D -- ARKANSAS PART A STANDARD SYSTEM (APASS)

Notice Date

May 11, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration, Acquisition and Grants Group, 7500 Security Blvd., C2-21-15, Central Building, Baltimore, MD, 21244-1850

ZIP Code

21244-1850

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-APASS

Response Due

May 25, 2001

Point of Contact

Sandy Williamson, Contract Specialist, Phone 410-786-5143, Fax 410-786-9922, Email SWilliamson@hcfa.gov -- Pam Collins, Contracting Officer, Phone 410-786-4871, Fax 410-786-9922, Email PCollins@hcfa.gov

E-Mail Address

Sandy Williamson (SWilliamson@hcfa.gov)

Description

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) intends to contract with Arkansas BlueCross and BlueShield (BCBS) on a SOLE SOURCE basis for software maintenance services to support the Arkansas Part A Standard System (APASS) Medicare intermediary claims processing software. The APASS processes inpatient hospital, outpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care claims. The APASS supports the integrity of the Medicare claims processing environment for Medicare providers and beneficiaries. The APASS maintainer ensures that Medicare intermediary program changes are programmed in accordance with Medicare regulations and requirements in the key areas of data collection and validation, claims control, pricing, adjudication, correspondence, and reimbursement and financial processing. Arkansas BCBS originally developed the APASS and has been solely responsible for its maintenance and enhancement. In order to properly administer the Medicare program, HCFA requires continued maintenance of the APASS, the standard claims processing system for the six fiscal intermediaries (FI) which have not yet transitioned to the Fiscal Intermediary Standard System (FISS). It is HCFA_s plan to have all FIs operate on FISS, the designated intermediary standard system. The APASS maintainer must develop and support the efforts of the remaining FIs to transition to the FISS. In addition, the APASS maintainer must coordinate and support the activities of FIs using the APASS that do not renew their Medicare contracts, should that situation occur. This notice of intent is NOT a request for competitive proposal. Contracting for the software maintenance services is an interim strategy not expected to exceed October 30, 2003. It is being done to ensure maximum effective use of the existing Arkansas Part A Standard System until the remaining transitions are complete and fully implemented.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPS.woa/wa/SPF?A=P&P=Reference-Number-APASS&L=3305)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010515/DSOL002.HTM (D-131 SN50L9A5)