RFI Hospital Referral Management

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a California-based not-for-profit health plan serving over 1.5 million members across San Bernardino and Riverside counties, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding hospital referral management software platforms. This non-binding RFI, posted on March 7, 2026, with responses due April 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT, seeks market intelligence to inform future RFP development. IEHP is seeking a comprehensive software solution that streamlines patient transitions across the care continuum, including discharge planning, post-acute care placement, and coordination with community-based providers. The required platform must support provider network management for post-acute care facilities (skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term acute care hospitals), automated referral workflows, patient engagement through secure communication tools, real-time data analytics and reporting, and seamless integration with existing EHR systems (Epic and Cerner) via HL7/FHIR standards. Vendors must submit responses through the IEHP Bonfire procurement portal and provide a letter of interest, completed questionnaire, required certifications (non-debarment, California Secretary of State registration, and Franchise Tax Board good standing), and a demo video or presentation deck. The solution must achieve HIPAA adherence, SOC 2 or HITRUST certification, maintain minimum 99.9% system uptime, and complete referral transmission within two minutes. Vendors must address detailed technical questions regarding platform architecture, data security and privacy measures, performance and reliability metrics, reporting and analytics capabilities, implementation timelines, support structures, scalability, and cost transparency.

IEHP actively encourages participation from small businesses, minority-owned enterprises, and disadvantaged vendors in this procurement opportunity. Submissions are subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act, and vendors must certify no conflicts of interest with IEHP staff or governing board members. The certification of non-debarment requires authorized representatives to attest that their organization is not excluded, ineligible, or terminated from participation in State or Federal health care programs and does not appear on relevant exclusion lists maintained by the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration System for Award Management, California Department of Health Care Services Medi-Cal Suspended and Ineligible Provider List, or Medicare Opt-Out List. Vendors must also conduct regulatory sanction and exclusion screenings of any subcontracted entities prior to engagement and continue such screenings monthly thereafter, with any firm becoming excluded subject to immediate contract termination for cause. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in this RFI documentation, nor is a specific award value or budget range disclosed, as the RFI is informational in nature and will not result in scoring, ranking, or immediate procurement decisions at this stage.