MCD Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review for Indications of Serious Mental Illness Level II Assessments and Select Determinations

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services, Office of Procurement Services, on behalf of the Ohio Department of Medicaid, is requesting proposals for a single statewide contractor to perform Level II Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) evaluations for individuals with indications of serious mental illness (SMI) or those dually diagnosed with SMI and developmental disability (DD) in nursing facilities, with proposals due November 5, 2026 and anticipated award by mid-April 2027.

This is a sheltered solicitation with a mandatory 15 percent minimum set-aside for Ohio-certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs); offerors must utilize a competitive process restricted to certified MBEs to meet this requirement. The contractor must be capable of designing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive, scalable, secure web-based data management system supporting end-to-end workflow, reporting, invoicing, quality assurance, and utilization review, compliant with HIPAA and regulatory requirements and compatible with current and future State long-term care systems. The contractor must employ Ohio-licensed mental health clinicians to conduct evaluations within three to five calendar days of referral for routine assessments and within 24 hours for expedited psychiatric pre-admission screenings. Administrative support must be available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, including weekends and State holidays. The scope includes an estimated 8,500 annual routine preadmission screening and resident reviews, 300 categorical emergency or respite evaluations, 450 virtual preadmission and resident reviews, 7,500 expedited serious mental illness evaluations, and 50 virtual expedited evaluations. Pricing is on a cost-per-unit basis with no additional reimbursement for travel or other expenses.

Work commences July 1, 2027, with the initial contract term and renewal options specified in the draft contract. The State retains discretion to renew for one month at the end of the initial term and each renewal term; further renewals are subject to mutual agreement and contingent upon appropriations by the Ohio General Assembly. The contract structure is fixed-cost with firm pricing for the initial term; thereafter, price adjustments are permitted 60 calendar days after State acceptance if supported by documented increases in supplier costs. Technical proposals are scored on a maximum of 620 points (with a 372-point disqualification threshold), cost proposals on 200 points, and presentations or interviews on up to 100 points. All contractors must comply with State IT policies and technical service standards outlined in Exhibit 1, including mandatory use of public cloud brokerage services and State-managed platforms, with variances requiring formal approval through Appendix A.