CAHPS Survey

The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) is seeking NCQA Certified CAHPS vendors to conduct Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) CAHPS survey services for Richland County. The primary objective is to administer standardized experience of care surveys with a mandatory 40% response rate, covering both full benefit and limited benefit members, totaling approximately 455,465 potential survey recipients. Vendors must achieve survey results ready for CMS submission annually by August 22nd, with a comprehensive three-year contract anticipated from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030, including two potential one-year renewal options. Qualified vendors must have a minimum of two years' experience administering standardized healthcare surveys and demonstrate prior work as a prime contractor for at least three federal, state, local, or private healthcare entities of similar size and scope within the last five years. The evaluation criteria will weight technical proposals at 80 points and price proposals at 20 points, with a $50,000 modification pool available for potential scope changes. Key dates include a pre-proposal conference via Microsoft Teams on March 13, 2025, questions due by March 14, 2025, proposals due by April 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST, and award notification expected by June 20, 2025.

The procurement appears open to all qualified NCQA Certified CAHPS vendors without specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must submit comprehensive pricing through an Excel spreadsheet, with all-inclusive costs covering wages, overhead, travel, equipment, and administrative expenses. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed separately, and contractors must provide detailed quality assurance plans demonstrating compliance with HIPAA regulations and strict data protection protocols. The pricing structure requires monthly fixed costs for five years, with hourly rates for potential additional work. Vendors must also complete extensive documentation including organizational conflict of interest disclosures, debarment certifications, and federal funding compliance certifications for contracts exceeding $100,000. The contract includes rigorous reporting and data management requirements, with specific provisions for handling protected health information and potential financial penalties for non-compliance. While a specific total contract value is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive survey requirements and five-year contract term suggest a significant investment in healthcare survey administration services.