ToR - Data Entry Services for Analysis of NSSF Inpatient Claims

Background and Rationale

Lebanon has been grappling with a severe financial and economic crisis since late 2019, marked by a dramatic devaluation of the Lebanese Pound, soaring inflation, and a collapse of public services. This crisis has significantly undermined the adequacy of health benefits provided by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), particularly within its Sickness and Maternity Branch. One of the most pressing challenges has been the stagnation of medical tariffs, many of which remain pegged to pre-crisis price lists denominated in local currency. As the value of the Lebanese Pound has plummeted, these tariffs have become grossly inadequate, failing to reflect the actual cost of medical services and devices.

Consequently, NSSF beneficiaries are increasingly burdened with high out-of-pocket expenditures, eroding their financial protection and access to essential healthcare. This situation has prompted the need for a data-driven reassessment of the NSSF’s medical tariffs and reimbursement mechanisms, especially concerning medical devices used in hospitalization claims.

To support this effort, the ILO, in line with its commitment to supporting the NSSF under the project “Supporting Social Security and Institutional Reforms towards a Strengthened Social Protection System in Lebanon”, funded by the FCDO, is seeking a data entry company that will be involved in an assignment to digitize two samples – each comprising 3,000 hospitalization claims from different fiscal years, totalling 6,000 claims.

This initiative will enable the NSSF’s technical committee to analyse utilization and expenditure patterns related to medical devices. In addition, the collected data will feed into a costing study for inpatient health services. These insights will inform a tariffs revision exercise at the NSSF and evidence-based adjustments to the NSSF’s reimbursement basis for medical devices, both aiming to restore adequacy and improve financial protection for beneficiaries, as well as to ensure financial sustainability for the Fund. Specifically, the NSSF’s technical committee will seek through an analytical study to: Expand the scope of the medical device tariffs to better reflect the range of devices currently utilized in hospitalization settings; Revise and propose an adjusted price list and reimbursement basis for medical devices to enhance the adequacy of coverage and reduce the financial burden on beneficiaries; Explore the alignment of medical device codes with internationally recognized medical coding systems, thereby improving data accuracy, consistency, and overall healthcare management efficiency.

Objective

The objective of this assignment is to support the NSSF and its technical committee in the digitization of a sample of 6,000 hospitalization claims.

Scope of Work

The selected company will be required to carry out the assignment entirely within the premises of the NSSF. The company must adhere to strict data protection protocols and coordinate closely with the NSSF and its technical committee throughout the assignment.

The data entry process will involve both alphabetical and numerical data (the NSSF’s hospitalization claim forms in addition to select data fields from the annexed hospital invoices) requiring attention to accuracy and consistency across all records.

The data entry work will be overseen and guided by the NSSF.

The scope of work will include the following:

Planning:

• Conduct meetings with the NSSF and its technical committee to gain a comprehensive understanding of the requirements and objectives of the assignment.
• Assess the current state of the paper-based data, including its organization and condition.
• Propose and apply files classification to enhance traceability and data organization.
• Propose and agree with the ILO on the sampling technique for selecting paper-based inpatient claim records spanning both the pre- and post-financial crisis periods (i.e., before and after 2019), ensuring that the selected sample is statistically robust and representative–with respect to the hospitals’ level of care and geographic distribution, and patients’ key demographic characteristics–for analytical purposes.
• After reviewing the NSSF hospitalization claim forms, the selected company will be required to explore and review the data entry tool developed by the NSSF and specifically adapted to the requirements of this exercise. This step will allow the selected company to develop and conduct its internal training program for its data entry staff assigned to this assignment.
• Develop a detailed work plan in line with the required timeframe (see below) for completing the data entry process, including the data entry protocols, quality control measures, and data validation plan that needs to be agreed with all partners, ensuring alignment with project goals and the expectations of the NSSF.

Data Collection and Organization:

• Collaborate with the NSSF to access and retrieve the required sample of hospitalization claims and organize physical records requiring data entry.

Data Entry:

• Accurately and efficiently input the sample of hospitalization claim forms and the required data fields from the annexed hospital invoices into the data entry tool.
• Follow strict data entry protocols and quality control measures to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of all sensitive data and physical records.

Data Validation:

• Carefully implement the data validation plan.
• Ensure the entered data is accurate and reliable through multiple layers of quality controls.
• Conduct regular data quality checks by supervisor/technical lead to identify and correct errors.
• Implement data validation procedures to ensure data integrity and accuracy.

Reporting:

• Provide weekly progress reports against work plan detailing the volume of data entered, issues encountered, and corrective measures taken.
• Submit a final report summarizing the outcomes of the assignment.

Data Security:

• Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
• Comply with all relevant data privacy and security regulations.

Additional Information

Logistical Requirements:

• The NSSF will provide workspace for up to 20 persons (data entry clerks and supervisor).
• The NSSF will provide the required number of PCs, verified for functionality and with access to the data entry tool.
• Working time is the NSSF’s usual working time: Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm.
• The NSSF’s hospitalization claim forms are stored in the NSSF’s warehouse. The bidders would need to consider dedicating one office boy to transport boxes containing those forms from the warehouse – located within the NSSF’s premises.

Software Program:

• The selected company will have access to the NSSF’s data entry tool specifically developed and adapted to the requirements of this exercise. Each user will receive a username which will facilitate both access and traceability.

Sample Data Forms:

• It is estimated that it takes a data officer on average 10 minutes for data entry and 5 minutes for validation per claim form. The total sample size is 6,000 claim forms.
• Interested companies can request – in writing to the ILO via email to jabbourr@ilo.org and azzig@ilo.org – to receive a number of mock hospitalization claim forms that include all the data fields that need to be digitized.

Potential issues in data entry:

• During the data entry exercise, if a claim form is unclear or unreadable, data entry clerks should set it aside, continue with other forms, and report it to the NSSF liaison officer for replacement to preserve the sample size.

Timeline and Deliverables

The assignment will commence on 1 October 2025 and needs to be concluded no later than 31 October 2025. The completion of deliverables shall be confirmed, to the satisfaction of the ILO, the NSSF and its technical committee, in line with the established reporting mechanism.

Deliverable

Payment Percentage

Deadline

Inception Report (including a detailed Work Plan with a data quality and validation plan), weekly progress reports, and successful completion of the 50% of the sample of hospitalization claims*

50%

17 October 2025

Weekly progress reports, successful completion of the 100% of the sample of hospitalization claims*, and final report summarizing the outcomes of the assignment

50%

31 October 2025

* As verified through progress reports.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

The selected data entry company must possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Proven track record in executing large-scale data entry and database management projects, preferably in social sectors.
• Demonstrated capacity to handle high volumes of data entry within tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
• Familiarity with modern IT tools and software relevant to data entry and database management.
• Expertise in data quality control and validation procedures.
• Experience with data security and privacy regulations.
• Availability of a qualified and experienced data entry team with the necessary skills to complete the assignment effectively.
• Capacity to meet project deadlines and deliverables.
• Demonstrated commitment to adhering to strict data security and confidentiality protocols.
• Flexibility, effective communication, and a collaborative approach with NSSF staff are a must.
• Ability to respond promptly to staff turnover and maintain uninterrupted implementation of activities
• An Arabic-speaking team is mandatory to ensure smooth and effective communication with NSSF staff.
• Previous experience working with social protection or healthcare systems will be considered a strong advantage.