Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF OCTOBER 02, 2009 FBO #2869
SOURCES SOUGHT

Q -- RURAL MENTAL HEALTH OEF/OIF VISNS 1, 19 AND 20

Notice Date

9/30/2009
 

Notice Type

Sources Sought
 

NAICS

621420 — Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;VA Denver Acquisition & Logistics Center;(001AL-A2-4D);155 Van Gordon St;Lakewood CO 80228
 

ZIP Code

80228
 

Solicitation Number

VA-791-09-RP-0039
 

Response Due

10/14/2009
 

Archive Date

1/12/2010
 

Point of Contact

Joy BartlettContract Specialist
 

E-Mail Address

Contract Specialist
(joy.bartlett@mail.va.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

Request for InformationRural Mental Health Services 1.0DESCRIPTION The VA Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center (VA DALC) in support of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is seeking information on the availability and interest of mental health and peer outreach services within rural areas of Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) 1, 19 and 20 for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans who reside in rural areas without ready access to mental health services through VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) or VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS). Interested providers are invited to review the attached PWS and provide comments along with capabilities and ability to provide the desired services. Specifically, comments are encouraged in the following areas: 1.Peer Support Services: How would these services be provided and invoiced. For example, would the organization hire full time or part time employees on an hourly or monthly basis? How would these services be provided to the VA? 2.Is telecommunications capability available and if not is this something that could be made available if needed? 3.How are community Clinical Social Workers and Professional Counselors licensed? 2.0 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for mental health services. Further, the VA is not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals for these services. Respondees are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the www.fbo.gov. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 3.0 DUE DATE: Submittal of requested information is due not later than October 14, 2009. Responses and Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer at joy.bartlett@va.gov. 4. 0 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT 4.1. Overview: The performance work statement is for the acquisition of mental health services for eligible OEF/OIF Veterans who are enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration and who live closer to the community entity than to a VA medical center or a community-based outpatient clinic. The services are intended to focus on Veterans who served as members of the National Guard or Reserves, as well as those who have separated from active duty. 4.2. Objective: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) intends to contract for mental health services to include: a.Peer outreach services to Veterans in which education and screening (using validated assessment tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Check List, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the VA Traumatic Brain Injury Screener) are provided by Veterans to Veterans in accessible community settings such as health fairs, wellness programs, schools, churches, Vet centers, VFWs, armories, community centers, or primary care clinics. Veteran peer support services should also be provided by licensed providers of peer support services and/or Veterans who have personal experience with mental illness. b.Outpatient mental health services, as well as readjustment counseling services (as described in section 1712A of title 38, United States Code). c.Mental health day treatment services if available. 4.3. The VA intends to: "Realize cost savings though the utilizations of simplified billing practices "Ensure quality-driven services "Maintain and augment VA's capability in the provision of these services to eligible beneficiaries in current and future years "Increase rural and highly rural access to mental health care 4.4. VA and the Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center (DALC) will contract with qualified rural community mental health care providers to provide, deliver, supervise and monitor the above mentioned mental health services within targeted areas within (Veteran Integrated Service Network) VISNs 1, 19 and 20. Contracted outpatient services will be provided at the contractor facilities/locations. The contractor will provide the services and associated health care in a manner consistent with the clinical needs of the patient and extend the same or superior standards of quality care as delivered to the contractor's non-VA patients. 4.5. Allowable providers include licensed M.D.s, Ph.D. psychologists, licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed professional counselors (LPCs), marriage and family therapists, advanced practice nurses, physicians assistants and PharmD pharmacists or appropriately supervised interns/fellows. 4.6. Applicable state and federal laws: During the course of this contract, the contractor must comply with all federal and state laws and regulations that are in effect regarding the provision of mental health care during the course of the contract. 4.7. The dispensing of medications is not included in this contract, except: a)In the case of an emergency (see 4.11). b)If the provider becomes credentialed and privileged by the VA c)Opts to install VA equipment needed to implement a TeleHealth solution The VA pharmacy will mail all prescribed medications to Veterans after the prescription has been approved by a clinician at the authorizing VA medical center. Community-based entities must obtain prior permission from the VAMC to prescribe medications not on the VA formulary. The link to the VA formulary is: http://www.pbm.va.gov/NationalFormulary.aspx 4.8. The contract provider will provide or subcontract for lab services to monitor physiological parameters for patients on specified medications, including but not limited to lithium, clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics. 4.9. Inpatient services are not included. Veterans requiring inpatient care will be treated at a VA medical center. If the need for hospitalization is detected, the community provider should immediately contact the VA medical center to determine the appropriate care delivery location. The contract provider will collaborate with the VA provider to obtain authorized care in the community, or arrange for inpatient care at the VA medical center. The contract should specify detailed procedures for how community providers need to facilitate inpatient admissions. Further, provisions must be made for emergency or urgent care. 4.10. Service area: The contractor will have a network of providers sufficient to provide contracted mental health care to OEF/OIF patients within a geographical area they propose for, and are awarded a contract to cover. Provider coverage within the geographical area must be established to minimize patient travel requirements. The contractor network of providers must be at least as robust as the coverage provided to non-VA patients. VA reserves the right to utilize a non-contracted facility if the clinical provider believes it to be medically necessary. The degree of geographic accessibility should reasonably allow for weekly appointments over the course of several months. 4.11. Emergent care: If a Veteran presents to the community provider and the provider deems that the Veteran needs emergent or crisis care, this care will be authorized as a one-time payment. Emergent care may include the use of any appropriate medications limited to a 10-day supply. The Veteran's eligibility will be determined after the emergent or crisis situation has been resolved, but will not delay or deny payment for this care. 5. AUTHORIZATION / REFERRAL PROCESS VA beneficiaries who VA deems eligible for community-based mental health care services will receive a VA-issued referral or authorization to a mental health care provider closest to their home. 5.1. Referral authority: VA has sole authority and responsibility to establish and confirm VA beneficiary eligibility prior to issuing a referral. 5.2. Community providers are required to obtain prior written authorization to bill VA for mental health services, peer support and readjustment counseling services. Prior authorization will include an initial encounter and up to eight follow-up encounters. Requests can be made to authorize up to eight additional follow-up encounters at a time. 5.3. Referral packet: The mental health provider will receive an authorization as formal request for acceptance of the VA beneficiary. The authorization will be followed by pertinent patient medical information. The patient's VA provider will fax pertinent patient information to the community service provider. 5.4. Secure transmissions of forms: The authorization and patient information will be sent from VA via secure fax. The contractor must maintain a secure fax (operable 24/7) for the receipt of this information. The authorization/referral request must be acknowledged by the provider, and VA patient acceptance must be communicated to the originating VA personnel or office no later than 10 working days from the date of authorization receipt by the contractor. 5.5. Self-referral: If a Veteran presents to a contract provider requesting services, the provider will contact the VA medical center for authorization for services. Once eligibility has been determined and care authorized, the Veteran may receive services through the contract provider. 5.6. Contractor personnel providing services must adhere to the certification requirements in Section 7 Personnel Certifications. 6. GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Services must include an initial mental health evaluation using validated clinical assessment tools to identify mental health problems. The initial evaluation must meet all the requirements for a level III evaluation and management CPT code. If the provider is a general health care provider, this initial evaluation may also include a physical health examination to identify medical problems. 7. PEER SUPPORT SERVICES Peer Support is a fundamental building block of recovery-oriented services. Within the recovery literature, peer support is a promising best practice which provides role models for consumers of VA mental health care to engender hope, demonstrate recovery, and teach advocacy skills among other valuable practices. This type of care is appropriate for Veterans with severe mental illnesses and substance use disorders to address multiple and severe psychosocial deficits. Care utilizing peer support staff recognizes the need for psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment and symptom reduction of mental and substance use disorders, and it provides opportunities to improve functional status through focusing on an individual's strengths. This rehabilitative approach recognizes that persons with mental illness and substance use disorders may achieve their goals, living healthy and productive lives more readily when peer consumers deliver select service to provide the benefit of role modeling and instilling of hope. 7.1. Definitions a. Peer support technician: A consumer who has had similar illnesses, life events and treatments for mental illness and/or substance use disorder and are OEF/OIF Veterans who are current or previous consumers of mental health and/or substance use disorder services, as the persons being served and who will successfully complete peer support training within 6 months of employment in this role. b. Peer support: A form of helping Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI), PTSD and/or a substance use disorder to successfully engage in their treatment through sharing experiences, encouragement, and instilling a sense of hope and skill building to promote recovery. These services are provided by an appropriately qualified peer. c. Peer support certification - Certification is required within six months of employment through a nationally accredited organization or through Veterans Health Administration (VHA). All tuition and travel expenses for certification will be at the cost of the VA and must be approved in advance. 8. OUTREACH SERVICES The contractor shall provide "Peer outreach services" and "peer support services provided by certified providers of peer support services or by Veterans who have personal experience with mental illness." See Section 9.1.2.1 for further training information. 9. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL The contractor's personnel staff must have and maintain current state licensure or certification and be in good standing with appropriate federal, state and local agencies, and other industry entities, as required. Contractor personnel will meet or exceed those practices of care that are within the designated standards of the medical community. 9.1. Personnel certifications: For all personnel, the contractor shall provide an attestation statement. The personnel attestation statement must indicate that all personnel certification is maintained as above. Contractor shall provide such attestation to the VA within 10 days of contract award and annually thereafter. Personnel certifications must be available for periodic audit inspection and verification by designated VA personnel, the contracting officer's technical representative (COTR), and the contracting officer. 9.1.1. Personnel certifications: Appropriate certifications for physicians, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), marriage and family therapists, advanced practice nurses, physician's assistants and peer support technicians must obtain certification within six months of employment. I am not an expert but all the providers except the peer support technician need to be licensed and that must be provided immediately. Only the peer certification can be allowed to take up to 6 months 9.1.2. Mental health providers (MDs, PhD psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, advanced practice nurses, physician's assistants and PharmD pharmacists) must be physicians trained and board-certified or board-eligible in mental health. 9.1.2.1 All providers must complete sensitivity training to learn about military life challenges. These training courses are available online through the VA system and will be provided by VA. Examples of available courses include: "The New Warrior: Combat Stress and Wellness - Veteran and Family: Provider Perspective "Returning Home: The New Generation of Veterans "The Price of Freedom: The Military Experience "We are Women Veterans "Welcome to the VA video (highlights Veterans and Veteran employees) "Veterans Health Initiative (VHI): A Guide to Gulf War Veterans Health Web Course "Veterans Health Initiative (VHI): Military Experience Web Course "Treating Veterans with C.A.R.E. "VHA Serving Rural Veterans "For a Lifetime: Our Veterans' Story "Affirming the Commitment: Opening Hearts to Veterans 9.1.3. Peer support technicians (PSTs) should be OEF/OIF Veterans who are current or previous consumers of mental health and/or substance use disorder services hired by VHA to provide peer-support services to other Veteran consumers. Having received mental health services is a qualification for inclusion rather than exclusion for this role. 9.1.3.1. Training/certification: Peer support technicians must receive training/education on VA health care systems and how to best interface with VA to ensure Veterans aren't misinformed by the contract peers. This information is available through the VA website (www.va.gov) and through the local Veterans Benefits Advisor on the national telephone assistance service at 1-800-827-1000 Additionally, peer support technicians must be certified by a recognized organization to provide peer support services. Examples of VA-recognized peer training and certifying agencies include: "Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Peer-to-Peer Resource Center: Chicago, Illinois "Transformation Center: Roxbury, Massachusetts "Recovery Innovations: Phoenix, Arizona "Nazcare: Prescott, Arizona "Institute for Recovery and Community Integration: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "Appalachian Consulting Group: Cleveland, Georgia 9.1.3.2. Contractor employee records of job skills: Contractor shall maintain a system of records for each employee to include assessment of skills and credentials to perform the job, competency evaluations of responsibilities, e.g., annual technical assessment of the employee's knowledge, skills, behaviors and abilities to perform a job correctly, as well as the work required under this contract. Contractor shall provide such attestation to VA within 10 days of contract award and annually thereafter. Employee assessment records must be available for periodic audit inspection and verification by designated VA personnel, the contracting officer's technical representative(s) COTRs, and contracting officer. 9.2. Patient's plan of care: The provider must submit an initial assessment note or follow-up progress note. These notes must be reviewed and entered into VA's Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by a clinician at the parent VA medical center. These notes will also be reviewed by the Office of Quality Improvement to determine whether the care provided meets standard VA performance measures for mental health. All initial/progress notes must be formatted using standardized VA notes templates. All mental patients are required to have a principle mental health provider and a treatment plan. The provision of VA mental health services is guided by VHA Directive 1160.01 "Uniform Mental Health Services in VA Medical Centers and Clinics". This document is included as a reference. 9.3. Patient complaints: The contractor shall supply each Veteran receiving contracted services with a copy of the patient's rights and responsibilities consistent with or identical to the applicable provisions of VA's patients rights and responsibilities located at http://patientadvocate.va.gov/Rights.asp. The contractor agrees to resolve all validated complaints and shall notify designated VA personnel within 10 business days of any patient complaint. 10. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS The expectation is that the community-based entity will provide a standard of care that is comparable to the VA health care system. Providers will be monitored in accordance with the current VA mental health performance measures in year one (potential exists for these standards to adjust in option years): "Percent of Veterans seen within seven days of making an appointment "Percent of Veterans who do not show for their appointments "Percent of Veterans screened annually for depression, PTSD, alcohol uses disorders, and traumatic brain injury using structured screening instruments designated by VA "Percent of Veterans assessed for suicide risk by a licensed M.D., Ph.D. psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or advanced practice nurse within 24 hours of a positive screen for depression or PTSD "Percent of Veterans with new depression treatment episode who have adequate antidepressant possession "Percent of Veterans with new depression treatment episodes who have three follow-up encounters (two by the prescribing provider) in three months "Percent of Veterans who screen positive for an alcohol use disorder who receive brief alcohol counseling "Percent of Veterans discharged from inpatient mental health care with an outpatient aftercare encounter within seven days or a follow-up telephone call within 14 days 11. BILLING 11.1. The community-based entity must provide the names and current contact information for all Veterans with billed encounters to VA officials at the parent VA medical center upon request. In addition, the community-based entity will provide annual reports documenting the number of Veterans served, demographic information, diagnoses and treatments provided. 11.2. Timely filing: Contractors will submit claims for contracted and authorized services within 12 months of the date of service. Claims filed after this time period will not be honored by VA all will not be the liability of the VA patient. 11.3. Contractors will file claims/bill VA utilizing the current Medicare guidelines for separate line item billing as contained in chapters 8 and 25 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual. Contractors will be reimbursed a single fixed fee/per treatment all-inclusive billing rate. The contractor is required to maintain medical justification in the VA beneficiary's non-VA provided mental health medical record for the separate billings of those services not included in the per-treatment rate excluding nephrologists' billings. Contractor is required to submit medical justification (fax or mail) along with the required medical claim information for payment. 11.4. Standard billing forms: The contractor will bill for services utilizing industry standard billing forms (either a CMS 1450 or CMS 1500). 11.5. Correct coding for treatments and services: Contractor shall utilize correct coding per Correct Coding Guidelines and Medicare/CMS Guidelines for Mental Health Services. Contractor may use newly issued codes as endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA) and publicly used by CMS when billing. At all times, the contractor must use the most current CPT codes with the appropriate modifier and revenue code to accurately represent services provided during the length of this contract. Contractors submitting incorrect, "dump," invalid or out-of-date codes will be subject to claim rejection and the claim will be returned to provider. Peer Support Services Payment Methodology 12. CLAIM STATUS Contractor(s) will be able to check the status of their claim submissions, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or payment status and explanation of benefits (EOB) status through a secure Web portal. Contractors are required to provide requisite security information at the time of sign-up for access to the VA Web portal. Contractors will also be provided a 1-800 number for claims and code inquiries. 13. MEDICAL RECORDS 13.1. Electronic files: In the performance of official duties, contractor employees/agents with regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data, must protect that information under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a) and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policies. 13.1.1. The contractor's employees are responsible for protecting that data from unauthorized release, from loss, alteration or unauthorized deletion. 13.1.2. Applicable contractor employees will be required to sign a contractor-generated computer access agreement which will specify adherence to the applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files and release of access codes. 13.2. HIPAA compliance: Contractor and any subcontractors must adhere to the provisions of public law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. This includes both privacy and security rules published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As required by HIPAA, HHS has promulgated rules governing the use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities. The covered entity component of the Department of Veterans Affairs is the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In accordance with HIPAA, the contractor may be required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VHA. Business associates must follow VHA privacy policies and practices. 13.2.1. All contractors and health care practitioners who provide billable health care services to the Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA, shall obtain a National Provider Identifier (NPI) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) National Provider Identifier Final Rule, administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This rule establishes assignment of a 10-digit numeric identifier for health care practitioners, intended to replace the many identifiers currently assigned by various health plans. Each practitioner needs only one NPI, valid for all employers and health plans. The NPI may be obtained via a secure Web site at: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES Contractors must also designate their specialties/subspecialties by means of taxonomy codes on the NPI application. As a condition of this contract agreement, the contractor agrees to provide the NPI numbers of all providers on the medical claim for payment. 13.4. Prior to billing for an encounter, the community provider must submit an encounter note (e.g., initial assessment note or follow-up progress note). These notes must be reviewed by a clinician at the VA medical center, and entered into CPRS. These notes must be reviewed by the Office of Quality Improvement in a manner consistent with its quality review process to determine whether the care provided meets standard VA performance measures specified in the next section. All initial/progress notes must be typed and submitted in encrypted electronic format (e.g., PDF document). CPRS notes entered by VA providers will be made available to community providers upon request and with the permission of the Veteran. 13.5. Records storage requirement: Contractor will comply with all relevant state and federal (Medicare) and HIPAA laws regarding record storage requirements. Contractor will comply with all relevant state, federal, and VA regulations regarding record storage requirements. Unless prohibited by federal statutes, at the conclusion of this contract and if by the order of VA, contractor will purge and/or destroy any VA personal health information (PHI) from their systems by first rendering unreadable and then complete destruction of the information from the hard drive and any other storage devices. Information on tapes, paper document or other media shall be destroyed by the process specified above, or by shredding. A certificate of destruction shall be provided to the COTR to attest to the complete destruction and state the method used. 13.6. Handling and storing of VA data by contractors and subcontractors: Contractor is responsible for ensuring that its employees and subcontractors safeguard sensitive VA patient information in accordance with VHA policies in effect during the contract period. Those policies may be found in the VA Handbook 6500 and located at http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp. 13.7. Release of information: In responding to a patient's request that copies of the patient records be released to a third party, the provider will refer the patient to the appropriate VA medical center for release of the records. Upon request, the contractor will provide the patient with a blank VA Form 5345, Request for and Consent to Release the Medical Records Protected by 38 U.S.C. 7332, or other form furnished by VA. 13.8. Nondisclosure of information: The contractor shall ensure the confidentiality of all patient mental health records. Information contained in these records may not be disclosed to any person or agency, except pursuant to a written request and with the prior written consent of the individual to whom the records pertain to the extent such requests are consistent with applicable federal laws regulations and/or policies. However, this obligation shall not prevent the disclosure of patient medical records pursuant to federal law to officials and employees of departments and agencies of the United States government acting in the performance of their official duties; and, to the extent permitted under federal law, to officials and employees of local and state governments; and agencies in the performance of their official duties pursuant to laws and regulations governing the local control of communicable diseases, preventive medicine, and safety programs, child/spouse/elder abuse or neglect programs, or other public health and welfare programs; to official representatives of authorized surveying bodies during the conduct of certification and accreditation reviews; or to third party payers to whom the patient has authorized release of information. All such requests for disclosure of information shall be submitted and processed through the applicable VA Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office/Release of Information Office. Complete administrative control of patients remains with the government. All records produced in the performance of this contract and all evaluations of patients are the property of, and subject to the exclusive control of, the government. All records shall be maintained in accordance with medical treatment facility guidelines. All financial, statistical, personnel, and technical data which is furnished, produced or otherwise available to the contractor during the performance of this contract are considered confidential business information and shall not be used for purposes other than performance of work under this contract. Such data or information shall not be released nor legal rights claimed by the contractor without prior written consent of the ordering activity's COTR and contracting officer. Any presentation of any statistical or analytical materials, or any reports based on information obtained from studies covered by this contract will be subject to review and approval by the COTR and contracting officer before publication or dissemination. 13.9. Medical record storage: An acceptable medical record storage policy shall be established by the contractor for ease of retrieval and communication of patient clinical information. The contractor's practices to safeguard the VA patient's secure medical information must be established in accordance with the current federal HIPAA requirements, Medicare's conditions forcoverage, and any applicable VA regulation or requirement. Contractor personnel who, in the course of contractor responsibilities, have reason to see/handle VA beneficiary personal health information may be required to complete applicable VA online privacy training located at https://www.ees-learning.net/. Employee VA privacy training certificates shall be maintained and kept current by the contractor and must be available for periodic audit inspection and verification by designated VA personnel, the COTR, and the contracting officer. The contractor will provide an attestation statement and listing of employees that have completed the required training and a certificate of completion is maintained in the employee file. 13.10. The contractor must create medical record documentation for each face-to-face encounter with the patient that is to be billed to the Veterans Affairs medical center (VAMC). Content of the medical record documentation will be in accordance with all applicable CMS guidelines relating to the provision of mental health services at the time the service is rendered. CMS guidelines current at the time of the encounter must be followed. Upon VA's request, the contractor will be required to provide VA beneficiary summary medical records. Required information may include lab data, outcome data, and medication list, social work and nutrition summary and physician progress notes. Additional documentation may be required. Records created by the contractor in the course of treating VA patients under this agreement are the property of the VA and shall not be accessed, released, transferred or destroyed except in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations. Contractor will be responsible for VA patient records under contractor control and will ensure that patient privacy and confidentiality is maintained. 13.11. The contractor will provide health care to patients seeking care from or through the VA in the performance of this contract. As such, the contractor is considered part of the department health activity for purposes of the following statutes, and the VA regulations implementing these statues: Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. section 552a, and 38 U.S.C. sections 5701, 7705, and 7332. The contractor and its employees may have access to VA patient medical records to the extent necessary for the contractor to perform this contract; not withstanding patient treatment records only pursuant to explicit disclosure authority from VA. The contractor and its employees are subject to the penalties and liabilities provided in the statutes and regulations mentioned in the paragraph for unauthorized disclosures of such records and their contents. Records created by the contractor in the course of treating VA patients under this agreement, are the property of VA and shall not be accessed, released, transferred or destroyed except in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations. Upon the expiration of this contract or termination of the contract, and at VA's request, the contractor will promptly provide VA with copies of the individually identified VA patient treatment records. VA has unrestricted access to the records generated by the contractor pursuant to this contract. 14. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL To insure that the individual providing services under the contract has not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the government contracting officer is required to check the Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the OIG Web site (www.hhs.gov/oig) for each person providing services under this contract. During the performance of this contract, the contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities. 15. VA-DESIGNATED POC AND RESPONSIBILITIES The VA point-of-contact (POC) listing will be provided to the awardees at the post award/kick-off conference. 15.1. VA responsibilities: The designated VA POC will provide patient information that is reasonable and necessary to perform mental health services, to the contractor as requested, in a confidential manner. 15.2. VA coordinator: VA will designate a coordinator(s) to be responsible for communication with each of the contractor's facility. 16. CONTRACTOR-DESIGNATED POC AND RESPONSIBILITIES Upon contract award, the contractor shall provide a POC list designating individuals and include the following: name, position and contact information. The contractor must designate POCs for the following roles: 16.1. Contract coordinator: The contractor will designate a contract coordinator(s) to handle contractual matters and serve as a business liaison. 16.2. Audit of contractor: VA reserves the right to review, inspect, or otherwise audit contractors facilities or records (to include VA patient records), after having provided reasonable notice, to ensure appropriate medical provision of services and supervision to VA patients and contractor is functioning under the terms of this contract. 17. REQUIREMENT SPECIFIC TO EACH VISN 17.1. VISN 1 The two areas in Maine that are rural or highly rural, and meet the distance requirements are two northern counties, Aroostook County and Washington County. The OEF/OIF projections for the two counties are: Aroostook- FY2010- 273; 2011-301; 2012-330 Washington- FY 2010-116; 2011-133; 2012-149 17.2. VISN 19 Three within Southern Colorado in VISN 19 have been identified as rural or highly rural and are not within the applicable drive time access standard of a VA facility that is home to a number of OEF/OIF Veterans. These areas are identified as follows: Midwestern Colorado (Area 1) includes six counties Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Ouray, San Miguel and Hinsdale. The estimated number of OEF/OIF veterans is as follows: 133 in fiscal year (FY) 2010, 150 in FY2011 and 168 in FY2012. The San Luis Valley (Area 2) includes six counties Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache. The estimated number of OEF/OIF veterans is as follows: 78 in FY2010, 93 in FY2011 and 109 in FY2012. Southeastern Colorado (Area 3) includes six counties Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers. The estimated number of OEF/OIF veterans is as follows: 89 in FY2010, 105 in FY2011 and 121 in FY2012. 17.3. VISN 20 Three contiguous areas within VISN 20 have been identified as rural or highly rural and are not within the applicable drive time access standard of a VA facility that is home to a number of OEF/OIF Veterans. These areas consist of North Central Oregon (Area 1), Northeast Washington/Northern Idaho (Area 2), and Central Idaho/Eastern Oregon (Area 3). 17.3.1. Area 1 includes six counties in North Central Oregon (Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wheeler). The estimated number of OEF/OIF Veterans is as follows: 367 in fiscal year (FY) 2010, 456 in FY 2011 and 544 in FY 2012. 17.3.2. Area 2 includes seven counties in Northeastern Washington (Adams, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens) and two in Northern Idaho (Bonner and Boundary). The estimated number of OEF/OIF Veterans is as follows: 587 in FY 2010, 703 in FY2011 and 808 in FY 2012. 17.3.3. Area 3 includes six counties in Central Idaho (Adams, Gem, Idaho, Lewis, Valley and Washington) and two in Eastern Oregon (Baker and Wallowa). The estimated number of OEF/OIF Veterans is as follows: 312 in FY 2010, 361 in FY 2011, and 399 in FY2012.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/VADDC791/VADDC791/VA-791-09-RP-0039/listing.html)
 

Record

SN01976102-W 20091002/091001001244-dde587fccaf49bb81960cf3a88583fd0 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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