Credentialing Software and Maintenance

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) are procuring a cloud-based credentialing system and maintenance services through an Invitation for Bids (IFB). The selected vendor must provide a system that meets the standards of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), The Joint Commission (TJC), and the Texas Medical Board (TMB) to evaluate and validate the qualifications of healthcare practitioners, including physicians, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, dentists, optometrists, and podiatrists. The system must be user-friendly, efficient, and allow for information sharing to facilitate faster credentialing across Texas state hospitals and other facilities. The initial contract term is one year with four one-year renewal options, and the desired go-live date is March 31, 2024. HHSC will evaluate proposals based on criteria such as price, delivery requirements, and ability to meet specifications, with past vendor performance potentially also being considered.

The IFB is open to all qualified bidders, with no set-asides specified. Respondents must submit a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting Plan as part of their proposal, demonstrating good-faith efforts to utilize HUB subcontractors. The HUB utilization goal for this professional services contract is 23.7%. The procurement documents do not disclose an incumbent vendor or the current contract's value, but indicate HHSC is currently utilizing a 100% paper-based credentialing process and has an estimated under 500 active providers requiring credentialing across the Texas state hospitals.