Health Care Financing Administration 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244-1850

R -- INITIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD (IEP) PACKAGE FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES POC Mr. Lee J. Spicher, Purchasing Agent, (410) 786-8919. Pending availability of funds, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) intends to award a SMALL PURCHASE ORDER (Less than $50K), on a Sole Source basis, to SPRY Foundation, for expert assistance in the design and development of a new Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) package provided to Medicare beneficiaries and enrollees. Because this new package will represent a major change in the way HCFA provides information to new Medicare enrollees, HCFA needs expert advice to ensure that the new communication has clarity, usefulness, and understandability to Medicare beneficiaries. This procurement is a follow on to prior related work, performed by SPRY, involving pre-testing materials for Medicare beneficiaries. SPRY has a unique combination of substantive knowledge about older adults and the Medicare program along with qualitative research techniques that need to be employed in designing and developing communications to this segment of the population. SPRY has extensive experience in using the appropriate research techniques to analyze the unique information needs of older adults and their children, and tailor communication strategies to devise the best means by which older adults can access information. In addition, SPRY maintains a proprietary research panel of older adults which has been carefully structured to accurately represent the demographics of this group. Beginning in October 1996, HCFA will assume responsibility for mailing the IEP package to all aged and disabled beneficiaries. In order to meet the October 1996 deadline, HCFA requires work to begin by May 1, 1996. If there are no affirmative written responses received within 15 days that demonstrates a comparable source more advantageous to the Government, HCFA will proceed with awarding a purchase order to SPRY Foundation. A RFQ package is not available. (0089)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0085 19960401\R-0006.SOL)