Furnishnig of Prescription Eyeglasses for Veterans in VISN 4
IT IS THE GOVERNMENTS INTENT TO FOLLOW UP TO THIS PRE-SOLICIATION AND POST AN OFFICIAL SOLICIATION WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
(Tentative) B.2 Performance Work Statement (PWS)
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has an ongoing program to furnish eyeglasses to those veterans that require them and are eligible for assistance.
The eyeglass and related services are to be provided to the following facilities:
(460) Wilmington, DE
(460GA) Georgetown, DE (Sussex County)
(460GC) Dover, DE (Kent County)
(460GD) Cape May, NJ
(460HE) Northfield, NJ (Atlantic County)
(460HG) Vineland, NJ (Cumberland County)
(503) Altoona, PA (James E. Van Zandt)
(503GA) Johnstown, PA
(503GB) DuBois, PA
(503GC) State College, PA
(503GD) Mapleton Depot, PA (Huntingdon County)
(503GE) Indiana, PA
(529) Butler, PA (Duffy Road) (Abie Abraham)
(529A4) Butler, PA (New Castle Road)
(529GA) Hermitage, PA (Michael A. Marzano)
(529GB) New Castle, PA (Lawrence County)
(529GC) Kittanning, PA (Armstrong County)
(529GD) Monroe Township, PA (Clarion County)
(529GF) Cranberry Township, PA
(542) Coatesville, PA
(542GA) Springfield, PA
(542GE) Spring City, PA
(562) Erie, PA HCS
(562GA) Meadville, PA (Crawford County)
(562GB) Ashtabula, OH
(562GC) Bradford, PA (McKean County)
(562GD) Franklin, PA (Venango County)
(562GE) Warren, PA
(595) Lebanon, PA
(595GA) Camp Hill, PA
(595GC) Lancaster, PA
(595GD) Wyomissing, PA (Berks County)
(595GE) York, PA
(595GF) Pottsville, PA (Schuylkill County)
(595QA) Annville, PA (Fort Indiantown Gap)
(642) Philadelphia, PA (Corporal Michael J. Crescenz)
(642GA) Burlington County, NJ
(642GC) Horsham, PA (Victor J. Saracini)
(642GD) Gloucester County, NJ
(642GF) Camden, NJ
(642QA) Chestnut Street, PA
(642QB) Fourth Street, PA
(646) Pittsburgh-University Drive, PA
(646A4) Heinz, PA (H. John Heinz III)
(646GA) St. Clairsville, OH (Belmont County)
(646GB) Greensburg, PA (Westmoreland County)
(646GD) Washington, PA
(646GE) Uniontown, PA (Fayette County)
(693) Wilkes-Barre, PA
(693B4) Allentown, PA
(693GA) Sayre, PA
(693GB) Williamsport, PA
(693GC) Tobyhanna, PA
(693GF) Berwick, PA (Columbia County)
(693GG) Bangor, PA (Northampton County)
(693QA) Honesdale, PA (Wayne County)
2.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
2.1 Standards of Performance
Sample frame kits are to be new and will not be included in the inventory.
The Contractor shall provide a wide selection of frames for the veterans to choose from (frame line to be approved by the VA). The contractor shall fabricate the eyeglasses in strict conformance to the eyeglass prescription, and verify final spectacles with the prescription. Verification of prescription and delivery to the beneficiary shall be documented and provided to the VA during each billing cycle. The contractor shall not add or substitute components or alter the beneficiary s prescription in any way without prior approval and written authorization from the VA clinic Team or designee. All items provided by the contractor shall be new and be of current styles. The Items will be maintained in Optometry or Ophthalmology and discontinued style frames are not acceptable. VA prior to contract performance must approve frame selection. Any proposed substitutes for, or changes to, the approved frame selection shall be approved in writing by the COR and Contracting Officer. All frames must have a one-year warranty.
The Contractor shall designate an individual in his/her employment as Contract Manager who will be the primary point of contact (POC). The Contract Manager shall act as liaison to resolve day-to-day business arraignment and operational problems throughout the term of the contract. This individual shall be available to reach VA Medical Center and Outpatient Clinic during normal business hours 8:00AM to 4:30PM (EST), Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and federal holidays.
2.2 Sample Kit: Upon contract award, the Contractor shall provide VA selected frame sets and display cases to each medical center and applicable outpatient clinic, at a minimum of one-hundred (100) frames (40 men, 40 women, 20 unisex), each frame shall be a unique style including plastic, metal, and safety frames in a variety of colors. Samples shall be available in both size combination and color of each frame to allow for different eye sizes, bridge sizes, temples, and colors. Oversize frames (above 58) shall be included in the sample kit. New frame samples shall be provided to the locations above after contract award. Upon expiration of the contract vendor will collect sample frames used at the different sites at no additional cost to the VA.
2.3 Backorders and Contingency: In the event of discontinued materials or notification of backorders on materials from Contractor s manufacturers/suppliers, the Contractor will notify the CO and COR within 24-hours of notification, inform of circumstances, offer VA a substitute of equal or higher quality products (lenses and/or frames) and provide a resolution. If acceptable to the VA, the substitute may be made part of the contract through the issuance of a contract modification. When substitutes are mutually agreed upon by both parties, the Contractor will include a Notice of Substitute in the eyeglass order to the Veteran beneficiary. In the event of Contractor equipment failures or other interruptions in service beyond Contractor s control (natural disaster, fire, etc.), the Contractor will notify the CO and COR immediately and offer the VA a substitute of equal or higher. The Contractor will promptly provide an alternative solution acceptable to the Government to resume timely services. An emergency contingency plan shall be included in their proposal to the solicitation.
2.4 Pricing: The unit price for a single pair of prescription eyeglasses must be fully loaded for parts, materials, labor, and services.B B This includes, but is not limited to: fabrication, assembly, shipping and handling, eyeglass cases, frames, lenses and lens treatments.B B Each month the selected contractor will provide a monthly listing of currently available and unavailable frames, sizes, and colors reflecting changes from the prior month to the COR and facility technical point of contacts.B
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
3.1 LENSES
All lenses shall be fabricated in strict conformance to the eyeglass prescription. All items provided by the contractor shall be new. All lenses shall be fabricated and provided in accordance with the standards set forth in the American National Standards Institute for Ophthalmic Lenses, ANSI Z80.1, 2010 or latest edition. All ophthalmic lenses shall be in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Regulation, 21 CFR 801.410 for impact resistance, unless otherwise specified in the order by the ordering clinician. Glass ophthalmic lenses shall be chemically strengthened for impact resistance. All glass and plastic ophthalmic lenses shall be corrected curved lenses. Ophthalmic lenses with cylinder power of less than 1.5D or greater than 1.5D shall be fabricated in minus cylinder form, unless positive cylinder form is specified in the order. All lenses shall include UV coating, scratch resistance coating on all plastic lenses, balanced lenses, tint (when prescribed), roll & polish edge (when prescribed) as well as frames and cases (cushioned, open-end, pocket or clip-on) at no additional charge to the Government. It will be the patient s preference as to which type of frames and cases they prefer.
Single Vision Lenses: Lenses shall be available in glass, plastic, polycarbonate. and high index plastic; when lens blanks are available. Construction of single vision lenses shall include spheres, Plano cylinders, and sphero-cylinders in all powers. Photochromatic lenses shall be available. Oversized blanks shall be available when needed. All lenses shall be placed in frames unless otherwise requested.
Bifocal Lenses: Lenses shall be available in glass, plastic or polycarbonate and high index plastic; when lens blanks are available. Construction of bifocal lenses shall include spheres, Plano cylinders, and sphero-cylinders in all powers with a range of +0.50 to + 4.50D which shall be available. Lenses shall be available in glass with flattop, and executive, polycarbonate with flattop segments. Photochromatic lenses shall be available. Oversized blanks shall be available when needed. All lenses shall be placed in frames unless otherwise requested.
Trifocal Lenses: Lenses shall be available in glass, plastic, or polycarbonate and high index plastic; when lens blanks are available. Construction of trifocal lenses shall include spheres, Plano cylinders, and sphero-cylinders in all powers. Add powers with a range of +1.50 to +4.50D, 50% intermediate power shall be available. Lenses shall be available in glass with flattop and executive segments. Photochromatic lenses shall be available. Oversized blanks shall be available when needed. All lenses shall be placed in frames unless otherwise requested.
Special Lenses: The Contractor shall provide special lens design in opaque, frosted or black, balanced lens, prismatic lens, cataract lens, polycarbonate, hi-index, over power, A/R coating, safety lenses, executive style, solid or gradient tinted (all colors) lenses, Photochromic lenses (Transitions or equivalent), aspheric lens, FL-41 tint, and slab-off prism. These requirements will be specified by the Government on the prescription or order. Updates shall be furnished upon publication.
Progressive Lenses: Lenses shall be available in glass, plastic, polycarbonate, and high index materials. Photochromatic lenses must also be available. Progressive lens style / layout shall be the same for all materials. Progressive style shall be considered soft in design. Construction of lenses shall include spheres, plano-cylinders, and sphero-cylinders in all powers. Add powers of +1.00 to +3.50 shall be available. Non-adaptable would be replaced by lined bifocals or trifocal at no charge to the VA. Oversized blanks shall be available when needed. All lenses shall be placed in frames unless otherwise requested.
3.2 FRAMES
All frames shall be provided in accordance with the American National Standard Requirements for Ophthalmic Frames ANSI Z80.5-2010 or latest version.
All items provided by the contractor shall be new. The Contractor shall provide completely assembled eyeglass frames placed in standard alignment and include mounting of lenses. All items provided by the contractor shall include fitting and adjustment services and a minimum of one-year warranty.
If the manufacturer discontinues a frame during the contract period, the contractor shall provide the VA with an approved substitute frame within 5 working days. All frames offered by the contractor shall be listed in either Frames/fax or frame catalogs and not be on any discontinued models. Upon contract award, the contractor shall provide a FREE sample kit consisting of samples of each available size combination and color of each frame required under Schedule of Items to allow for different eye sizes, bridge sizes, temples, colors, etc. of the most popular styles. A minimum of one sample kit, display rack, and eyeglass tray shall be provided to each participating VA Prosthetic Office under the terms of the contract. New frame samples shall be provided with each contract renewal or if samples wear out or substitutions need to be made. When fulfilling prescriptions, the contractor shall provide completely assembled eyeglass frames placed in standard alignment and include mounting of lenses.
Privately owned frames may be submitted to the contractor for new lenses. Charges for lenses only shall be in accordance with the schedule. Contractor is responsible for replacing like frames in the event of loss of privately-owned frames at no cost to the VA or beneficiary.
PERFORMANCE, DELIVERY, INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
VA shall require the contractor to deliver items ordered under the forthcoming contract no later than seven business days after receipt of a delivery order. (Receipt of the delivery order will be by VA s submittal of a SharePoint online order, an electronic shared site will be utilized for delivery of orders and receipt of orders.), tracking of orders shall be available for 1 year in arrears. The contractor shall provide written notification to the VA Prosthetic Representative and show cause in the event he is unable to deliver the required items in accordance with the Government's required delivery date. Failure by the contractor to provide a written notification as stated above within 48 hours after receipt of an order constitutes acceptance of an order.
Contractor must have the capability to permit bulk purchasing using a 2237 as payment. If requested, contractor will be able to send weekly billing statements in a digital format i.e. Excel, .csv, or another digital format. These statements will be a billing summary of each eyeglass order invoiced and shipped during the prior business week. Required columns in weekly bill:
Invoice Date
Invoice Number
Billing amount
Patient Name (Last Name, First Name Middle
Site Identifier
Purchase Order Number
Lens Type
In the event the Government desires expedited delivery, the ordering activity shall telephonically contact the contractor and inquire into the feasibility of obtaining this condition. The contractor shall respond within 24 hours to such request and expedited delivery shall be mutually agreed upon. Upon direction of VA, delivery of eyeglasses may be directly to the Prosthetics department or to the patient s place of residence (at no extra charge to the Government for routine delivery to any of the above destinations). All deliveries should be sent by 1stB class mail or any comparable means.B
During the one-year warranty period the contractor shall make all necessary adjustments (i.e., material defects, distortions, etc). The contractor warrants/guarantees the eyeglasses against defective material and/or workmanship for a minimum of one year from the date of acceptance. Manufacturer s warranties of eyeglass components that extend beyond the minimum one-year period shall be expressed and enforced. The contractor agrees to furnish without additional cost to the government, all labor and materials necessary to correct defects that were detected during the guarantee period. Should the prescription be incorrectly filled, the contractor agrees to make corrections at no additional cost to the Government, all shipping cost will be covered by the contractor. These conditions do not apply to adjustments incidental to the wearing of eyeglasses, adjustments required by physical change of the wearer, or where there is evidence of deliberate misuse or alteration by anyone other than the contractor. If eyeglasses are returned to the contractor for correction of a problem due to contractor error, the corrected glasses shall be returned to VA facility within three (3) calendar days of receipt of the defective glasses. Contractor must have online portal capabilities for errors and issues to be easily recorded by each site.
The contractor shall immediately notify all affected VAMC(s), COR, and contracting activities in the event of a product recall, removal, required adjustment, required modification or substitutions that is suggested or mandated by the contractor, distributor, manufacturer, or any regulatory or official agency. The information that shall be included in this notification includes:
A complete item description, identification.
Administrative identification data including contract number, order numbers, and order date.
Reasons for recall, removal, adjustment, or modification.
Instructions for appropriate corrective action.
Contractor shall notify the VA within 24 hours if the manufacturer has a depletion of stock of a specific frame. The VA shall approve or disapprove all replacement frames.
QUALITY CONTROL AND PATIENT SATISFACTION:
6.1 Quality Control: The Contractor shall maintain a quality control plan that includes an ongoing review of manufactured products (timeliness and quality). Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to respective COR. Reports shall include:
Date of receipt of orders (or date orders delivered to/picked up by Optical Shop)
VA error rates (errors submitted to the Contractor to be processed)
Contractor error rates (errors submitted to VA or Veteran beneficiary)
Accuracy of eyeglass fabrication (Spectacle Fabrication List) in accordance with ANSI Z80.1 and Z80.5 standards
Number of eyeglasses returned due to fabrication error
Average fabrication (Lab) process time
Breakage/spoilage rate (specify frame, lens, etc.)
6.2 Patient Satisfaction: The Contractor shall send each patient a satisfaction survey in which they can score services from lowest to highest. Data shall be collected on a monthly basis, aggregated, and used for performance improvement, which are submitted to the respective facility COR on a quarterly basis. At a minimum, the surveys shall include:
Courteous and friendliness of staff
Promptness of service
Product choice
Quality of product
Timeliness of product delivery
Fit and function of product
Reason for returns
The Government shall monitor the Contractor s performance through monthly review of invoices for accuracy and timeliness, patient satisfaction and/or complaints received in Prosthetic and Sensory Aid Services (PSAS), and review of Contractor submitted performance improvement reports (quality assurance and patient satisfaction data). Performance
monitoring will focus on, but not be limited to:
Equipment fabrication, repair and/or replace
Number of remakes
Number of eyeglass fabrication errors
Number of prescription errors identified prior to product shipment
Expedited delivery
Accuracy of required documentation/reports submitted
Number of patient complaints
6.3 SURVEY
On a quarterly basis, the Contractor will select 1% of random veterans who receive mailouts and verbally verify: Delivery of glasses, prescription accuracy, and quality of product.
The Contractor shall submit quality assurance and patient satisfaction performance improvement reports to the COR on a quarterly basis not later than the 15th day of the first month following the end of the quarter (i.e. January 15th, May 15th, July 15th, and October 15th).
William.Schlobohm2@va.gov
William.Schlobohm2@va.gov
