DCCED is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors for a comprehensive evaluation of overall operating costs for the delivery of primary care services by health care providers located in Alaska. The evaluation will form the basis of a report identifying the cost drivers of primary care delivery and recommendations to improve access to primary care within Alaska. In this context, primary care includes behavioral health, pediatric, prenatal/obstetrical, and dental care. Health care providers include all levels of practitioners, including mid-level practitioners and support professionals such as ARNPs, MAs, CHA/Ps. The evaluation must include the cost drivers specific to Alaska and a comparison of operating costs for primary care providers in the lower-48. The proposal’s intent is to evaluate Alaska-specific primary care provider operating costs, identify the cost drivers, and make recommendations on how to increase access to primary care for all Alaskans. Starting in May 2024, the Division of Insurance met with primary care providers throughout the state to listen to their concerns and learn about the challenges they face in providing primary care in Alaska. Those meetings have informed this RFP. The contractor shall complete a report that provides identification of the cost drivers for primary care delivery in the state of Alaska with recommendations on how to mitigate, address, or otherwise reduce the cost of primary care and increase access to primary care services delivered in Alaska for all Alaskans. The report must also include: 1. An analysis of Alaska primary care providers overall business operations 2. A comparative assessment of primary care provider operational costs for Alaska, the national average, Washington state, and the three individual states with the most similar geography and population. 3. An analysis of how the payor mix for primary care providers impacts operational viability and patient access to primary care. 4. Identification of barriers to primary care in Alaska 5. The financial impact of patients being sent out of state to receive primary care available in Alaska, include access to follow-up care. 6. The impact on access and the scope of costs passed down to consumers in the form of monthly premiums and cost-sharing (deductibles, copays, and coinsurance), and to the State.
