PRESOL | R | Billing Services | 28-Feb-03

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF FEBRUARY 28, 2003 FBO #0453
SOLICITATION NOTICE

R -- Billing Services

Notice Date: 2/26/2003
Notice Type: Solicitation Notice
Contracting Office: Attn: Overton Brooks Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,= Chief, A&MMS, (90C), 510 E. Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101
ZIP Code: 71101
Solicitation Number: 667-41-03
Archive Date: 4/9/2003
Point of Contact: Point of Contact - George Holman, Contracting Officer, (318) 473-0= 010 ext. 2241, Contracting Officer - George Holman, Contracting Officer, (3= 18) 473-0010 ext. 2241
E-Mail Address: Email your questions to George Holman
(george.holman@med.va.gov)
Description: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepare= d in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number is 667-41-03 and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ); award will be made using part 13.5 test program for commercial items and the simplified acquisition procedures. This solicitation document incorporates provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-12. This acquisition is a 100% Set-aside for Qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns. The Small Business Administration (SBA) in accordance with 13 CFR 126 determines a qualified HUBZone small business. The North American Industry Classification System code is 514210 and the size standard is $21.0 million average annual gross revenues. =20 STATEMENT OF WORK: The contractor shall be responsible for providing billing services as follows for a period starting April 1, 2003 thru September 30, 2003.=20 Tasks to be performed include reviewing, authorizing and releasing claims to third party carriers for treatment provided by the Overton Brooks Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in Shreveport LA and three-associated community based outpatient clinics. Billing will be completed for outpatient services and for prescriptions filled by the medical center pharmacy. Contractor will review potential claims for appropriate insurance coverage and all claims will be completed in accordance with VA billing guidelines (available upon request) and insurance company requirements. Claims which cannot be billed due to no insurance coverage or data validation/compliance issues will be assigned a =93Reason Not Billable=94 in Claims Tracking and cancelled in the Integrated Billing Software Package. Patient confidentiality and data base security must be maintained at all times. The Shreveport VAMC is willing to provide on site orientation/training on the billing package to the contractor and will reimburse reasonable costs for travel and lodging for one person to attend orientation/training. The charge to the Shreveport VAMC by the Contractor will be negotiated as a flat rate for each claim authorized and released or on a contingency fee agreement for actual collections per claim. There will be no charge for any cancelled, duplicate or returned claims that may need to be resubmitted due to billing error. The bills may be generated from a remote site and will be printed to our local printer for mailing by VA employees. The Shreveport VAMC will furnish access into VISTA systems. Estimated number of billable claims is 8,000. Contractor will be required to meet all deadlines set by the Shreveport VAMC to ensure all claims are filed within insurance company filing time limit. The Shreveport VAMC will provide the contractor with a list of all potential claims that should be billed or cancelled. The contractor is responsible for reviewing the list and determining which claims to bill or cancel. Contractor will bill a minimum of 1,333 claims per month after the first month of performance. The initial project must be completed by September 30, 2003 and may include optional year(s) for extension. The continuation of the contract will be dependent upon the requesting services=92 continued need. Contractor will be required to process a minimum of 1,333 claims per month thereafter. Any information provided herein regarding estimated, anticipated, or historical workload is intended to aid the offeror in understanding the requirements and for submitting appropriate quote. The contractor is expected to perform the work specified herein regardless of the actual amount of work or fluctuation in work. There is no guaranteed minimum or maximum amount of work. The Shreveport VAMC will use diagnostic measures reporting in VISTA to determine progress. The contractor will be responsible for providing a monthly productivity summary (for validation of workload) to the facility to include the number of claims billed and the dollar amount. Any information the contractor may obtain on personnel and/or patient data as a result of performance of this contract, will not at any time be disclosed to third parties or used for the contractor=92s own purpose except to the extent allowed by the Privacy Act. IT Security: All VA security incidents will be reported to VA IRM through the ADP support coordinator (318-221-8411, extension 6787) within one business day of the first observation of the incident. The information submitted to the IRM support coordinator will be the current date, the date the incident was observed, name of person filing the incident, organization, phone number of the person filing the report including e-mail address, affected system name and preliminary actions taken. The contractor will meet with ADP Support personnel before work in order to reinforce security responsibilities of their positions in the overall security program at the facility.=20 Records: Contractor personnel who obtain access to hardware or media which may manipulate or store drug or alcohol abuse data, sickle cell anemia treatment records, records or tests or treatment for or infection with HIV, medical quality assurance records, or any other sensitive information is protected under 38 U.S.C. 4132 or 3305 as defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall not have access to the records unless absolutely necessary to perform their contractual duties. Any individual who has access to this data is to disclose them to no one, including other employees of the contractor not involved in the performance of the particular contractual duty for which access was obtained. Notice: In accordance with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), this contract will require a Business Associate Agreement. The Department of Veterans Affairs General Counsel is preparing the language to be used within the contracts that will require such an agreement.=20 Therefore, this agreement will be either amended before award or modified after award in order to comply with the act. The requirement will be accomplished prior to April 14, 2003. All employees who have access to Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Records must have a security check. Payment of $200.00 for the security check on each employee is the contractor=92s responsibility. Required information needed for a security check is: Name, home address, and social security number. Violation of these statutory provisions, as stated in department regulations by the contractor=92s employees may involve imposition of criminal penalties. =20 OPTIONS: The Government may increase the quantity of services called for in the Schedule at the unit price specified. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days prior to expiration of the contract. The added work shall continue at the same rate as specified under the contract unless the parties otherwise agree. This added work may be for other VA facilities within the South Central VA Healthcare Network. =20 INVOICE REQUIREMENTS: Invoice will be made once a month, in arrears for each claim billed or every other month if paid based on a contingency fee for the collections. The invoice should include a detail of each bill number, patient name, date of service, date billed and dollar amount billed. Invoices from the contractor shall be mailed to the following address: Fiscal Service (04), Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, 510 East Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101-4295. (This address may be modified for any option quantities.) NOTE: Any contractor employee authorized access to the medical center=92s computer system must have favorable adjudication of a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) completed by OPM or an agency which possesses an OPM and Defense Security Service certification prior to being allowed access. Costs associated with the background investigation will be borne by the contractor. =20 The provisions at FAR 52.212﷓1, Instructions of Offeror﷓﷓Commercial Items (Oct 2000) apply to this acquisition. =20 There is an addenda to these provisions. Add the following clauses FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998). The full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):=20 http://www.arnet.gov/far or http://www.va.gov/oa&mm/vaar, FAR 52.204-6, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number (Jun 1999); FAR 52.233-2, Service of Protest (Aug 1996); VAAR 852.233-70, Protest Content (Jan 1998); VAAR 852.233-71, Alternate Protest Procedure (Jan 1998) and VAAR 852.270-1, Representatives of Contracting Officers (Apr 1984). The clauses at FAR 52.212﷓4, Contract Terms and Conditions﷓﷓Commercial Items (Feb 2002) apply to this acquisition. The clause at FAR 52.212﷓5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders﷓﷓Commercial Items (May 2002) applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses are cited in clause FAR 52.212﷓5 are applicable to this acquisition: FAR 52.219-03, Notice of Total HUBZone Small Business Set-Aside (Jan 1999), FAR 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities, FAR 52.222.26, Equal Opportunity, FAR 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era, FAR 52.222﷓36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities, FAR 52.222﷓37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era, FAR 52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer=97Other than Central Contractor Registration, FAR 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 (Wage Determination No. 1994-2235 Rev 20 will apply), FAR 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (Federal Equivalent would be Program Support Clerk at a minimum of $11.32 per hour plus fringes). =20 IMPORTANT NOTE: 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items. (JAN 1999) The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1) Technical; 2) Past performance; 3) Price. Technical and past performance, when combined are more important than price. Information regarding award and evaluation criteria, processes and requirements are provided in the attached document. The vendor responding to this acquisition should provide this office with the following information: a price quote, technical evaluation information, prompt payment terms, correct remittance address, and a completed copy of FAR 52.212﷓3 (Jul 2002), Offeror Representations and Certifications﷓﷓Commercial Items. A company not in possession of FAR 52.212﷓3 may contact this office or access any clause electronically from the above mentioned internet addresses.=20 Quotes must be in writing and accompanied by a completed Representations and Certifications or they will be rejected as non-responsive. Facsimile quotes will be accepted; oral quotes will not be accepted. =20 For information regarding this solicitation, contact George (Bud) Holman (90C), Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, 510 East Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101﷓4295; phone: (318) 424-6062; fax: (318) 424﷓6078. Quotations are due by 2:30 pm CST, March 10, 2003. Please reference the solicitation number, RFQ 667﷓41-03, on your quotation.
Web Link: RFQ 667-41-03
(http://www.bos.oamm.va.gov/solicitation?number=3D667-41-03)
Record: SN00265615-W 20030228/030226213229 (fbodaily.com)
Source: FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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