To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #77-347-1 with American Carequest, Inc.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute, on behalf of the County Contract #77-347-1 with American Carequest, Inc., a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $300,000, to provide home health care and hospice services for Contra Costa Health Plan (CCHP) members and County recipients for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $300,000 over a three-year period and will be funded 100% by CCHP Enterprise Fund II revenues. (Rate increase)
BACKGROUND:
CCHP has an obligation to provide certain home health care and hospice services for its members under the terms of their Individual and Group Health Plan membership contracts with the County. Home health care services include but are not limited to intermittent skilled nursing, therapeutic and rehabilitative care in patients’ residence. Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life. Hospice services involve a team led by a physician. This team includes the Contractor’s nurses and other health care professionals, including physical, occupational, respiratory and speech therapists. This contractor has been a part of the CCHP Provider Network providing these services and fostering a deep understanding of the CCHP organizations mission, values, and long-term objectives since July 2021.
This contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000; Health and Safety Code § 1451. Health Services Personnel approved this contract to ensure no conflicts with labor relations. This contractor currently cooperates and participates in CCHP’s Quality Management Program which consists of quality improvement activities to improve the quality of care, services and member experience. Cooperation includes collection and evaluation of performance measurement data and participation in the organization’s clinical and service measure Quality Improvement Programs. These contracted services were determined to be exempt from Administrative Bulletin 600.3 solicitation requirements by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division.
On June 22, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #77-347 with American Carequest, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $300,000, for the provision of home health care and hospice services for CCHP members and County recipients for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024.
Approval of Contract #27-347-1 will allow the contractor to continue to provide home health care and hospice services for CCHP members and County recipients through June 30, 2027.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this contract is not approved, certain home health care and hospice services for CCHP members under the terms of their Individual and Group Health Plan membership contracts with the County will not be provided and may cause a delay in services to CCHP members.