RFP-Managed Care at YSCs

The Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services (DYS), issued Request for Proposals (RFP-Managed Care at YSCs, Solicitation IHHA 2026000150) on March 6, 2026, seeking a single contractor to provide comprehensive managed medical care services for youth aged 10-21 in DYS physical and legal custody statewide. The procurement encompasses integrated managed medical care including pharmacy management, claims processing, specialty network administration, and direct physician services across secure residential facilities and community-based parole services. Key deliverables and objectives include establishing a comprehensive specialty care network with geographic accessibility throughout Colorado, implementing concurrent and retrospective utilization review processes, maintaining HIPAA compliance, delivering standardized monthly reporting with cost projections and trend analysis, and providing year-end reports due by October 1. The awarded contractor must demonstrate experience with similar projects, providing minimum three client references per project for up to three projects within the past five years, and must establish at least one full-time equivalent position for continuous quality management. Proposals must not exceed 65 pages and must include detailed information on claims adjudication systems, fiscal management capabilities, utilization management processes, covered health care services, and physician services delivery models. The contractor must submit a cost estimate with the proposal using the provided Budget with Justification Form (Exhibit C). Critical deadlines include questions due by March 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM, proposals due electronically by April 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM, with public opening scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 10:30 AM via Google Meet. The contract will commence on July 1, 2026, with an initial one-year term (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027) and includes up to four optional one-year renewals, for a potential five-year contract duration.

The RFP indicates that service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and other designated entities may receive special considerations. No incumbent vendor is identified in the solicitation documents. The contractor must register with the Colorado Online Registry Enterprise (CORE) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before contract execution and must be registered to do business in Colorado. The selected contractor must comply with all finance and accounting requirements outlined in DYS Exhibit A, including maintenance of double-entry accounting systems compliant with generally accepted accounting principles, submission of monthly billings with supporting documentation, and annual audits for contracts valued at $400,000 or more. The contractor must also execute a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (Exhibit B) and enter into the State of Colorado contract template (Exhibit D) which requires maintenance of comprehensive insurance coverage including general liability, cyber liability, professional liability, and crime insurance. Pricing will be based on reimbursement for actual monthly expenditures, with the awarded vendor demonstrating the ability to manage cash flow issues. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation, the contractor must complete detailed budget justifications supporting all personnel, operating expenses, contractual services, supplies, travel, and indirect costs. The single point of contact for inquiries is Jamie Gott at jamie.gott@state.co.us.