1130-25-R-RFIN-00003

The Mississippi State and School Employees' Health Insurance Management Board and the Department of Finance & Administration have issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for Decision Support & Related Health Care Analysis Consulting Services, solicitation number RFX 3160007100. The procurement seeks a comprehensive healthcare data analytics and consulting vendor to support the State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance Plan, which serves approximately 190,000 participants across state agencies, universities, community colleges, school districts, and public library systems. The selected vendor will be responsible for maintaining a healthcare database, performing analytical services, collecting and archiving historical data, and providing consulting support, with specific deliverables including claims expense and utilization analysis, benchmarking, plan evaluation, and trend identification. Key objectives include data integration from third-party administrators, pharmacy benefit managers, and medical management vendors, while maintaining robust system capabilities for reporting and HIPAA compliance. The bid responses were due on February 28, 2025, with an anticipated contract award date of March 19, 2025, and a five-year contract term effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. Evaluation criteria appear to focus on responsiveness, vendor qualifications, and comprehensive analytical capabilities, with two vendors initially submitting bids: Truven Health Analytics/Merative and Abett, Inc.

The procurement does not explicitly detail set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The incumbent vendor, Health Data & Management Solutions, Inc., will be replaced by the new contract awardee. The current contract is being replaced by Truven Health Analytics, LLC (also known as Merative US L.P.), which was determined to be the responsive and responsible bidder after Abett, Inc. was found non-responsive. The contract includes performance guarantees such as 97% system availability, data quality assurance, and security breach notifications. The total contract value is $1,881,700, with a structured fee schedule ranging from $340,000 in the first year to $413,300 in the fifth year, which includes a maximum flat annual fee and hourly consulting rates ranging from $273 for an Analyst to $474 for a Senior Director/Senior Scientist. The vendor will provide system access for up to eight users, monthly data updates, and maintain 60 months of online claims data, with the ability to terminate the contract by either party with 90 days' notice.