Karna LLC (75D301-25-R-73216)

B-424039,B-424039.2,B-424039.3 Feb 20, 2026 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Karna, LLC, of Atlanta, Georgia, protests the award of a contract to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 75D301-25-R-73216, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for a contractor to administer a health benefits program. The protester challenges the agency's conduct of discussions, evaluation of proposals, and resulting source selection decision. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Matter of: Karna, LLC File: B-424039; B-424039.2; B-424039.3 Date: February 20, 2026 Craig A. Holman, Esq., Kara L. Daniels, Esq., Amanda J. Sherwood, Esq., Roee Talmor, Esq., Sarah Belmont, Esq., and Dustin Vesey, Esq., Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, for the protester. Noah B. Bleicher, Esq., Moshe B. Broder, Esq., Elizabeth M.D. Pullin, Esq., Jennifer Eve Retener, Esq., Aime JH. Joo, Esq., Sierra A. Paskins, Esq., and Megan C. Bodenhamer, Esq., Jenner & Block LLP, for General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., the intervenor. Joon K. Hong, Esq., and Brandon Dell'Aglio, Esq., Department of Health and Human Services, for the agency. Heather Self, Esq., and Peter H. Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest arguing the agency conducted discussions unequally is denied where solicitation provided for separate discussions specific to proposed betterments, and in accordance with this provision the agency conducted an extra round of discussions with the only offeror in the competitive range that proposed betterments. 2. Protest challenging evaluation of technical proposals and conduct of discussions is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation, and concerns not raised during discussions were not significant weaknesses. 3. Protest that agency failed to conduct a comparative assessment of offerors' past performance and recognize protester's superiority under this factor is denied because protester was not competitively prejudiced by any errors that may have occurred. 3. Protest alleging the agency failed to evaluate realism of offerors' levels of effort, as required by the solicitation, is denied where contention is not supported by the record. DECISION Karna, LLC, of Atlanta, Georgia, protests the award of a contract to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 75D301-25-R-73216, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for a contractor to administer a health benefits program. The protester challenges the agency's conduct of discussions, evaluation of proposals, and resulting source selection decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND In 2011, Congress established the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP or “the Program”) to provide medical monitoring and treatment for people suffering adverse health conditions resulting from responding to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Agency Report (AR), Exh. 1.10, RFP Amend. 9 at 98 (citing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-347, signed into law on Jan. 2, 2011).[1] The CDC administers the Program through services performed under multiple interconnected contracts, two of which are the Health Program Support (HPS) contract and the Nationwide Provider Network (NPN) contract. Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 1. The agency explains the solicitation at issue here--which seeks to award a contract for third party administrator (TPA) services for the Program--is intended to replace the current HPS contract and incorporate aspects of the NPN contract to create greater efficiencies. COS at 1. In this regard, in 2021, the Program conducted an efficiency and effectiveness review. This review concluded that the HPS and NPN contractors performed duplicative functions for two different Program member populations--with the HPS contractor performing services for members inside the New York Metropolitan Area (NYMA) and the NPN contractor performing services for members outside the NYMA. Id. Following the efficiency review, the CDC undertook a consolidation effort to combine aspects of the HPS and NPN contracts into a single, new TPA contract vehicle. Id. In 2022, the agency issued solicitation No. 75D301-22-Q-74251 seeking proposals for the new consolidated TPA requirements, and on May 31 awarded the TPA contract to Cahaba Safeguard Administrators, LLC, of Birmingham, Alabama. COS at 2. Two unsuccessful offerors--Karna and GDIT--protested the initial award to Cahaba.