HSP43 is a Statewide Contract for GPO Medical Commodities & Equipment used by hospitals and healthcare institutions. The contract offers a broad range of medical equipment priced at $5,000 and above per unit, including, but not limited to:

Hospital and specialty beds, 
Patient care and handling equipment,
Diagnostic and monitoring systems, 
Medical imaging equipment, 
Examination and treatment equipment, 
Surgical and clinical procedure equipment, and 
Specialized maternal, infant, and pediatric equipment. 

For additional information, please refer to the Master Blanket Purchase Order (MBPO) which includes the Request for Response (RFR).

This contract is part of the Commonwealth’s Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) contract portfolio. The GPO leverages collective purchasing power to provide competitive pricing for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical commodities, laboratory supplies, and equipment available through the following statewide contracts: 

HSP44 - Medical Commodities Statewide Contract
HSP45 - Laboratory Supplies and Equipment Statewide Contract
MED56 - Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor Statewide Contract
MED57 - Pharmaceutical GPO Statewide Contract

Benefits and Cost Savings

This contract utilizes the aggregation of the GPO’s membership and national purchasing volume to secure competitive pricing. The GPO will connect buyers directly with one of their vendor partners. The GPO may also provide you with vendor contact information so you can reach out directly to the vendor.

• Cost Savings
  • Leveraging the Commonwealth’s and the GPO's buying power to obtain competitive pricing through Group Purchasing.
• Broad Product Access
  • Gain access to a wide range of medical commodities and equipment through the GPO's agreements with vendors.
• Extensive Supplier Network
  • Connect with a comprehensive portfolio of vetted manufacturers and suppliers to meet diverse medical procurement needs efficiently. 

• Compliance Assurance
  • Utilizing HSP43 helps entities comply with their procurement laws by providing a vetted contract vehicle for medical commodities and medical equipment.

• Wide Eligibility
  • HSP43 is available for use by all eligible entities that may use Statewide Contracts.
• Simplifying the solicitation process.
• Prompt Pay Discount may be available from GPO's vendors.
• Improving the availability of environmentally preferable products.

Medical commodities and supplies that are less than $5,000 per unit can be purchased from HSP43 and HSP44. 
Laboratory supplies and equipment, pharmaceuticals and medications (including over-the-counter medications), and vaccines are not covered under the HSP43 contract.

These products are available from statewide contracts:

• Laboratory Supplies and Equipment – HSP45
• Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor & Specialty Pharmaceuticals– MED56
• Pharmaceutical GPO – MED57
  

The following is a complete list of the types of organizations generally allowed to use the Operational Service Division’s (OSD's) Statewide Contracts (SWCs). Some SWCs may be open to additional organizations, and some are more restricted in usage.

• Cities, towns, districts, counties, and other political subdivisions
• Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches, including all departments and elected offices therein
• Independent public authorities, commissions, and quasi-public agencies
• Local public libraries, public school districts, and charter schools
• Public hospitals owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Public institutions of higher education
• Public purchasing cooperatives
• Non-profit, UFR-certified organizations that are doing business with the Commonwealth
• Other states and territories and their cities, towns, districts, counties, other political subdivisions, and public institutions of higher education without prior approval from the State Purchasing Agent 
• Other entities when designated in writing by the State Purchasing Agent
  

HSP43 does not include a standard price schedule due to the broad range of medical commodities and equipment available through MHA’s agreements with participating vendors. Buyers should contact the MHA representatives for pricing information and assistance identifying vendors that can meet their agency’s specific needs.

Purchases under HSP43 are not made directly through MHA. Instead, buyers purchase supplies and equipment directly from participating manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers that have agreements with MHA. Accordingly, payments are made directly to the applicable vendor, not to MHA.

This purchasing model allows buyers to benefit from competitively negotiated pricing through MHA’s GPO agreements while maintaining a direct purchasing relationship with the manufacturer, distributor, or supplier.

MHA Account Access and Contract Information

Before purchasing under HSP43, First-time buyers and organizations not already enrolled with MHA must contact the MHA account representative to have their facility added to the MHA-GPO roster. MHA/GPO enrollment ensures access to applicable contract pricing.

What You’ll Need When Contacting MHA

When contacting MHA to begin the enrollment process, please reference Statewide Contract HSP43 and have the following information available:

Organization / Facility Details

• Facility Name
• Address
• City, State, ZIP Code
• Primary Contact

Existing Wholesaler / Distributor Accounts

If you already have established accounts with manufacturers, wholesalers and/or distributors, please have those account numbers available to share with MHA. This will help ensure that applicable contract pricing is properly linked to your existing accounts.

The purchase options identified below are the only acceptable options that may be used on this contract:

• No purchases are made from - or direct payments made to - the GPO. The GPO lists their portfolio of contracts on their website and is accessible once the buyer establishes a username and password by contacting the MHA account manager. Please note, as a buyer, you may be asked to establish an account with individual vendors you work with to purchase items. 

Note: MOSAIC and COMMBUYS do not interface. Payment request and invoice must be reported in both MOSAIC and COMMBUYS.

COMMBUYS is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' e-procurement platform, serving as a central marketplace for state agencies and other Eligible Entities to procure goods and services, connecting government buyers and businesses. It aims to streamline the purchasing process, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the procurement process.

For Executive Agencies, COMMBUYS is required. Per 801 CMR 21.00, Executive Agencies must use established Statewide Contracts (SWCs) for the purchase of products and services. To set up a COMMBUYS buyer account or to update an existing agency account, the buyers must contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk at: 888-627-8283 or OSDhelpdesk@mass.gov.

While COMMBUYS use is not mandated for Non-Executive Agencies and other Eligible Entities, it is highly recommended to streamline the procurement process and assist buyers in making informed purchasing choices. Eligible entities should follow their internal guidelines for COMMBUYS use.

Buyers can view contract documents on COMMBUYS without requiring a COMMBUYS account or logging in.  
To find contract documents in COMMBUYS, follow these steps:

1. On the COMMBUYS home page, enter HSP43 in the search tool and select Blankets from the drop-down list.
2. Select the Search icon. The related Master Blanket Purchase Orders (MBPOs) information opens in a table format. 
3. To view the associated contract documents, under the Blanket # column, select the applicable Purchase Order (PO) link. MBPO opens for the selected PO and the attachments can be found in the Agency Attachments or Vendor Attachments section. 

For repairs and services warranties, please refer to these guidelines:

• The warranty for the Commonwealth shall be the manufacturer’s standard warranty starting from the date of acceptance by the Purchasing Entity. 
• All equipment sold as new must be new, in excellent working condition, and must include the new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) equipment guarantee.
• Buyers must ensure that vendor provides warranty information for products sold under the guise of this contract, when applicable. It is understood that not all products have a warranty, and warranty coverage may differ based on product.

Extended Warranty

While most equipment includes a standard manufacturer’s warranty, the duration and coverage can vary significantly based on device type and manufacturer.  Extended warranties may offer additional protection for high-value or high-use-equipment, to help mitigate the risk of unexpected repair costs after the standard warranty expires.

Buyers are encouraged to inquire about extended warranty options when evaluating medical equipment purchases under HSP43, to determine if extended warranty options align with their organizational needs, budgets, considerations, and internal service capabilities.

Vendors' performance is measured by several factors, including the following:

• Buyers are encouraged to reach out to the Category Manager(s) (Tina Sang or Sonia Castro) if vendors are not meeting their contractual obligations and buyers may be surveyed for vendor performance feedback.
• Vendors will be evaluated on their current performance and may be asked to work with the Commonwealth toward improvement. 

For general procurement guidelines and best practices, follow these recommendations:

• Buyers should inform vendors to reference Statewide Contract HSP43 on all quotes and invoices.
• No prepayment should be made for products not yet delivered or services not yet rendered.
• No sales tax should be applied to invoices.
• No fees or surcharges (including travel, fuel, delivery) should be applied to invoices.
• Special order fees must be agreed upon by both parties upfront.
• Payments for products or services provided must be paid within 45 days per Massachusetts Bill Payment Policy, or sooner if applying Prompt Payment Discount.
• Buyers are not required to sign additional agreements with vendors that conflict with the Request for Response (RFR) Terms and Conditions. Contact the Category Manager(s) (Tina Sang or Sonia Castro) for guidance. 
• Vendors must notify buyers of product substitutions.

This contract provides environmentally preferable options wherever possible (e.g., reusable options, options with reduced toxins, options that provide reduced fuel usage, or provide other environmental benefits). To find more sustainable medical supplies and equipment, request products that meet one or more of the following:

• Are Practice Greenhealth Approved (which means products meet their Standardized Healthcare Criteria) 
• For Medical Products: Meet the standards established by  HealthCare Without Harm’s Safer Medical Products, meaning products do not contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
• For Gloves: Meet the standards established by HealthCare Without Harm’s Sustainable Glove Criteria
• Are reusable (see Practice Greenhealth and Healthcare Without Harm’s guidance Transition from Single-Use Disposables to Reusables for more information)
• For equipment, choose Energy Star registered options. 
• Choose refrigeration with Climate Friendly Refrigeration options.
• Are remanufactured, meaning that the product has been rebuilt or restored and required to meet all original equipment manufacturers’ requirements. Remanufactured products may offer significant savings while providing equivalent product form and function.   
  

Learn More

Explore the Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) Procurement Program and discover detailed guidance in the EPP Products and Services Guide.

When placing orders with a vendor, MOSAIC users must reference the contract ID number HSP43* in the Agreement ID field in MOSAIC for encumbrances related to purchases from Statewide Contracts. Please address all inquiries regarding MOSAIC technical support and job aids by emailing the Comptroller Help Desk or by calling 617-973-2468. 

*The asterisk is required when referencing the contract in the Massachusetts Management Accounting Reporting System (MOSAIC).