The CMS is in the early stages of searching for a contractor that will help the agency with back-end eligibility support for people who buy health plans on HealthCare.gov.
The government wants to see if there are any small businesses that have the capabilities to perform the work on the federal health insurance marketplace. The vendor would be responsible for intake and review of paper applications and documentation, operation of a consumer support call center and complex case work, according to the sources sought notice.
Responses to the federal notice are due Sept. 22. Depending on responses, a formal request for proposals will be released.
The contract is now held by defense giant Serco, which has earned more than $660 million for its work since fiscal 2013, according to federal contract data.
A report last August from HHS' Office of Inspector General found that some of HealthCare.gov's internal controls were ineffective in ensuring people were eligible to sign up for a health plan.
