A -- AFFECTIVE DISORDERS TREATMENT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

Notice Date

June 8, 2001

Contracting Office

Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for = Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, = 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279

ZIP Code

21207-5279

Solicitation Number

SSA-RFP-01-0031

Response Due

August 10, 2001

Point of Contact

Pamela Kontz, Contract Specialist, Phone 410-965-9519, Fax = 410-966-9310, Email pamela.kontz@ssa.gov -- Bob Austin, Contract = Specialist, Phone 4109659522, Fax 4109669310, Email bob.austin@ssa.gov

Description

NOTE: The requirements contained in the Request for Proposal = referenced in this Notice (SSA-RFP-01-0031) were previously solicited = under the following two RFP's, both of which were released in November, = 2000 and have subsequently been canceled: SSA-RFP-01-0001 and = SSA-RFP-01-0003. The statements of work for both projects, as well as = the proposal instructions, evaluation criteria, and other terms and = conditions contained in this new RFP will differ in some respects from = that contained in the earlier, separate RFP's. In consideration of = these changes, all interested parties are strongly encouraged to = carefully examine this new RFP when it is released. SSA plans to implement a demonstration project (Affective Disorder = Treatment Demonstration) that will test the effects of providing = coverage for outpatient treatment of affective disorders for Social = Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with a primary = impairment of affective disorder. The coverage will consist of full = payment of any costs of outpatient treatment for affective disorder, = including office visits, medication, and psychotherapy, for any portion = of the services that are not covered by public or private insurance. = This demonstration will test the hypothesis that providing coverage for = treatment will reduce the period of disability for some beneficiaries = with affective disorders. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it may = help SSA learn how to help beneficiaries with affective disorders to = recover and return to work. In order to facilitate these outcomes, the = contractor will also be required to develop methods to refer = beneficiaries in the treatment group to existing rehabilitation and = return-to-work services, although the demonstration will not fund such = services. The study intervention of payment for outpatient treatment = and medications for the treatment group will be provided for a period = of 24 months following study enrollment. Full performance of all tasks = associated with the intervention is estimated to last four years. The = Contractor shall conduct the demonstration in multiple sites, using the = same screening methods and providing the same intervention to = beneficiaries assigned to the treatment group in all sites. The = contractor shall conduct the demonstration in at least four, and up to = eight, separate sites that are geographically dispersed. The = contractor shall be required to enroll a total of 2000 beneficiaries = across all of the sites, with approximately half being assigned to the = treatment group and the other half to a control group. The Contractor = who performs the implementation shall be responsible for a variety of = tasks that fall in the following general categories:=20 (1) Screening, solicitation, and enrollment of beneficiaries; (2) Recruiting psychiatrists and other mental health service providers = to provide treatment to beneficiaries without treating sources; (3) Soliciting current beneficiary treating sources to provide study = treatment, and enrolling them; (4) Linking beneficiaries who are enrolled in the treatment group to a = provider (those who do not have a current treating source, or whose = treating source does not want to provide study treatment); (5) Reimbursing providers, pharmacies, and laboratories, or supplying = treatment services and medications; (6) Referring beneficiaries to benefits counseling, return-to-work, and = rehabilitation services; (7) Developing materials for demonstration treatment providers on = supportive resources that their patients can use during the = demonstration, and services that they can refer patients to, so that = beneficiaries can continue to receive high quality treatment at the end = of the demonstration,=20 (8) Monitoring quality of care; and (9) Data collection and transfer of data to the Evaluation Contractor. The objective of the Evaluation is to provide a comprehensive = evaluation of SSA's Affective Disorders Treatment Demonstration, and to = assess the generalizability of the results. The rationale for the = Demonstration is the expectation that providing full coverage for = treatment will result in better access to treatment and improved health = status of SSDI beneficiaries with affective disorders, which might, in = turn, lead to increased labor force participation and self-sufficiency. = The primary research objective of the Evaluation is to test this = hypothesis by measuring the net effect of the demonstration on health = status, labor market and benefit receipt outcomes. This 5-year = Evaluation will include an implementation analysis, an analysis of = factors affecting participation in the demonstration, a net impact = analysis focusing on health, employment and program outcomes, and a = cost analysis focusing on the impact of the intervention on DI, SSI, = Medicare and Medicaid cost. The Contractor responsible for the = Evaluation will complete a baseline survey of 2,000 persons randomly = assigned to "treatment enrollee" (TE) status and a group of "control = enrollees" (CE), as well as follow-up interviews 8, 16, 24 and 32 = months after study enrollment. In addition the Contractor responsible = for the Evaluation will analyze administrative record data, utilize = other relevant information from the demonstration sites, and will be = responsible for operating the random assignment mechanisms. Full = performance for the tasks associated with the Evaluation is expected to = take five years. When the RFP's for the Implementation and the Evaluation were = previously released, both contained prohibitions against one contractor = receiving both the award for the Implementation and the award for the = Evaluation. That prohibition has been lifted: interested parties may = submit a proposal for the implementation only; the evaluation only; = and/or both the implementation and the evaluation. SSA may award = either one or two contracts as a result of this RFP. Interested = parties are once again encouraged to carefully examine the proposal = instructions and evaluation criteria that will be contained in the RFP = when it is released. Under a separate task order with the Social Security Administration, a = contractor has produced a draft protocol to be used in this = demonstration project. Therefore, this contractor has been precluded = from submitting a proposal for this RFP. The government anticipates = awarding one or two cost-plus-fixed fee contracts (it is anticipated = that some items will be fixed price; however, the majority of the work = to be performed will be reimbursed on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis). = Award by the end of September, 2001 is anticipated. Questions = regarding the RFP should refer to solicitation number SSA-RFP-01-0031. = THIS SOLICITATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT ONLY, and may = be accessed through the website at http://www.eps.gov. NO PHONE = REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The solicitation should be available at the = aforementioned website ON OR AROUND June 26, 2001. ONLY WRITTEN = INQUIRIES REGARDING THIS SYNOPSIS AND FORTHCOMING SOLICITATION WILL BE = ACCEPTED.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/SSA/DCFIAM/OAG/SSA-RFP-01-0031/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010612/ASOL002.HTM (D-159 SN50O439)