Deltek Pulse: Health and Human Services September in Review
Published: October 09, 2013
The month of September could accurately be classified as the calm before the storm that has engulfed our nation. With a government shutdown, debt ceiling extension and the launch of health insurance exchanges upon us, September seems rather uneventful in hindsight – not so for Deltek’s Health and Human Services Team.
September saw Deltek analysts attend some of the biggest industry events of the year. Senior Analyst Kate Tussey traveled to South Carolina for the annual Medicaid Enterprise Systems Conference (MESC). This much-lauded event carried a simple, yet poignant theme: “Enabling Healthcare Innovation.” Indeed, Tussey saw many tangible, innovative examples of current projects that were only pipe dreams at past events. For the full rundown of this year’s conference and excellent analyst insight, check out our Analyst Recap.
Another of Deltek’s analysts, Aila Altman, headed south in September for the National Women, Infants and Children Association (NWA) WIC Technology Program Integrity Conference. At this biennial event, Aila Altman experienced rich content from across the states, linked by the theme, “Empowering Minds for a Better Future.” The focus was on implementing WIC electronic benefits transfer (EBT) systems, enhancing management information systems (MIS) and many other innovative and beneficial topics. For the full rundown of the WIC conference, check out the Analyst Recap.
Opportunity Overview
In September, the health and human services team saw the release of nearly 700 solicitations with either health care or social services as a primary vertical. The word cloud below represents the frequency of terms in those solicitations.
As one can see from the below map; Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas and California saw the largest number of health and human services-related solicitations, while Wyoming, North Dakota and Tennessee had no related activity.
Notable Opportunities
- Wisconsin released an RFP for an online WIC EBT system. Proposals are due by December 3, 2013.
- Alabama released an RFP for a state disbursement unit (SDU) for the state’s child support program. Proposals are due by November 14, 2013.
- Iowa released an RFP for the state’s Medicaid Enterprise System Services, the state’s Medicaid management information system (MMIS). Proposals are due by November 27, 2013.
Analyst Take
On the federal level, September did indeed prove to be the calm before the storm; however, in the state and local health and human services space, it saw the release of many important solicitations and the gathering of many key policymakers and vendors at prominent industry events. As we look forward to the months ahead, it is clear that the limited time afforded to state governments to create the infrastructure necessary for health insurance exchanges has had an unfortunate impact on the launch of a central component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The tight deadlines prescribed in the ACA have been decried as too limiting by states and vendors alike for the past couple of years, and it seems their fears and prognostications have been proven accurate. The questions for policymakers and the market alike: Will the rocky start play into a larger public perception of the complex law? Will it create or enhance the political will necessary to delay key portions of the law, or prevent more states from establishing their own exchanges?
Deltek's Health Care and Social Services Team will release a report later this year to provide an update on statewide implementation efforts for exchanges. For now, be sure to check out Deltek’s Health Insurance Exchange Vertical Profile Application to learn more about the ACA's initiative. Not a Deltek subscriber? Click here to learn more about Deltek's GovWin IQ service and gain access to a free trial.