Maryland Department of Health Seeks Ad Agency

The Maryland Department of Health (the Department), Office of Innovation, Research, and Development, Office of the Medicaid Director, is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop and produce a small multimedia campaign comprising video, print and social media components for placement on HealthChoice Managed Care

Organization’s (MCOs) websites, the Department’s HealthChoice Diabetes Prevention Program (HealthChoice DPP) website, BeHealthyMaryland.gov, social media, and in healthcare provider offices. The goals of the campaign are to educate HealthChoice enrollees and HealthChoice healthcare providers about prediabetes, raise awareness of the HealthChoice DPP, and increase enrollment in participating Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- recognized organizations. The target audiences for the ad campaign are at-risk HeathChoice enrollees and their health care providers.

Background:

In Maryland, an estimated 1.5 million adult residents have prediabetes, a health condition characterized by blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.1 Persons with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Prediabetes is treatable, but only about 10 percent of people who have it are aware that they do.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)is a structured, evidence-based, year-long program to prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The National DPP lifestyle change program is founded on the science of the Diabetes Prevention Program research study, and subsequent translation studies, which showed that making realistic behavior changes helped people with prediabetes lose 5 percent to 7percent of their body weight and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58percent (71percent for people over 60 years old). The program is group-based, facilitated by a trained lifestyle coach, and uses a CDC-approved curriculum. The curriculum supports regular interaction between the lifestyle coach and participants; builds peer support; and focuses on behavior modification through healthy eating, increasing physical activity, and managing stress. The program may be delivered in-person, online, via distance learning or through a combination of these delivery modes.3

In 2016, through a cooperative agreement with the CDC, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) awarded funding to Maryland Medicaid in collaboration with the Center for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention (the Center) to implement the Maryland Medicaid and National DPP demonstration. The purpose of the demonstration was to promote Medicaid delivery models for the National DPP through Managed Care Organizations. As a result of this demonstration, the Department applied for and received a §1115 HealthChoice demonstration waiver amendment that authorizes Medicaid to offer the National DPP lifestyle change program to HealthChoice enrollees beginning September 1, 2109. Currently, there are 53 CDC-recognized organizations offering the National DPP lifestyle change program in Maryland. These organizations are eligible to enroll with Maryland Medicaid and contract with MCOs to offer the National DPP lifestyle change program to HealthChoice enrollees.

The State is issuing this solicitation for the purposes of developing and producing small campaign, comprised of a minimum of two video ads and print/electronic materials for placement on multiple websites, including but not limited to: HealthChoice Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) websites, the Department’s HealthChoice DPP website, BeHealthyMaryland.gov, social media (i.e. Facebook), and in healthcare provider offices. The goals of the campaign are to educate HealthChoice enrollees and HealthChoice healthcare providers about prediabetes, raise awareness of the HealthChoice DPP, and increase enrollment of eligible enrollees into participating CDC-recognized organizations. The target audiences for the ad campaigns are 1) eligible, at-risk HeathChoice enrollees and 2) their MCO’s health care providers.

Scope of Work:

The Contractor shall provide:

1. Work Plan and Time Line:
2. Provide a work plan/production schedule for the duration of the contract, beginning on August 1, 2019 ending September 1, 2019, with a timeline for campaign development, including sketches/story boards, shooting schedule, cut stages, bi-weekly production meetings with the Department and any other important or relevant production milestones.
3. Within one week of the award, the selected Offeror will have an in-person meeting with the Office of Innovation, Research, and Development staff at the Maryland Department of Health (the Department) headquarters in Baltimore, MD to finalize the project timeline and production schedule.

• Videos
• The first video ad for targeting at-risk HealthChoice enrollees, inclusive of African- American, Hispanic, Asian, and white populations, must include a focus on enrollee experience with being diagnosed with prediabetes, being referred to and experience participating in the National DPP lifestyle change program, their successful outcomes of the program, and prompt other eligible HealthChoice enrollees to talk with their healthcare providers and/or MCOs about joining the program. The video must include a minimum of four (4) testimonials. Three of these must be from HealthChoice enrollees who participated in the Maryland Medicaid National DPP Demonstration — one from an in-person program and two from a virtual program.. The Department will assist the selected Offeror in identifying the HealthChoice enrollees. At least one testimonial should be from a lifestyle coach; additional testimonials may be included from other perspectives, such as from a referring provider (i.e. PCP or specialist). The Department will guide vendors in identifying individuals willing to provide testimonials. The video should be two to three minutes in length and should also be able to be compressed into one or more 10-20 second video clips. The selected Offeror must work with the Department to develop a script and/or questions to guide video participant testimonials.
• The second video should target HealthChoice providers and at-risk enrollees, who are inclusive of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and white populations, talking about what prediabetes is, and referring them to the National DPP lifestyle change program The video should provide a call to action that HealthChoice enrollees talk with their healthcare provider and/or MCO about joining the program. The video must feature a HealthChoice enrollee who participated in the Medicaid and National DPP demonstration, and portray a healthcare provider discussing diagnosis of prediabetes and the process for screening, testing, and referring a person to the National DPP lifestyle change program. The Department will assist the selected Offeror in identifying healthcare providers and HealthChoice enrollees. This video would ideally be placed in healthcare provider or clinic waiting rooms, and on the Department websites. The video should be two to three minutes in length with a one minute cutout and should also be able to be compressed into one or more 10-20 second video clips. The selected Offeror must develop an initial script and/or questions to guide healthcare providers and HealthChoice enrollees offering testimonials, and work with the Department program staff to refine before final production

• Print/Social Media Graphics

The selected Offeror will design two print advertisements of various sizes for each video ad using still images and appropriate copy from the video ads. These print ads will complement the video ads and will be used for future advertising or printed publications.

Due Date:

July 3, 2019

Address:

Sabrina A. Lewis

Procurement & MBE Coordinator

MCP – Office of Finance

201 W. Preston St. – Room 218

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

sabrina.lewis@maryland.gov

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