World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence

This modification provides further clarification to follow up questions 17 and 25.

This modification updates responses to follow up questions 17, 18, 24, 25, 27, 31, 42, 44.  These responses were pending award of the Health Program Support contract which was awarded on November 30, 2016.

This modification also extends this solicitation response deadline to Thursday December 15 at 5pm EST.  Any responses received past Thursday December 15 at 5pm EST shall not be considered.

This modification attaches an optional form for entering pricing information. This form is not mandatory.

added November 17, 2016

This modification uploads a revised RFP; a revised PWS; and responses to follow up Questions.

Responses to this RFP are due December 12, 2016 by 11:00 AM EST. Responses received past 11:00 AM EST will not be considered.

Responses to this RFP are hereby extended and due December 12, 2016 by 11:00 AM EST. Responses received past 11:00 AM EST will not be considered.

(posted November 2, 2016)

Follow up questions to the Q & A posted on November 1 are due no later than November 3 at 5pm.

Answers to these questions will subsequently be posted in the form of a solicitation amendment the week of November 7th.

Responses to this RFP are due November 21, 2016 by 11:00 AM EST. Responses received past 11:00 AM EST will not be considered.

This modification uploads a revised RFP; a revised PWS; and the Questions and Answers to this solicitation. 

Follow up questions to the Q & A posted on 11/01/16 are due NLT November 2 at 2pm.  Answers to these qustions will subsequently be posted in the form of a solicitation amendment on November 4th. 

Section L.5 of the RFP is hereby modified as follows:

L.5 SOLICITATION QUESTIONS

Questions concerning this formal Request for Proposal shall be submitted electronically to Contracting Officer Abbie Jemmott via email to the following e-mail address: ajemmott@cdc.gov. Questions pertaining to the solicitation are due no later than October 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM EST. Answers to questions that have been submitted by the October 26, 2016 deadline which the CDC determines to be necessary for proposal preparation will be conveyed on a conference call on October 31, 2016 from 10:00-11:00 AM EST. Conference call information is as follows: Dial in Number - 866.679.7545 Participant Code - 20661284. Answers to these questions will subsequently be posted in the form of a solicitation amendment on the FEDBIZOPPS website (www.fedbizopps.gov) on November 1, 2016 at or about 11:00 AM EST.

At this point follow up questions to those Q & A already posted may be submitted and are due no later than November 2, 2016 at 11:00 AM EST. Answers to these questions will subsequently be posted in the form of a solicitation amendment on the FEDBIZOPPS website (www.fedbizopps.gov) on November 4, 2016 at or about 11:00 AM EST.

Technical questions submitted by telephone or verbally will not be honored. Questions submitted in chart or graph format will not be honored. EACH question submitted by the Offeror shall include the Performance Work Statement (PWS) section number and/or title (including subparagraph designations) or solicitation section and/or title being referenced. Submission of questions shall include, at a minimum, company name, address, point of contact and phone number.

(End of Provision)

The CDC is soliciting proposals in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) on an unrestricted basis via full and open competition.

All solicitation documents are attached.

Responses to this RFP are due November 21, 2016 by 11:00 AM EST.

The closing date for questions regarding this RFP is October 26, 2016 by 11:00 AM EST. Questions will only be accepted via email to the Contracting Officer at ygf3@cdc.gov.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) intends to issue a solicitation to continue support for healthcare of the responders who participated in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 and the survivors of that attack.

On January 2, 2011, the President signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act ("Zadroga Act"), providing a longer-term solution to care for the WTC responders and survivors. The Zadroga Act (See "James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010," Public Law 111-347, as amended by Public Law 114-113 (codified at 42 U.S.C. sections 300mm - 300mm-61) added Title XXXIII to the Public Health Service Act, which authorized the WTC Health Program as a federal health care program for eligible responders and survivors of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Zadroga Act encompasses myriad responsibilities associated with the administration and performance needed to enroll, initially evaluate, medically monitor, and manage covered health conditions for eligible individuals through diagnostic and treatment services. Responsibilities include the construction of a comprehensive medical and pharmaceutical benefit program consistent with a limited care model; similar in constraints to a worker compensation model, yet requiring the flexibility to engage with advocates and stakeholders. To align with statutory requirements, the WTC Health Program promulgated regulations in 42 C.F.R. pt. 88 guiding program implementation and created member-based health benefit plans restricted to the conditions certified by the WTC Health Program Administrator for coverage. In addition, a new business processing component was developed to adjudicate and pay medical and pharmacy claims from enrolled providers for allowable services authorized by Clinical Centers of Excellence (CCEs) to manage the care of a restricted set of health conditions for eligible program members. Required administrative processes included procedures for appeals related to denials of program enrollment, health condition certification, or treatment bills.

In Spring 2011, the CDC entered into contracts with seven Clinical Centers of Excellence (as defined in subsection (b)(1)(A)) to undertake the following activities:
‘‘SEC. 3305. CLINICAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AND DATA CENTERS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.-
‘‘(A) for the provision of monitoring and treatment benefits and initial health evaluation benefits under sub- title B;
‘‘(B) for the provision of outreach activities to individuals eligible for such monitoring and treatment benefits, for initial health evaluation benefits, and for follow up to individuals who are enrolled in the monitoring program; ‘‘(C) for the provision of counseling for benefits under subtitle B, with respect to WTC-related health conditions, for individuals eligible for such benefits;
‘‘(D) for the provision of counseling for benefits for WTC-related health conditions that may be available under workers' compensation or other benefit programs for work- related injuries or illnesses, health insurance, disability insurance, or other insurance plans or through public or private social service agencies and assisting eligible individuals in applying for such benefits;
‘‘(E) for the provision of translational and interpretive services for program participants who are not English language proficient; and
‘‘(F) for the collection and reporting of data, including claims data, in accordance with section 3304.

Clinical Centers of Excellence and the Nationwide Provider Network: There are currently seven CCEs and one Nationwide Provider Network (NPN) that provide medical monitoring examinations, diagnosis, and treatment services for the WTC-related health conditions. One CCE serves the members affiliated with the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) WTC Responders, five CCEs serve a General WTC Responder consortium, one CCE serves WTC Survivors, and the NPN serves enrolled members located elsewhere in the U.S. Treatment services include physician visits, test procedures, medical devices, pharmacy benefits, case management, care coordination, health education, and social benefits counseling. The CCEs and NPN work as a clinical consortium with cohort-specific standardized medical monitoring protocols, shared diagnostic and treatment guidelines and multiple opportunities for communication with WTC Health Program Staff and each other to calibrate medical and member benefits across practice sites. The CCEs and NPN are actively engaged with labor representatives and stakeholder members of the New York City community to discuss program policies and ensure awareness of emerging issues.

Below are descriptions for the three (3) classifications of the WTC Health Program members being served by the CCEs. The CCE contractor must indicate member cohort classification(s) to be served.
(1) Enrolled WTC Responders affiliated with the Fire Department of the City of New York
(2) Enrolled WTC Responders who were not affiliated with FDNY (Non-FDNY Responders)
(3) Enrolled WTC Survivors

The purpose of the intended solicitation is to award multiple contracts to clinical centers to provide periodic medical monitoring examinations, diagnosis and treatment services, and other member services to WTC responders and survivors. All services to be provided will meet the requirements outlined in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The solicitation will be posted on or about September 13, 2016.