Mhcc 27-005 actuarial consulting on the impact of requiring coverage for screening for perinatal behavioral health conditions

The Maryland Health Care Commission is requesting proposals for actuarial consulting services to analyze the impact of requiring coverage for perinatal behavioral health screenings across Maryland insurers, MCOs, and Medicaid programs, with proposals due August 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. via the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage system.

The scope requires a comprehensive social, medical, and financial impact analysis evaluating screening requirements at each prenatal visit, at least once within six weeks after birth, and at each well-child visit within the first year of life. The contractor must assess impact across health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, HMOs, MCOs, and Medicaid. Key deliverables include a Work Plan, Framework and Rationale Outline, Framework and Rationale Report, and Commission Meeting Presentation. All final deliverables must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, Level AA.

The fixed-price contract limit is $75,000. The contract term runs from September 2, 2026 through January 31, 2027. Pricing must be submitted using the specified Excel Financial Proposal Form without alterations, with hourly rates and total costs broken out by Principal Actuary and two Actuarial Consultant levels across all deliverables.

The lead must hold an ASA credential or higher, possess an advanced degree in health economics, statistics, or health policy, and have at least ten years of experience with at least five years estimating health benefits costs. The contractor must demonstrate at least five years of experience providing actuarial estimates on coverage requirements, assessing clinical benefits of health care treatments, and analyzing health care claims data from Maryland's Medical Care Database or similar all-payer claims databases. The contract is subject to Maryland's Living Wage law if services are provided primarily from a Tier 1 jurisdiction (Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties, and Baltimore City). Technical qualifications and work plan quality are weighted more heavily than financial proposals in evaluation. Written questions are due August 9, 2026.