Upcoming Procurements

Active Grant Opportunity: Community Health Worker Infrastructure Project

Grant Procurement Number: 31865-00017

Summary:

The American Public Health Association defines a Community Health Worker (CHW) as “a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served.” Community Health Workers serve as links between the community and health/social services to expand access to care and improve health outcomes. The most impactful CHWs are those who are uniquely equipped through shared life experiences and similar backgrounds to the individuals and communities they serve.

Clinical evidence and research have shown that CHWs can improve health outcomes, lower health care costs, and reduce health disparities when integrated into communities in a coordinated, intentional model of care. However, in trying to achieve consistent, meaningful health outcomes while bending the medical cost curve, CHWs and organizations who employ CHWs have varied experiences and success. In Tennessee, the CHW workforce is a growing and important new area of opportunity. Many CHW organizations across Tennessee are actively working to build infrastructure and invest key resources to sustainably grow their programs.

The Division of TennCare is working to address social determinants of health (SDOH) and health related social needs (HRSN) in its member population through its Health Starts Initiative. TennCare’s Health Starts work includes investing in Tennessee’s Community Health Worker workforce. TennCare believes that CHWs can and will play an essential role in serving TennCare members to achieve improved health outcomes. TennCare also believes it is essential in the near-term to support the building of critical infrastructure for CHWs to ensure sustainable, impactful, and positive return-on-investment for the long-term.

This TennCare funding opportunity aims to address key opportunities in the current Tennessee landscape for organizations who employ or intend to employ Community Health Workers to serve TennCare members. The goal of these grants will be to invest in building CHW infrastructure and provide technical assistance to support CHWs in meeting key CHW program standards and best practices that are evidence-based. Focusing on key domains necessary for effective CHW efforts and consistent implementation of program standards in each of those domains is foundational to any strong CHW organization. These grants will help advance these objectives.

Due Date: April 12, 2023 (2:00 p.m. CST)

Grant Application Steps:

Active Grant Opportunity: Advocacy and Outreach Services During the COVID-19 Unwinding Period

Grant Procurement Number: 31865-00913

Summary: After a three year pause on federally required annual renewals for TennCare Members due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, recently passed legislation has ended the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement on April 1, 2023. At that time, TennCare will be required to reverify the eligibility status of everyone receiving TennCare or CoverKids benefits. The purpose of this grant is to provide additional assistance and outreach to individuals subject to the renewal process.

Due Date: 2:00 pm March 6, 2023

Grant Application Steps:

The Administration of a Survey instrument and the Collection of Quality Outcomes Data for Outcome-Based Satisfaction and Culture Change/Quality of Life from TennCare’s Medicaid Nursing Facilities

• Procurement Number: 31865-00634
• Projected Release Date: February 8, 2023
• Summary:

The Contractor will be responsible for the administration of a survey instrument and the collection of annual survey data for outcome-based Satisfaction and Culture Change/Quality of Life measures from each of TennCare’s Medicaid nursing facilities for purposes of determining value-based nursing facility payments in TennCare’s Quality Improvement in Long Term Services and Supports (QuILTSS) Initiative. TennCare utilizes the data collected from the survey to determine value-based nursing facility payments as well as analyzing the data to identify state and national trends and advance opportunities for quality improvement.

Close Loop Referral System

• Procurement Number: 31865-00635
• Release Date: November 18, 2022
• Summary:

TennCare seeks a Contractor for the design, development, implementation, and operation of a public, cloud-based Closed-Loop Referral System (CLRS) (the “Solution”) that is centered on Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS), and meets all the following requirements:

1) Non-Medical Needs Assessment: A standardized Non-Medical Needs Assessment embedded within the Solution and the ability for the Solution to import Non-Medical Needs Assessments from external sources (e.g., Electronic Health Record Systems).

2) Community Resource Directory: Ability to match the Non-Medical Needs Assessment results with a comprehensive, interactive, and up-to-date Community Resource Directory, with each Authorized User able to identify the Community-Based Organization's (CBO) service-related information including, but not limited to, hours of operation by location, address, service eligibility requirements, capacities, and limitations. The Community Resource Directory shall be available via a public domain to Non-Authenticated Users to conduct searches for available resources.

3) Non-Medical Risk Factors Referral System: Ability to send Referrals to CBO(s), act as a conduit for CBOs to electronically receive Referrals and track the Referral outcomes.

4) Referral Tracking: Capability to associate Referrals to a Member, and maintain, monitor, and track each Referral over time.

5) Data Analytics: Enable Authorized User(s) to generate operational data and analytics from the Solution.

TENNCARE SELECT

• Procurement Number: 31865-00637
• Projected Release Date: 3rd Quarter 2023
• Summary:

TennCare seeks to select a contractor to maintain a statewide administrative services only contract for medical services and care management. Contractor will be required to maintain a statewide network of providers across all areas of medical and behavioral health services and pay claims and manage care for the population that is enrolled with this contractor.

Dental Benefits Management (DBM) Program

• Procurement Number: 31865-00636
• Projected Release Date: 4^th Quarter 2023
• Summary:

The State seeks to identify a Contractor for the statewide provision of Dental Benefits Management (DBM) services for five (5) separate State DBM Programs (collectively referred to as the “State DBM Programs”), which include:

1) TennCare Children’s DBM Program, which is part of the TennCare Program, and administers dental services to approximately 900,000 eligible enrollees under age 21;

2) TennCare Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES Program, which administers covered adult dental benefits to approximately 5,500 eligible adults age 21 and older who have an intellectual or developmental disability and are enrolled in TennCare ECF CHOICES;

3) TennCare Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Dental Program, which administers covered dental benefits to approximately 6,500 adults age 21 and older with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) that are enrolled in the Section 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver (TennCare 1915(c) Dental Program);

4) TennCare Adult Dental DBM Program, which administers covered adult dental benefits to approximately 650,000 eligible adults age 21 and older who are TennCare members;

5) CoverKids DBM Program, which is part of the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), referred to in Tennessee as the CoverKids Program (CoverKids) which is a self-funded health plan providing certain dental benefits to approximately 40,000 eligible enrollees under age 19 enrolled in CoverKids medical coverage.

If you are interested in any of the above procurements and would like further information, please email matt.brimm@tn.gov with a cc to Donovan.Morgan2@tn.gov.

*POSTED – Central Procurement Office (CPO) Request for Proposals (RFP) Opportunities

http://tn.gov/generalservices/procurement/central-procurement-office--cpo-/supplier-information/request-for-proposals--rfp--opportunities1.html