This is a Notice of Intent to award a sole-source contract and is not a request for competitive proposals, pursuant to FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The Department of Labor (DOL), on behalf of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), intends to award a sole source, firm fixed-price purchase order to Fair Health, Inc., 800 3rd Ave STE 900, New York, NY 10022, to provide healthcare claims data benchmarks.

The healthcare benchmark files were incorporated as source files into an existing EBSA analytical tool that assesses disparities between the reimbursement rates of medical or behavioral healthcare services, as part of EBSA investigations and the procedure and locality-specific rates. Re-coding the agency’s tool to accommodate different file structures from other vendors is cost prohibitive and would negatively impact EBSA's deliverable schedule, as well as other program requirements contingent upon the data being produced. Switching to a different vendor will require substantial ramp-up time in orienting to a new structure as well as the time to re-design and re-code the current tool. Furthermore, because vendors providing healthcare benchmarks have different methodologies, the benchmarks themselves are likely to vary across sources, causing potentially different results in EBSA’s investigations of reimbursement rates. Remaining consistent in this benchmark product is necessary in order for EBSA to maintain uniformity in regards to investigations.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all quotations/responses received prior to closing of this announcement will be considered by the Government. Interested parties may identify their capability to respond to this requirement. Interested parties must show clear and convincing evidence that competition of this requirement would be advantageous to the Government to garner further consideration. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Written responses to this Notice of Intent to Sole Source shall contain sufficient documentation to establish a bonafide capability to fulfill the requirement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this notice.