State Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Services

The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance is requesting proposals for statewide State Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Services (SHIP), with proposals due October 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM Central Time via MissouriBUYS. This RFP encompasses SHIP, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), and Benefit Enrollment Centers (BEC) program services. Amendment No. 01 updates the proposal deadline from October 5 to October 15, 2026.

The contractor must establish a statewide supervisory structure, maintain a minimum of 200 trained volunteer counselors distributed across Missouri's regions, operate a toll-free hotline currently receiving approximately 17,660 calls annually, and manage a website compliant with WCAG 2.0 Level AA by contract effective date and WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027. Scope includes comprehensive Medicare counseling on eligibility, enrollment, appeals, Medigap insurance, Medicare Advantage plans, Part D coverage, and low-income benefit programs such as Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs. The contractor must partner with community-based organizations and provide targeted outreach to rural, low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged populations. Five key ACL performance measures govern success: counseling contacts (target 49,963), outreach contacts (target 91,382), contacts with beneficiaries under age 65 (target 7,536), hard-to-reach population contacts (target 63,611), and enrollment contacts (target 36,372), all evaluated on a Likert scale for Average, Good, or Excellent performance.

Federal SHIP grant funding totals $1,064,861 (April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027); estimated MIPPA grant funds are $457,786 (September 1, 2025–August 31, 2026); BEC grant funding carries a maximum balance of $200,000 (February 1, 2026–July 31, 2028); and state appropriations provide $200,000 for fiscal year 2027. Pricing must be firm and fixed on Exhibit C with separate monthly invoices for SHIP, MIPPA, and BEC services. The contract period runs through June 30, 2027, with renewal options for nine additional one-year periods. The incumbent contractor operates under Contract CS171154001.

The contractor must meet minimum experience of five years with the Administration for Community Living and five years providing Medicare outreach. The Statewide Program Director must have at least five years in nonprofit health management and one year of grants management experience. All federal funding compliance requirements apply, including HIPAA/HITECH Business Associate Agreement provisions, OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements (2 CFR Part 200), civil rights statutes, and single-audit requirements if applicable.