Social Security Administration awards $197K BPA for medical consultant services in Southeast region
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $19,742 ($19.7K)
Contractor: Carmel Boykin-Wright
Awarding Agency: Social Security Administration
Start Date: 2026-07-01
End Date: 2027-06-30
Contract Duration: 364 days
Daily Burn Rate: $54/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: Healthcare
Official Description: BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR MEDICAL CONSULTANT SERVICES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION (ATLANTA). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS.
Place of Performance
Location: SAINT LOUIS, SAINT LOUIS CITY County, MISSOURI, 63108
State: Missouri Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Social Security Administration obligated $19,742 to CARMEL BOYKIN-WRIGHT for work described as: BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR MEDICAL CONSULTANT SERVICES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION (ATLANTA). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS. Key points: 1. Contract focuses on independent case reviews for disability claims. 2. Services are essential for the agency's disability determination process. 3. The contract is a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a call order. 4. It is a firm-fixed-price contract, providing cost certainty. 5. The duration is one year, with potential for renewal. 6. The contractor, Carmel Boykin-Wright, is responsible for delivering these services.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The contract value of $197,420 for one year of medical consultant services appears reasonable for specialized disability claim reviews. Benchmarking against similar contracts for independent medical reviews is challenging without more specific service details and geographic scope. However, the firm-fixed-price structure suggests a defined scope of work, which can aid in cost control. The absence of competition, as noted in the contract details, may limit opportunities for achieving the best possible value.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: unknown
The contract was not competed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP), and the specific competition details are not fully elaborated. As a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) call order, the initial BPA may have been competed, but the specific call order's competition level is unclear. Without knowing how many entities were solicited or if it was a sole-source award for this specific call, it's difficult to assess the impact on price discovery. Further information on the BPA's establishment is needed.
Taxpayer Impact: The lack of clear competition for this call order may mean taxpayers did not benefit from the potentially lower prices that could arise from a more competitive bidding process.
Public Impact
Individuals applying for disability benefits will have their case files reviewed. The services directly support the Social Security Administration's mission to determine eligibility for disability programs. The geographic impact is focused on the Southeast region, specifically Atlanta. The contract supports a specialized professional workforce in the medical consulting field.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Lack of clear competition for the call order could lead to suboptimal pricing.
- Limited transparency on the initial BPA competition process.
- Potential for scope creep if not managed tightly under the firm-fixed-price structure.
Positive Signals
- Firm-fixed-price contract provides cost certainty for the agency.
- Services are critical for the accurate and timely processing of disability claims.
- The contractor is responsible for specialized medical consulting expertise.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the professional services sector, specifically medical consulting, which is a critical support function for government agencies dealing with health-related eligibility determinations. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 621111, 'Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists),' indicates a focus on medical expertise. Spending in this area is often driven by program demand and regulatory requirements, making consistent and reliable service providers essential.
Small Business Impact
The contract data indicates that small business participation was not a specific set-aside (ss: false, sb: false). As this is a BPA call order, the original BPA competition may have included small business considerations, but this specific call does not appear to be directly targeted towards them. Subcontracting opportunities for small businesses are not explicitly detailed in the provided data.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight for this contract would typically fall under the Social Security Administration's program management and contracting offices. As a firm-fixed-price contract, performance monitoring and adherence to the statement of work are key oversight mechanisms. Transparency is generally maintained through contract databases, but specific details on internal review processes or Inspector General involvement for this particular BPA call are not provided.
Related Government Programs
- Social Security Administration Disability Insurance Program
- Medical Review Services
- Independent Medical Examinations
- Federal Disability Claims Processing
Risk Flags
- Lack of Competition
- Potential for Suboptimal Pricing
- Limited Performance Data Available
Tags
healthcare, social-security-administration, medical-consulting, southeast-region, blanket-purchase-agreement, call-order, firm-fixed-price, not-competed, professional-services, disability-claims
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Social Security Administration awarded $19,742 to CARMEL BOYKIN-WRIGHT. BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR MEDICAL CONSULTANT SERVICES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION (ATLANTA). REVIEWS BY MEDICAL CONSULTANT OF DISABILITY CLAIM CASE FILES FOR AGENCY DISABILITY PROGRAM. CALL ORDER FOR INDEPENDENT CASE REVIEWS.
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is CARMEL BOYKIN-WRIGHT.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Social Security Administration (Social Security Administration).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $19,742.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2026-07-01. End: 2027-06-30.
What is the track record of Carmel Boykin-Wright in providing similar medical consulting services to federal agencies?
Information regarding the specific track record of Carmel Boykin-Wright in providing medical consulting services, particularly to federal agencies, is not detailed in the provided data. To assess their suitability and past performance, a review of their contract history, client references, and any performance evaluations would be necessary. Understanding their experience with disability claim reviews and adherence to federal standards is crucial for evaluating the reliability of this contract. Without this information, it's difficult to gauge their established expertise and success rate in similar engagements.
How does the cost of these medical consultant services compare to similar contracts awarded by the SSA or other agencies?
Direct comparison of the cost for these medical consultant services is challenging without more granular data on the scope of work and the specific services rendered per case. The total contract value is $197,420 for a 364-day period. To benchmark effectively, we would need to know the number of case files to be reviewed, the complexity of each review, and the required turnaround time. If this BPA call order was competed, the pricing would reflect market rates. However, given the 'NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP' status, a direct price-to-price comparison with competitively awarded contracts is difficult and may not yield a true value-for-money assessment.
What are the primary risks associated with this contract, and how are they being mitigated?
Key risks include potential underperformance by the contractor, leading to delays in disability claim processing, and the risk of inadequate or biased medical reviews. Another risk is the potential for cost overruns if the scope of work is not clearly defined or managed, although the firm-fixed-price structure aims to mitigate this. Mitigation strategies would involve robust performance monitoring by the SSA, clear service level agreements within the BPA call order, and potentially periodic quality assurance reviews of the contractor's work. The lack of competition also presents a risk of not achieving the best possible value.
How effective is the current approach to procuring medical consultant services for disability claims?
The effectiveness of this specific procurement approach (BPA call order, not competed under SAP) is difficult to fully assess without more context on the overall strategy for acquiring medical consulting services. While BPAs can streamline the procurement of recurring needs, the lack of competition for this particular call order raises questions about efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The agency's ability to consistently secure high-quality, objective medical reviews at competitive prices is paramount to the effectiveness of its disability determination process. Evaluating this requires looking at the timeliness and accuracy of decisions influenced by these reviews.
What has been the historical spending pattern for medical consultant services by the Social Security Administration?
Historical spending patterns for medical consultant services by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are not provided in the current data. To understand this, one would need to analyze past contract awards for similar services, including BPAs, individual call orders, and other contract types. Examining trends in spending volume, average contract values, and the number of contractors utilized over several fiscal years would reveal patterns. This analysis would help determine if spending on these services is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable, and whether it aligns with changes in disability claim caseloads or policy.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Health Care and Social Assistance › Offices of Physicians › Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
Product/Service Code: MEDICAL SERVICES › OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Solicitation Procedures: SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 5143 WESTMINSTER PL, SAINT LOUIS, MO, 63108
Business Categories: Category Business, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Small Business, Sole Proprietorship, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $19,742
Exercised Options: $19,742
Current Obligation: $19,742
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: 28321322AC0440013
IDV Type: BPA
Timeline
Start Date: 2026-07-01
Current End Date: 2027-06-30
Potential End Date: 2027-06-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-04-07
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