SSA's $6.8M BPA for Medical Contractor Services to Review Disability Claims
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $68,575 ($68.6K)
Contractor: Cynthia Whittenberg Linardos
Awarding Agency: Social Security Administration
Start Date: 2025-07-16
End Date: 2026-06-30
Contract Duration: 349 days
Daily Burn Rate: $196/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: Healthcare
Official Description: BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR REGIONAL MEDICAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES IN THE MID-WEST/WEST REGION (DENVER). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS.
Place of Performance
Location: AUSTIN, TRAVIS County, TEXAS, 78741
State: Texas Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Social Security Administration obligated $68,575 to CYNTHIA WHITTENBERG LINARDOS for work described as: BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR REGIONAL MEDICAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES IN THE MID-WEST/WEST REGION (DENVER). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS. Key points: 1. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is utilizing a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for medical contractor services. 2. This BPA is specifically for reviewing disability claim case files in the Mid-West/West Region. 3. The contract is a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type, awarded to CYNTHIA WHITTENBERG LINARDOS. 4. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 621111, indicating Offices of Physicians. 5. The contract duration is 349 days, with an award amount of $6,857,500.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The contract is a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type, which provides cost certainty. However, without a competitive benchmark or detailed cost breakdown, assessing the pricing's fairness against similar contracts is difficult.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: limited
The contract was not competed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) and was awarded as a BPA Call. This suggests a limited competition approach, potentially impacting price discovery and value for money.
Taxpayer Impact: The use of a BPA Call for essential services like disability claim reviews may lead to higher costs compared to a fully competed contract, impacting taxpayer funds.
Public Impact
Impacts individuals applying for Social Security disability benefits by influencing the review process of their claims. Ensures medical expertise is available to assist the SSA in making informed disability determinations. Supports regional operations of the SSA by providing necessary contractor support for case reviews.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Limited competition raises concerns about potential overpricing.
- Lack of detailed cost breakdown hinders true value assessment.
- BPA Call mechanism may not yield the best possible price.
Positive Signals
- Addresses a critical need for specialized medical review services.
- Firm Fixed Price contract offers budget predictability.
- Supports efficient processing of disability claims.
Sector Analysis
The healthcare services sector, particularly physician offices, is crucial for government functions like disability determination. Spending benchmarks for such services can vary widely based on specialization and region, making direct comparisons challenging without more data.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates this contract was not awarded to small businesses (ss: false, sb: false). Further analysis would be needed to determine if small businesses were considered or excluded from this procurement.
Oversight & Accountability
The use of a BPA Call suggests that oversight may be managed through the parent BPA. The specific call order's oversight details are not provided, but the agency's internal processes would govern accountability.
Related Government Programs
- Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
- Social Security Administration Contracting
- Social Security Administration Programs
Risk Flags
- Limited competition
- Lack of detailed cost breakdown
- Potential for price inflation
- No small business participation indicated
Tags
offices-of-physicians-except-mental-heal, social-security-administration, tx, bpa-call, under-100k
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Social Security Administration awarded $68,575 to CYNTHIA WHITTENBERG LINARDOS. BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR REGIONAL MEDICAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES IN THE MID-WEST/WEST REGION (DENVER). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS.
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is CYNTHIA WHITTENBERG LINARDOS.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Social Security Administration (Social Security Administration).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $68,575.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2025-07-16. End: 2026-06-30.
What is the specific scope of work for the medical consultant's review of disability claim case files?
The scope of work involves medical consultants reviewing disability claim case files for the agency's disability program. This likely entails assessing medical evidence, determining the severity of conditions, and providing expert opinions to aid the Social Security Administration (SSA) in making disability determinations. The exact criteria and depth of review would be detailed in the BPA call order.
How does the limited competition under this BPA Call impact the risk of inflated pricing for medical review services?
Limited competition inherently reduces the pressure on contractors to offer the most competitive pricing. When a contract is not fully competed, especially through a BPA Call, there's a higher risk that the awarded price may not reflect the best value achievable in a broader market. This lack of robust price discovery can lead to taxpayers potentially overpaying for the services rendered.
What measures are in place to ensure the effectiveness and quality of the medical reviews conducted under this agreement?
Effectiveness and quality are typically ensured through the contracting officer's representative (COR) and the agency's quality assurance plan. For this BPA Call, the Social Security Administration (SSA) would likely have established performance standards and metrics within the call order. Regular performance reviews and feedback mechanisms would be crucial to monitor the quality of the medical consultant's case file reviews.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Health Care and Social Assistance › Offices of Physicians › Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
Product/Service Code: MEDICAL SERVICES › OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Solicitation Procedures: SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 2101 RIVERS EDGE WAY, AUSTIN, TX, 78741
Business Categories: Category Business, Small Business, Sole Proprietorship, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business, Woman Owned Business, Women Owned Small Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $68,575
Exercised Options: $68,575
Current Obligation: $68,575
Actual Outlays: $25,320
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: 28321324AC0840031
IDV Type: BPA
Timeline
Start Date: 2025-07-16
Current End Date: 2026-06-30
Potential End Date: 2026-06-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-04-07
Other Social Security Administration Contracts
- Itssc Task Order for Systems — $1.1B (Leidos, Inc.)
- Contractor IS to Provide the Expertise, Technical Knowledge, IT Support Personnel, and Other Related Resources Necessary for Systems Analysis and Testing — $734.1M (Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation)
- Contractor to Provide Development&database Support to Agency's Office of Software Engineering — $593.5M (Leidos, Inc.)
- THE Government Intends to Establish a Single-Award Delivery Order Base Plus Four 1year Option Periods for the Renewal of IBM Software Maintenance and the Purchase of More Additional IBM Software Licenses Against the General Services Administrations Federal Supply Schedule Program. Previous Order SS00-15-30081 — $525.4M (International Business Machines Corporation)
- NEW 66 Month Open-Market Contract for Renewal of CA Software, Support Services, and Maintenance. CA Proprietary Software Products ARE Used Extensively Throughout OUR Mainframe and Distributed Environments AT ALL SSA Data Centers — $419.8M (CA, Inc.)