Administrative Services Organization for Specialty Behavioral Health and Drug Medi-Cal Substance Abuse Disorder Services

The County of Orange Health Care Agency is soliciting proposals through a fully electronic Request for Proposals (RFP) for a qualified Administrative Services Organization (ASO) to provide specialty behavioral health and Drug Medi-Cal substance abuse disorder services to Orange County residents. The procurement seeks an organization capable of managing comprehensive health plan administrative functions including concurrent review of psychiatric inpatient services, utilization management for electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, prior authorization for day treatment intensive services, operation of a 24/7 member access line, development and management of an extended provider network, claims processing and adjudication, grievance handling, and quality improvement activities. Respondents must demonstrate a minimum of five consecutive years of experience providing administrative services to a public behavioral health plan in California within the past seven years, along with comparable public agency experience. The evaluation process consists of Phase 1 written proposal scoring (up to 900 points) based on respondent qualifications, services, performance objectives, staffing, and budget, with Phase 2 optional interviews scoring up to 100 points. All questions and requests for interpretations must be submitted by March 23, 2026 at 4:00 p.m., proposals are due March 30, 2026 at 4:00 p.m., interviews with top-ranked firms are anticipated in April 2026, Board of Supervisors approval is scheduled for August 11, 2026, and contract commencement is January 1, 2027. Proposals must be limited to 50 pages and submitted electronically through the County's eProcurement Portal; facsimile and email submissions will not be accepted.

The County offers preference designations for certified Orange County Local Small Businesses (OCLSB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE), providing a five percent preference deduction with an eight percent preference available for businesses certified as both. Respondents must have a valid UEI number and complete SAM.gov registration prior to contract award and must maintain extensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability, and Network Security & Privacy Liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence. The contract agreement is structured as a three-year term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, divided into three annual periods, with budget proposals required for both six-month (July 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026) and twelve-month (July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028) periods. The reimbursement structure includes negotiated amounts for indirect costs capped at a maximum percentage of program costs, actual costs for administrative and program services, and actual costs for mental health claims with monthly payments made in arrears up to a negotiated not-to-exceed amount. Funding derives from the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, Mental Health Realignment, 2011 Realignment, and Medi-Cal Full Financial Participation, with the specific contract award value listed as "TBD" pending final negotiation with the selected contractor. The County reserves the right to make multiple awards and extend the contract for additional terms contingent upon funding availability, contractor performance, and service needs.