Comprehensive Medical Servcies

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Justice & Public Safety Cabinet, Department of Corrections is requesting proposals for comprehensive medical and mental health services across state correctional facilities, with proposals due July 27, 2026 under RFP 500 2600000380. The service scope includes general and specialty health care, mental health and psychiatric services, vision care, dental support coordination, pharmacy coordination, diagnostic services, emergency medical transportation, inpatient care coordination, telehealth services, and medical facilities management for approximately 6,725 inmates.

Mandatory qualifications require bidders to demonstrate at least five years of organizational experience providing health care services in correctional or detention settings, prior service delivery to a minimum of six correctional institutions at separate locations with at least one facility housing 1,000 individuals, and cumulative experience serving a minimum of 10,000 inmates under a single contract. Bidders must obtain and maintain all necessary Kentucky licenses and certifications, secure required insurance (commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, professional liability of $1,000,000 per claim, and automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit if applicable), and provide a $6,000,000 performance security bond with twenty percent as surety bond and the remaining amount as surety bond, cashier's check, or irrevocable letter of credit.

The initial contract term runs January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028, with renewal options for up to two additional two-year periods subject to approval by the Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary and the Legislative Research Commission. A new 353-bed medical and mental health institution opens in late summer 2026 in Lexington, while the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange closes in late 2026. Proposals are evaluated on 1,600 maximum points: 900 technical points (executive summary, qualifications, client references, technical proposal), 400 cost points (daily per-inmate rates across five service categories), and up to 300 additional points for oral presentations if required. Questions were due May 22, 2026; site visits occurred the week of June 22, 2026. Responses must address American Correctional Association standards compliance, electronic health record system integration with KOMS/Marquis, HIPAA and PREA compliance, Medicaid enrollment and reentry coordination, and staffing plans with 100 percent deduction for unfilled clinical hours.