SOLICITATION NOTICE
70 -- Fee Basis Claims Software (FBCS) Providing full text Brand Name Justification
- Notice Date
- 12/22/2008
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 423430
— Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Corporate Franchise Data Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Corporate Franchise Data Center, Department of Veterans Affairs;Acquisition Management Section/00D;1615 Woodward Street;Austin TX 78772
- ZIP Code
- 78772
- Solicitation Number
- VA-200-09-RQ-0057
- Response Due
- 12/22/2008
- Archive Date
- 1/21/2009
- Point of Contact
- Wayne B. Miller<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Justification and Approval forBrand Name Procurement 1.Requesting Agency:Department of Veterans Affairs VA Medical Center, Bldg 40 Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 Contracting activity:Department of Veterans Affairs Austin Information Technology Center IT Acquisition Center 1615 Woodward Street Austin, TX 78772 2.Nature and/or description of the action: This is a Name Brand Source Justification and Approval for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to procure database and associated software licenses, maintenance and support for VA's Fee Basis Claims Software (FBCS). The award will be made against the NASA SEWP IV (Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement) GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract). The objective of this order is to procure the Fee Basis Claims Software (FBCS) solution for the 34 VA sites that are currently using the FBCS software. FBCS has a proven record of improving Fee Basis claims management and adjudication. It allows VA to communicate efficiently with the vendors and veterans about the adjudication status of their claims by providing a complete audit trail for each claim. FBCS allows Fee Claims processing departments to manage and process Fee claims in an electronic environment which improves the ability to keep track of claims in process and to identify duplicate and non-compliant claims. In addition this product improves the ability to report on Fee expenditures and improves accuracy and consistency of Fee authorizations. FBCS provides the ability to monitor individual and department productivity. It allows VA to communicate efficiently with the vendors and veterans about the adjudication status of their claims by providing a complete audit trail for each claim. In addition, there has been a significant work effort by the sites to test the critical VistA write-back functionality which is a key component to the efficacy of the software. Numerous months have been spent testing these capabilities, which are truly enhancing the process. Without these capabilities, the duplication of data entry would cause inherent data integrity issues. Introduction of a new product, with the many months of testing required would force sites currently utilizing the software, to re-review all business processes and significantly impact our ability to process these large amounts of claims in a timely manner. Testing of a new product would involve business, technical and security staff - all already stretched very thin in these field based operational environments. Business processes have been developed to support the streamlined process this product provides to the program. Sites with the product currently process approximately 200,000 claims each month. It is estimated that the processing time utilizing the FBCS COTS product is approximately 75% more efficient than the manual process. The significant impact to sites with such high claims submissions cannot be overstated. Timely and accurate claims processing has a direct impact to veterans, with delinquent claims processing being the single biggest complaint in the Fee Program. The cost and required time to develop software with the same functionality as FBCS is prohibitive. This would cause an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the VA's requirement. This procurement is a short term solution until the competed interim solution is awarded. The long term solution will take into consideration the interim solution's approach. It would not be reasonable for the Government to attempt the use of a different product at this time due to substantial duplication of costs for a COTS product that will interact with the Vista products, training, and unacceptable delays. 3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs (including the estimated value): VA intends to acquire FBCS brand-name database server software to support the Fee Basis program. The estimated lifecycle value of the procurement is $4,887,005.88. This is a 1 year (12 month) order period with no option years. The period of Performance is January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009. The following is a list of the FBCS software licenses, maintenance and support services VA will be acquiring: CLIN SCHEDULE FOR FEE BASIS CLAIMS SYSTEM CLINDescriptionQTYUnit PriceExtended Amt. 0001Fee Basis Claims System Annual Site License Fee. Unlimited use for Small Site2 0002Fee Basis Claims System Payment module. Unlimited use for Small size site2 0003Fee Basis Claims System Record Indexing module. Unlimited use for Small size site2 0004Fee Basis Claims System Annual Site License Fee. Unlimited use for Medium Site13 0005Fee Basis Claims System Payment module. Unlimited use for Medium size site13 0006Fee Basis Claims System Record Indexing module. Unlimited use for Medium size site13 0007Fee Basis Claims System Annual Site License Fee. Unlimited use for Large Site19 0008Fee Basis Claims System Payment module. Unlimited use for large site19 0009Fee Basis Claims System Record Indexing module. Unlimited use for large size site19 0010EMR Technical Services Per Hour352 0011 EMR Technical Services Per Hour for FPPS-FBCS electronic record transfer maintenance. 612 0012 EMR Training Per Hour 2816 0013Travel Per Diem expenses estimated at $1,800 per week per person. Actual expenses to be billed according to government regulations. 110$1,800.00NTE $198,000.00 4.Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition. FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. FAR 6.302-1 (a)(2)(ii)(A) Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition. FAR 11.105(a)(2)(i), items peculiar to one manufacturer also applies. 5.Demonstration of the proposed contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Information Technology Acquisition Center plans to purchase FBCS Software on a limited source basis in support of the 34 VA sites that currently utilize the software. Fee Basis Claims System (FBCS) is designed to improve Fee Basis claims management and adjudication. Modularly designed, it brings efficiencies to the processing of claims as well as provides a knowledge base of information needed to strategically guide the decisions made about Non-VA care. The FBCS software has a unique feature that entails a very close link to the VistA products. This feature allows the tool to account for "VA specific" data elements that are an integral component of eligibility determinations when claims are submitted. Without this link, manual processing would be required. FBCS is highly specialized and facilitates: 1.Improved Payment Processing Time, 2.Simplified management and tracking of Fee Basis claims processing activity 3.Reduced manual data entry, 4.Standardized, repeatable processing of claims through automated scrubbing and letter generation etc., 5.Superior intelligence needed to make good business decisions and, reduced Fee expenditures. 6.Efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. This Justification for other than full an open competition was published on FedBizOpps from 12.12.08 - 12.18.08. This requirement will be competed as a small business set-aside under the NASA SEWP IV contract. 7.Determination that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. The order will be procured off the VA's mandatory source of supplies NASA SEWP IV. SEWP IV pricing will apply and a task order will be issued against an existing SEWP IV contract. The award will be Firm, Fixed-Price. In addition, the prices offered by the SEWP IV Vendors will be compared to prices offered in the open market to ensure they are fair and reasonable. 8. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted. An RFI (VA-200-09-RP-0017) was issued on October 20, 2008 which closed October 31, 2008. The responses received to the RFI along with internet searches of similar software products demonstrated the number of sources available and their socio-economic status. By analyzing all of the data Nineteen (19) contractors responded, only four (4) were determined to have the capabilities of fulfilling the requirement. This was established by a thorough analysis of all of the information submitted. The research also indicates that at the present time, DSS, Inc. is the only responsible source to provide DSS FBCS software that meets the VA's immediate needs. DSS's sofware is unique - it is the only one that has been tested and accepted and will specifically work with VA's VistA system. No other software will currently meet VA requirements. 9.Facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition. This procurement constitutes a one year period of performance (PoP) to support some of the contract line items (CLINs). However, the majority of CLINs under this order will have PoPs of less than one year-when the PoP ends these CLINs will be transferred to an interim competed order (see paragraph 11 below). 10. List of sources that expressed an interest in the acquisition. To be determined. 11.Actions taken to remove barriers to competition before an subsequent acquisition for the supplies required. The Chief Business Office (CBO) is currently searching for an acceptable, long-term, business model. Their review will include studying the gambit of business opportunities. CBO plans to consider all sources for COTS software as well as considering the possibility of hiring VA staff to develop and implement an IT solution. The new business model will include complete review/testing, equipment and other infrastructure costs. In the interim, an ongoing procurement entitled "VHA Chief Business Office Purchased Care Health Care Claims Processing" is being set aside and competed amongst Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. The procurement has a base year and three one-year option periods. The anticipated award date is April 2009. This Brand Name FBCS procurement is for 1 year which should provide adequate time to find a longer term solution to VA's requirements. It is anticipated that a new solution with the functionality of FBCS, will be sought utilizing full and open competition for FY 2010. However, at this time it is essential to award a contract to allow continued utilization of FBCS before the expiration of this software on December 31, 2008. 12.Certification requirement: (Technical/requirements personnel must certify). I certify the supporting data, including the statement of the Government's minimum needs and other rationale for other than full and open competition is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. _______________________________________________ __________________ Signature of Technical/Requirements Representative Date ______________________________________________ ____________________ Wayne B. Miller Contracting Officer Date APPROVED: ______________________________________________ ____________________ David W. Peterson Head of Contracting Activity Date
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