Federal Intelligence: What is AbilityOne?
By: Albie Barclay, director of the federal market development at Noridian Healthcare Solutions
Here’s a fun fact about Noridian Healthcare Solutions: We’ve been working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Medicare since the program’s inception in 1965. As a result, we’ve been front and center as Medicare has evolved with new programs, requirements, rules, etc. Therefore, our industry knowledge is quite extensive, and we believe it’s best practice to share those insights with others which is why we’re kicking off our Federal Intelligence series. From time to time, we’ll do a deep dive into new changes that are affecting federal health care programs and share our insights on what to expect.
For our first one, we’re going to celebrate Disability Pride Month and the anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) by focusing on the AbilityOne program. The AbilityOne program is the largest collective source of employment for people with disabilities in the United States. Before we dive into how it’s affecting federal health care programs, let’s cover some key background points.
- AbilityOne is an independent federal agency that was developed in the 1930s by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration.
- Focused on utilizing America’s underutilized workforce, who historically have experienced the lowest employment rate of any segment of U.S. society, to deliver high-quality, mission-essential products, and services to federal agencies in quality employment opportunities.
- Helped more than 36,000 individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities, including more than 2,500 veterans, find employment at more than 440 nonprofit agencies from Maine to Guam.
- Provided nearly $4 billion in products and services to approximately 40 federal government agencies in 2021.
In support of this program, all federal agencies have been requested by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) to designate an AbilityOne representative to help raise awareness and support the inclusion of program requirements in future procurements. CMS and Health and Human Services’ (HHS) near-term goal is to reach 1 to 1.5% of overall spend be attributed to AbilityOne non-profit agencies (NPAs).
It’s important to note that AbilityOne NPAs are not classified by CMS as a small or large business, but instead are placed in the ‘other’ category. As a result, using AbilityOne NPAs does not impact existing small business plans or small business allocations that are part of many procurements. However, AbilityOne NPAs are classified as “small” in Department of Defense (DoD) procurements. Also, in March of 2023, the U.S. AbilityOne Commission announced a proposed rule to support competition in the AbilityOne program. The comment period was extended to June 12, 2023.
Although we are just starting to witness AbilityOne requirements in new CMS procurements, we anticipate the focus on using these contractors in federal procurements will continue to increase. We will continue to think how best to leverage the skills and expertise of the AbilityOne workforce in future procurements.
With a long history of supporting the goals of the government and the agencies we serve, Noridian is excited to work with AbilityOne NPAs to find ways to leverage the talents of people with disabilities by integrating them into our team. If you are an AbilityOne NPA and are interested in learning more about our work and if there’s an opportunity to partner with us, please reach out to us on our Contact Us page.
About the author
Albert (Albie) Barclay is a business development leader who drives rapid and sustainable growth within the federal and state healthcare markets. Regarded for his ability to accelerate engagement with new and existing accounts, Barclay has assumed multiple transformative roles over the course of his career.
Currently, Barclay serves as the director of federal market development for Noridian Healthcare Solutions. He oversees a team focused on the acquisition and expansion of federal accounts. Barclay holds a Master of Business Administration from University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in History from University of Maryland. He is also an Agile Certified Practitioner, Certified Business Analysis Professional, Project Management Professional, and Six Sigma Green Belt.