Deltek Pulse: Health and human services month in review, April 2014

Published: May 06, 2014

Contract AwardsHHSHealth CarePolicy and LegislationSocial Services

As the nation thawed out from one of the most brutal winters in modern memory, Deltek’s Health and Human Services Team also felt a significant uptick in activity across the states in April. Even casual observers of national news heard that enrollment in health insurance through a government exchange ended in March, and the Obama Administration immediately claimed victory, touting enrollments above its 7 million people goal.

Most recently we saw the government release demographic data for enrollees, including age and race, but information key to understanding the law’s success or lack thereof has yet to be released. Specifically, we’re awaiting data on how many enrollees were previously uninsured, how many enrollees are paying their premiums, and what effect the new population will have on current insurance premiums.

However, this national preoccupation with the political and practical ramifications of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) did not distract states from making some progress with a number of health and human services projects. In April, state and local governments released more than 900 health and human services opportunities. The word cloud below represents the frequency of terms found in those solicitations.

As one can see from the map below, California accounts for 11 percent of the total opportunities released in April. Texas, Virginia and Maryland also released a large number of health and human services solicitations.

Notable Opportunities

  • The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (HIX) released an RFP for independent verification and validation (IV&V) services for the state’s HIX. After a failed state-based exchange, Maryland is now transferring the Deloitte solution used by the state of Connecticut. The IV&V opportunity focuses on the transfer effort. Proposals are due by May 16.
  • The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development released an RFP for maintenance and support of its unemployment insurance online system. Proposals are due by May 23.
  • The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services awarded a contract to Scientific Technologies Corporation on April 23 for an immunization information system

Analyst’s Take

An uptick in procurements will likely continue until the end of the fiscal year, which is June for many states. As election season heats up in the coming months, we are looking for heightened polarization of rhetoric by candidates and officeholders alike. Nowhere will this polarization be more evident than in discussions regarding the future of health insurance exchanges, Medicaid expansion, and the success of the ACA. Though debate will heat up, it is unlikely that any major policy changes will occur until after the November midterm elections.

GovWin IQ subscribers can read further about these projects in the provided links. Not a Deltek subscriber? Click here to learn more about Deltek's GovWin IQ service and gain access to a free trial.