HHS Spends $23.7M on Marketplace Survey Development, Awarded via Full and Open Competition
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $23,759,481 ($23.8M)
Contractor: American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences
Awarding Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Start Date: 2012-08-15
End Date: 2017-12-31
Contract Duration: 1,964 days
Daily Burn Rate: $12.1K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 2
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS
Sector: Healthcare
Official Description: DEVELOPMENT OF AND ENROLLEE SATISFACTION SURVEY FOR USE IN THE EXCHANGE MARKETPLACE
Place of Performance
Location: SILVER SPRING, MONTGOMERY County, MARYLAND, 20901
State: Maryland Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Health and Human Services obligated $23.8 million to AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES for work described as: DEVELOPMENT OF AND ENROLLEE SATISFACTION SURVEY FOR USE IN THE EXCHANGE MARKETPLACE Key points: 1. The contract awarded to AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES for $23.7M focuses on developing an enrollee satisfaction survey for the Exchange Marketplace. 2. Competition was full and open, suggesting a robust market for these services, though specific competitor data is not provided. 3. The primary risk lies in the effectiveness and utility of the developed survey in accurately measuring enrollee satisfaction. 4. The sector is primarily administrative and management consulting, supporting healthcare policy and implementation.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The contract value of $23.7M for survey development and implementation appears substantial. Benchmarking against similar large-scale survey development contracts would be necessary to determine if this pricing is competitive.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded under full and open competition, indicating that multiple vendors had the opportunity to bid. This method generally promotes competitive pricing and ensures the government receives the best value.
Taxpayer Impact: The use of taxpayer funds for developing a survey to improve the healthcare exchange marketplace is intended to benefit the public by enhancing service quality and user experience.
Public Impact
The survey aims to improve the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace by gathering feedback from enrollees. Insights from the survey could lead to policy changes and improvements in healthcare access and affordability. The project supports the government's objective of understanding and enhancing the effectiveness of the healthcare exchange.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Potential for survey bias or ineffectiveness
- Scope creep leading to cost overruns
- Data security and privacy concerns
Positive Signals
- Supports a key initiative of the Affordable Care Act
- Utilizes a competitive bidding process
- Aims to improve consumer experience in healthcare
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the administrative management and general management consulting services sector, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services' mission. Spending in this area is often tied to policy implementation and program evaluation.
Small Business Impact
The data does not indicate whether small businesses were involved in this contract, either as prime contractors or subcontractors. Further analysis would be needed to determine small business participation.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight would typically be managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure the contractor meets performance requirements and delivers a high-quality survey. Regular reporting and performance reviews are standard.
Related Government Programs
- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Department of Health and Human Services Contracting
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Programs
Risk Flags
- Contract duration is long (over 5 years).
- Contract type is Time and Materials, which can carry cost overrun risks.
- No specific performance metrics or success criteria are detailed in the provided data.
- The benchmarked value (BR) of 12097 seems low relative to the total award amount, suggesting it might be a specific component or outdated.
- The contract was awarded as a Delivery Order, implying it might be part of a larger indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, the details of which are not provided.
Tags
administrative-management-and-general-ma, department-of-health-and-human-services, md, delivery-order, 10m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Health and Human Services awarded $23.8 million to AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. DEVELOPMENT OF AND ENROLLEE SATISFACTION SURVEY FOR USE IN THE EXCHANGE MARKETPLACE
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $23.8 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2012-08-15. End: 2017-12-31.
What is the expected impact of this survey on the Health Insurance Marketplace's effectiveness?
The survey is expected to provide crucial data on enrollee satisfaction, identifying areas of strength and weakness within the Health Insurance Marketplace. This feedback can inform strategic decisions, leading to improvements in plan offerings, customer service, and overall user experience, thereby enhancing the marketplace's effectiveness in connecting individuals with suitable health insurance.
What are the key risks associated with the development and deployment of this satisfaction survey?
Key risks include the survey's design leading to biased or unrepresentative data, low enrollee participation rates, and potential challenges in analyzing and interpreting the collected feedback. Furthermore, ensuring the data's privacy and security throughout the process is critical. Ineffective survey design could lead to flawed insights, undermining the project's intended benefits.
How does this spending contribute to the overall value proposition of the Affordable Care Act?
This spending contributes to the ACA's value by seeking to improve the user experience and effectiveness of the Health Insurance Marketplace. By understanding enrollee satisfaction, the government can make data-driven improvements, potentially increasing enrollment, retention, and overall public trust in the healthcare exchanges, thus supporting the law's broader goals of expanding access to affordable care.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services › Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY
Offers Received: 2
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS (Y)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 1000 THOMAS JEFFERSON ST, WASHINGTON, DC, 20007
Business Categories: Category Business, Not Designated a Small Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $30,860,598
Exercised Options: $23,759,481
Current Obligation: $23,759,481
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL ITEM PROCEDURES NOT USED
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: GS10F0112J
IDV Type: FSS
Timeline
Start Date: 2012-08-15
Current End Date: 2017-12-31
Potential End Date: 2017-12-31 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2020-04-16
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