RFP-Managed Care at YSCs

The Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services (DYS) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for comprehensive managed medical care services for youth in state custody across 12 secure youth centers statewide. The procurement seeks an integrated managed care vendor capable of providing medical, behavioral health, psychiatric, pharmacy, and dental services for detained and committed youth aged 10-21, with specific deliverables including claims adjudication systems, specialty network administration, direct physician services, utilization management processes, and monthly cost projections with comprehensive financial and clinical reporting. Key qualifications required include demonstrated experience with managed care for youth populations, robust fiscal management capabilities and accounting controls, HIPAA compliance infrastructure, and the ability to establish on-site physician services at least once weekly per facility with on-call availability for emergencies. The vendor must dedicate at least one full-time equivalent position to continuous quality management and maintain a statewide specialty provider network with geographically accessible services. Evaluation criteria include company qualifications, relevant project experience with client references, fiscal management systems, technical capabilities, and compliance with state contracting requirements. The proposal submission deadline is April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, with a public opening scheduled for 10:30 a.m. the same day via Google Meet; questions regarding the solicitation are due by March 17, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The contract term runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with up to four optional one-year renewals, and proposals are limited to a maximum of 65 pages.

The RFP contains no identified set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting response to specific organization types. The solicitation does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors, though historical utilization data from FY24 and FY25 is provided to inform bidders' cost projections, with FY25 expenditures totaling $3,672,299.54 and specialty referral claims reaching $2,336,428.10. Vendors must comply with mandatory requirements including registration in the Colorado Online Regulatory Enforcement (CORE) system, E-Verify compliance, criminal background clearances, and registration with the System for Award Management prior to contract execution. The State will reimburse based on actual monthly expenditures; while no explicit budget cap is stated, historical spending data suggests anticipated annual costs in the $3.6 million to $4 million range. All proposals must accept the State's standard contract terms as outlined in the comprehensive contract template, HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, and accounting requirements, with failure to comply providing grounds for contract cancellation and payment withholding.