DHHS, PSC, DAM, GAB, Room 5-101, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857

B -- ASSESSMENT OF STATE LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND PRACTICES AFFECTING THE COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF RACIAL & ETHNIC DATA BY HEALTH INSURERS AND MANAGED CARE PLANS SOL 282-00-0026 POC Carol A. Wood, Contract Specialist, (301)-443-2329; Mariann P. Mink, Contracting Officer (301)-443-8826 WEB: Program Support Center, Program Support Center. E-MAIL: Program Support Center, CWOOD@PSC.GOV. The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH) through the Program Support Center (PSC), Division of Acquisition Management (DAM), plans to award a sole source contract to the National Health Law Program in Chapel Hill, NC entitled "Assessment of State Laws, Regulations, and Practice Affecting the Collection and Reporting of Racial and Ethnic Data by Health Insurers and Managed Care Plans". Work under this contract will conduct a comprehensive review of (1) the extent to which managed care organizations and health insurers can collect and report information on the applicants and enrolled members by race and ethnicity; (2) existing interpretation of state laws and regulations governing these entities; (3) parameters and overlap of civil rights versus insurance and managed care laws; and (4) practices of the state officials and these entities at the state level. The study will examine existing information from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and will look at which states have a law, regulation, rule or written departmental policy which specifically prohibits health insurers or managed care plans from collecting and reporting racial and ethnic information from their applicants, enrollees or enrolled members. The findings developed in this project will clarify needed steps to develop a system to monitor progress towards the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities. Sole source selection is based on the Contractor's thirty years of unique expertise in state & federal law research & analysis; policy assessment & development; data collection on issues of race & health; issues focused on health, race, ethnicity, data, managed care & civil rights; and professional skills conducting legal research on state-of-the-art databases. Closing date is July 11, 2000. No solicitation package is available. See Numbered Note 22. Posted 06/27/00 (W-SN469109). (0179)

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