The government is in the process of collecting proposals from information technology (IT) professionals for the design, development and implementation of a National Health Insurance Integrated Information Technology Solution (NHIIITS).

The initial request for proposals (RFP) was issued on August 14, and the deadline for questions was last Friday. Guardian Business understands that - true to the timeline - the questions have been submitted and responses and any amendments to the RFP are to be issued by Friday, September 18. The deadline for interested IT professionals to submit a proposal is September 25, with the proposals opened on September 29, and notification of shortlisted vendors by October 16.

Subject to receiving a firm schedule proposal from the vendor and acceptance by the client; the current expectation of the Ministry of Health is that the vendor will require approximately six months to design and implement the new system. Further, the ministry asserted that the vendor would be required to begin the registration of the model within approximately eight weeks post-contract negotiation and award.

The RFP was issued online, and a notice was also posted in the daily newspapers.

"It is expected that vendors/implementers responding to the RFP will provide a comprehensive, all-inclusive proposal accounting for any and all hardware, software, licensing, training, support, warranty, technical services and any other offerings that will be needed to bring the system into full-scale operation. "The successful proposal will demonstrate the best overall value to the government, taking into consideration both the service-level advantages and socio-economic benefits from the availability and utilization of local resources," the notice said.

In the executive summary of the RFP, under the rubric of "Overview", the government professes to be committed to transforming the health care system into an equitable, affordable, most effective and compassionate provider of universal health coverage in the region - ultimately, the proposed NHI scheme. The government's approved scheme is a hybrid model that enables public and private insurers to offer the same benefits package at the same price, with private insurers able to offer supplemental health insurance packages.

The RFP is for "a turnkey IT solution for the delivery of NHI", which is expected to begin operations January 2016, with open enrolment - according to the government - being conducted in the last quarter of 2015. However, the timelines for implementation of NHI have recently come into question.

The system
According to the RFP, the system to be implemented and managed will comprise of the electronic (online) application, registration and processing of all NHI services, management, reimbursement and reporting. The government would wish for the proposed system to interface with a number of key stakeholders: the National Insurance Board, the Department of Immigration, the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Social Service, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the existing general ledger (G/L) of the government's financial accounting system and vital statistics.

The proposed system should be able to produce receipts for clients and all transaction records electronically for NHI, and should provide online services to interface with other private health service providers and private insurers.

In addition, in connection with the commitment that NHI will provide the funding to facilitate access to universal health coverage by legal residents of The Bahamas, it is proposed that all eligible members of the population will possess a robust, secure 'smart identification' card enabling unfettered access to NHI services.
The RFP also speaks to an online arbitration system that would support tight regulations on the processes of all health care delivered to beneficiaries as a business commodity, leveraging the features and specifications of best of breed information and communication technology allowing the most granular levels of efficiencies and effectiveness.

Key project considerations
The RFP also notes that given the population - approximately 370,000 - the government is not anticipating a custom-designed software solution to meet its needs and requirements, but is instead focusing on securing a computer-off-the-shelf (COTS) based solution or a solution that already exists and can be fully implemented. Such a solution should result in lower costs and faster delivery.

The ministry is requesting that the proposed IT solution be scaleable. It should provide a basic level of functionality along with the ability to add features and functionality according to the needs and priorities of NHI. It should also be capable of phased implementation; client registration and claims management are expected to take place in year one, along with other key components, as the program progresses with the view that a full implementation is done within 12-18 months.

The ministry's requirements also call for the NHIIITS to be forward compatible, and capable of supporting mobile computing capabilities (asynchronous data transmission) as well as on-line completion and submission of documents, on-line payments and/or contributions.

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