions is 30.

Responses are due by 10:00 Mountain Standard Time February 29, 2023.

Point of contact information: Lori Gammage, Contract Specialist, Lorenza.gammage@va.gov.

Question 1. Number of trips per day? Could you please provide more details on the expected number of trips per day? Understanding the volume will help us to plan and allocate resources effectively.

Answer: A list of trips per day is sent the previous day by 3pm, this will include patient name, address, appointment time, pick up time and other pertinent information such as special needs. The number of trips can fluctuate per day.

Question 2. Pay Rate for Ambulatory and Wheelchair services: To provide you with an accurate proposal/ we would like to discuss the pay rates for both Ambulatory and Wheelchair services. Your guidance on the acceptable rates will enable us to structure a fair and competitive proposal.

Answer: The Government cannot disclose pricing for ambulatory and wheelchair services. We are not looking for ambulatory and wheelchair services. We are looking for Wheelchair and Hired Car Services.

Question 3 Any idea on the amount of trips per day and also the required amount of vehicles for the contract meaning wheel chairs van and regular vans simply because I do NEMT ambulatory presently using vans

Answer: A list of trips per day is sent the previous day by 3pm, this will include patient name, address, appointment time, pick up time and other pertinent information such as special needs. The number of trips can fluctuate per day. As per the number of vehicles we cannot give you a firm number that is required.

Question 4 We would greatly appreciate any insight you could provide regarding the range of bids received for similar contracts in the past. Understanding that will enable us to align our proposal more closely with the VA's expectations and budgetary considerations.Â

Answer: The Government does not provide this type of information.

Question 5: Can you please tell me the start date and time frame of this contract if awarded?Â

Answer: The period of performance is 5/1/2024 9/30/2026.

Question 6. Who s the incumbent?

Answer: The previous contract was 36C26218D0112.

Question 7: What was the previous contract value?

Answer: The previous contract was 36C26218D0112.

Question 8: The contract is a 4-month contract, then it transitions to a one year with options. Is the four months a test period?

Answer: The 4 month is the initial period of performance with the option of extending for 2 years.

Question 9: Wheelchair and hired car services is 24hr/day so are we paid for all 24/hrs or is the service provided as needed within the 24hr period (on call 24/hrs)?

Answer: You are paid if the service(s) are provided to a Veteran.

Question 10: Companion services are from 4am 10pm. Is it on call or are we paid for all the hours between 4am -10pm? IS this going to be an ongoing need every day or as needed?

Answer: You are paid if the service(s) are provided to a Veteran. This is as needed service (for the companion).

Question 11: For the Wheelchair Van Base Rate line item #1 -#3 is the quantity in miles, hours or numbers of pickups?

Answer: What it currently reads is incomplete is updated as per below.

Durrently reads: Wheelchair Van - Billable Incomplete Pick is incomplete.

Should read: Wheelchair Van Base Rate Within a 20 Mile Radius from pickup. The quantity is based in miles.

Question 11a. CLIN #3

Answer: Per pickup.

Question 12: For the Wheelchair Van - Billable Waiting line item #4, is the 1,600 in total minutes or 1,600 total occurrences?

Answer: This is billable for every 15 minutes, so each 15 minutes is an occurrence.

Question 13: What is the definition of Hired car?

Answer: The preference would be that a van be used to accommodate these picks ups, due to the medical conditions of the Veteran patients.

Question 14: What is the difference between hired car and wheelchair van?

Answer: There is no difference, we prefer a wheelchair accessible van.

Question 15: For the hired car services, on line 5-9, is the quantity the number of trips? If not, what is the unit of measurement for those quantities?

Answer: For CLINs 0005 0009 Those are the number of trips.

Question 16: What is considered after hours if we re 24/7? (line item 9)

Answer: The services is 24x7, patients are discharged at all times of day.

Question 17: For the medical companion, is the quantity on line item #10 how many times we ll be waiting for 4 hours or that the total hours we ll be waiting?

Answer: For CLIN 0010 this is per occurrence the companion must be accompany the Veteran for a minimum of 4 hours.

Question 18: Is the Medical companion going to be an hourly rate? if so, we ll need to quote in a way that we can add hours if needed?

Answer: No, this is per occurrence.

Question 19: Will the medical companion need to provide their own transport? Or transportation services?

Answer: The medical companion should accompany the Veteran to their appointment.

Question 20: In the event that a mandatory escort is required, will the agency compensate for the retrieval of company vehicle from the last location since we cannot follow the specialized transport vehicle? Compensate from vehicle to destination of transport and back to vehicle for retrieval. (page 37-38) SOW

Answer: The medical companion/escort must be in the vehicle with the Veteran at all times. The driver of the vehicle can also be the medical companion.

Question 20a: Since it s a medical companion, they will be paid hourly. Does that include transportation?

Answer: No, the medical companion is not paid hourly. The medical companion is per occurrence and should accompany the Veteran to their appointment.

Question 21: Are we quoting for the vehicle and the driver or just the vehicle? (dumb question)

Answer: The service is inclusive of the vehicle and driver.

Question 22: How much volume does the agency estimates? I m guess the answer is in the quantities.

Answer: The government does not provide this type of information.

Question 23: How many trips on a daily basis we will need to preform? This can be an estimate.

Answer: The government does not provide this type of information.

Question 24: How many people will we be transporting at once? Is it one person per trip?

Answer: Yes, multiple loading will be allowed, otherwise you will be notified.

Question 25: How many vehicles will we need available to maintain contract performance?

Answer: The Government does not provide this type of information.

Question 26: On average many trips will we be responsible for throughout the duration of this contract?

Answer: Each individual CLIN has the projected quantity of trips/occurrence.

Question 26a The question with the quantities probably answers this.

Answer: Each individual CLIN has the projected quantity of trips/occurrence.

Question 27: Page 42, it states Contractor shall have a minimum of two years in the transportation business with a dispatch office and vehicle management site preferably located within 25 miles of the VA Medical Center in La Jolla at the time the contract proposal is submitted. Is this for the prime contractor to meet or can the subcontract meet these requirement?

Answer: Yes, this requirement is for the quoter.

Question 28: Does this contract require US Citizens? Page 46

Answer: No.

Question 29: Page 54, states that the quoter must have 2 years of experience providing wheelchair and car services. Those this includes its subcontractor s experience. Or is it saying the quoter must have two years of experience independent of its subcontractors to bid this contract?

Answer: The requirement is for the quoter.

Question 30: Can we provide our subcontractor s evidence stating they have the capabilities to provide vehicles and support wheelchairs and hired car transportation services or must the evidence be from the quoter only meaning no subcontractors?

Answer: Evidence must be provided by quoter.