Mhcc 27-013 evaluation of uncompensated care grants

The Maryland Health Care Commission is soliciting proposals under MHCC 27-013 for an evaluation of uncompensated care grants to federally-qualified health centers and local health departments, with proposals due December 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. local time through eMMA. No set-asides are designated. The contract is subject to Maryland's Living Wage Law, with the wage tier set by whether services are performed in Tier 1 or Tier 2 areas, and a living wage affidavit must accompany the proposal.

The evaluation measures whether shifting $25 million from hospital rate adjustments to community settings preserves access, avoids unnecessary emergency department utilization, and contains statewide health care costs. Key indicators include preventable ED visit avoidance, ambulatory care-sensitive hospital admission avoidance, cost-efficiency ratios, patient retention in care, and grant reach to high-need sociodemographic groups. Six deliverables are priced: project management, performance indicator set and data sources, data collection and management plan, evaluation plan, summary of analytical findings and conclusion, and a Commission presentation.

Offerors need at least five years of experience in health care data collection and management, health care financing program evaluation, and advanced statistical and economic methods. Required staff include a Project Lead with an advanced degree in health economics, statistics, or health policy and at least ten years of experience; a Programmer/Statistician with advanced training and at least three years of health services research experience; and a Project Associate with a bachelor's degree and two to four years of health care project experience. The contractor is designated a Processor under a state Data Use Agreement covering sensitive personal information, including health, genetic, biometric, and precise geolocation data, and must report security breaches to the Maryland Security Operations Center within 24 hours. Contractors must register with eMMA and the State Department of Assessments and Taxation before award.

The award is a single fixed-price contract with a performance period of December 1, 2026 through April 30, 2028. Proposals must include hourly rates and estimated hours for each task. Technical and financial proposals are submitted as separate volumes and evaluated separately, with technical factors weighted more heavily than financial factors. The procurement officer is Andrea Allen at 410-764-8791 or andrea.allen@maryland.gov, and the contract monitor is Michelle Oswald.