LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Web/IVR Based Self-Service Employee Benefits System RFP # LC-07-02

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1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Web/IVR Based Self-Service Employee Benefits System RFP # LC INTRODUCTION & GENERAL INFORMATION Livingston County Purchasing is requesting sealed proposals from qualified vendors to provide the cost for purchasing, developing, deploying and supporting a computer-integrated, web enabled, telephony-based, self service transaction system or Web/IVR system. Responses must include descriptions of all functions and features of the web based and IVR systems. A complete original (marked as such) and six (6) exact duplicate copies, for a total of 7 proposals, should be submitted in a sealed envelope evidencing the name and address of the proposer to: LIVINGSTON COUNTY PURCHASING 304 East Grand River, Suite 204 Howell, Michigan DUE DATE: March 13, 2007 at 2:00 PM EST ** PLEASE MARK YOUR ENVELOPES: Web/IVR Based Self-Service Employee Benefits System - RFP # LC-07-02** NO FAXED OR ED DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Sealed proposals must be received no later that 2:00 p.m., March 13, 2007, at the address set forth above. Proposals received after 2:00 p.m. on March 13, 2007, will not be considered. The County of Livingston officially distributes bid documents from the Livingston County Purchasing Office and the Michigan Inter-governmental Trade Network (MITN) at Copies obtained through any other source are not considered official copies. If you have obtained this document from a source other than the Livingston County Purchasing Office or MITN, it is recommended that you obtain an official copy. 1

2 Questions regarding this request shall be asked and answered on our web-based discussion group at Go to the Questions and Comments Area and click on the link to RFP# LC to post a question, view the answer or to review all questions and answers for this RFP. All questions must be posted by March 9, Questions posted after this date will not be answered. Any information obtained other than this method will be considered unofficial. If you need any assistance, contact: Roberta Bennett Livingston County Purchasing rbennett@co.livingston.mi.us 2. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS This inquiry implies no obligations on the part of Livingston County. Livingston County reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses or a portion thereof, to waive any and all irregularities and to accept the response which will best serve its interest. 3. SIGNATURE PAGE/EXCLUSIONS The Signature Page (see attached) shall be completely filled out and returned with the proposer s submission. A representative of your company who is authorized to commit your company to the requirements of this request must sign the Signature Page. If Word format for the Signature Page is preferred, please rbennett@co.livingston.mi.us to receive a copy. 4. SELECTION CRITERIA Selection criteria will include the following: Relevant prior experience with similar projects, Reputation of firm based on references, Qualifications of personnel to be assigned to the project, Security for product delivery, Cost, Results of interview, if required, Other relevant information. 2

3 5. BACKGROUND Livingston County has a self-insured health plan for active employees, covering six bargaining units and a nonunion group. Blue Cross Blue Shield is the sole provider of health and dental benefits. As of January 2006, the County had 543 active employees of which approximately 400 are eligible to participate in our cafeteria style flexible spending accounts referred to as County Choices. A buyout amount is offered during open enrollment to employees who elect not to participate in the health and/or dental plans. Eligible employees are provided a Section 125 plan in which they are allowed to purchase/sell a variety of benefits: broader health or dental coverage, vision, life, AD&D, long term disability, dependent life, vacation, and un-reimbursed medical/ dependent care. Therefore, we have several employee groups participating within County Choices with various benefit options available. Currently, our complete County Choices program is done manually, in-house by staff in the Human Resource Department. Provide a sample of your solution to Livingston County. At a minimum, our goal is to partner with a vendor that will provide automation of our County Choices program in the most cost effective, labor reduction manner; while compiling with all Federal, State and local laws. The ability to upload the employee benefits expenditures into our ADP Payroll will be required. 6. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS In your response, at a minimum, include the following: Provide a brief company history that includes the number of years your firm has been providing the requested services. Provide three (3) references where your firm has provided similar services. We anticipate award and use of these services for our 2007 open enrollment that must take place prior to our benefit start date of July 1, Therefore, time is of the essence. Submit a proposed timeline that reflects the meeting of this goal. 3

4 7. SCOPE OF WORK The Web/IVR system must enable any authorized user to access and manage their information and elections pertaining to benefits via the internet and the telephone and facilitate the tasks of the County's Human Resources Department. Responses must include descriptions of all functions and features of the web based and IVR systems. Functional Requirements: 1. Benefits processes can be initiated at any time via the Web/IVR by various persons, including: * Human Resources Department * Employees, dependents, former employees or retirees 2. The system must provide user verification and authentication mechanisms which guarantee positive identification of the user. * User ID & Password. The system must be able to positively identify the user using a combination of a user identifier and a personal identification number (PIN). 3. Using either the web or IVR system, eligible participants must be able to: a. Set up an initial enrollment for any benefit or program as a: New employee, First-time eligible; or First-time election; b. Access individual benefits profiles to review and process changes to/for: Exercise of enrollment options at policy driven windows of opportunity (i.e. change in status, retirement); Exercise of enrollment options at open enrollment; Add and remove dependents; Elect coverage; Waive coverage; Change plan(s); Change option within a plan; Change type of membership (single, two-person, family); Change beneficiaries; Change marital status; or 4

5 Change address 4. The Human Resource Department must have access to: All information available to employees of the County; Request generation and delivery of reports on individual benefits elections; Request generation and delivery of all predefined reports available in the system. 5. Authorized Human Resources and Payroll personnel must have ability to request generation and delivery of systems activity reports for the Web/IVR systems, for example: counts of hits and throughput by type of activity or counts of policy driven rejects by activity. Provide sample reports where applicable. 6. The system must be able to institute and discontinue a benefit contribution strategy without compromising any other requirements. Features of such a strategy include: * Rules for earning benefits credits; * Personal accounts for each employee/retiree with benefit credits at the beginning of the plan year/employment/eligibility; and * Dated transaction electing benefits, records of deductions from credits and credit balances. 7. The system must be modular so that benefits and programs can be added or subtracted without affecting its integrity or performance. 8. The application must facilitate changes in premiums, benefit plans, and programs. 9. The system must be able to evaluate employee elections to alert of possible issues with respect to rules relating to evidence of insurability, dependent eligibility, etc. 10. The applications must alert employees/retirees of policy based eligibility rules which may affect them, for example, eligibility for Medicare. 11. Confirmation statements of changes made by authorized users, and suspense transactions for the Human Resource Department must be generated. Users must have the option of receiving confirmation notices via or printed and sent via internal ail system. 12. HRIS and payroll system population on a systematic and consistent basis, with potential for 'global recalculations' during each period as opposed to 'frozen' benefit levels, ages, wages, etc. 5

6 13. The application should provide employees with access to self-help/support resources. This function should provide employees with access to document distribution/viewing/reference, communications, etc. 14. Provide security in regards to the employees personal information 7. COMPENSATION Proposals must include costs for and descriptions of: * Services * Hardware & Software * Security * Training * Installation Services * Maintenance for all products delivered and developed * Technical Support * Account Management Structure and Support * Performance Guarantees * Reporting Features (Ad hoc, custom and standard) 6

7 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS A. INDEMNIFICATION AND HOLD HARMLESS The Contractor whose proposal is accepted must agree to the following indemnification and hold harmless responsibilities: The Contractor shall, at its own expense, protect, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Livingston County, its elected and appointed officers, employees and agents from all claims, damages (including but not limited direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special and punitive damages), costs, lawsuits and expenses including, but not limited to, all costs from administrative proceedings, court costs, and attorney fees, that they may incur as a result of any acts, omissions or negligence of the selected firm, its employees or agents or its subcontractors of sub-subcontractors, or any of their officers, employees or agents which may arise out of the contract. The Contractor s indemnification responsibilities shall include the sum of damages, costs and expenses which are in excess of the sum paid out on behalf of or reimbursed to Livingston County or its elected and appointed officers, employees, agents or by the insurance coverage obtained and/or maintained by the selected firm pursuant to the requirements of this RFP and the contract entered into. B. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Contractor and its subcontractors, as required by law, shall not discriminate against the employee or applicant for employment with the respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or a matter directly related to employment, because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability that is unrelated to the individual s ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position, height, weight, or marital status. Breach of this covenant may be regarded as a material breach of the Contract. The Contractor agrees to post notices containing this policy against discrimination in conspicuous places available to applicants for employment and employees. All solicitations or advertisements for employees, placed by or on the behalf of the Contract, will state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status and religion. 7

8 C. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The Contractor whose proposal is accepted must meet and agree to maintain during the term of the contract the following insurance coverage requirements. All coverages shall be with insurance companies licensed and admitted to do business in the State of Michigan. All coverage s shall be with insurance carriers acceptable to the County and have an A.M. Best Company s Insurance Reports Rating of A or A- (Excellent). A. The Contractor shall carry Workers Compensation and Employer s Liability Insurance Coverage, as required by law. In the event that the Contractor uses subcontractors and subsubcontractors for the performance of services required under this proposal, the Contractor shall ensure that said subcontractors and sub-subcontractors carry Workers Compensation and Employer s Liability Insurance coverage, as required by law. B. The Contractor shall procure and maintain during the term of the contract, Commercial General Liability Insurance on an Occurrence basis with limits of liability of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate combined single limit, for Personal Injury, Bodily Injury and Property Damage. Coverage shall include the following extensions: (1) Contractual Liability; (2) Products and Completed Operations Coverage; (3) Independent Contractors Coverage; (4) Broad Form General Liability Extensions or equivalent; if not in policy proper. C. The Contractor(s) shall maintain Vehicle Liability Coverage, and Michigan No-Fault coverage s including all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles, of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit. D. Commercial General Liability Insurance, as described above, shall include an endorsement stating that the following shall be Additional Insureds: The County of Livingston, all elected and appointed officials, all employees and volunteers, all boards, commissions, and/or authorities and board members, including employees and volunteers thereof. E. Workers Compensation Insurance, Commercial General Liability Insurance, and Vehicle Liability Insurance as described above shall include an endorsement stating the following: It is understood and agreed that thirty (30) days Advance Written Notice of Cancellation, Non-Renewal, Reduction and/or Material Change shall be sent to: Livingston County Purchasing, 304 East Grand River, Suite 204, Howell, MI, F. Cancellation Notice: If any of the above coverage s expire during the term of the Agreement, the Contractor s insurer shall deliver renewal certification and/or policies to: Livingston County Purchasing, 304 East Grand River, Suite 204, Howell, MI, 48843, at least thirty (30) days prior to expiration. 8

9 D. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR Contractor is an independent contractor. All employees, servants, or agents of the contractor shall in no way be deemed to be and shall not hold themselves out to be employees, servants or agents of Livingston County and shall not be entitled to any fringe benefits which the County provides its employees, including, but not limited to, health and accident insurance, life insurance, paid sick or vacation leave and longevity. The Contractor shall be responsible for their payment of the salary, wages or other compensation which may be due its employees, servants and agents for services performed under these specifications and for the withholding and payment of all applicable taxes including, but not limited to, income and social security taxes to the proper Federal, State and local governments that arises out of providing the services as requested herein. E. COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 To the extent the Contractor has access to health information of participants that is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law , as amended. Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of HIPAA and the rules and regulations which are promulgated pursuant thereto, 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, as amended. Access shall be limited to the minimum necessary to provide the applicable service. Breach of this section shall be a material breach of contract. F. ASSIGNMENT OR SUBCONTRACTING The successful Contractor may not assign, subcontract or otherwise transfer its duties and/or obligation without written consent from Livingston County. G. GIFTS/GRATUITIES Elected Officials, Department Heads, and/or County employees will not be offered or entitled to receive personal gifts, gratuities, credits or other benefits of economic value by reason of their official business. 9

10 LIVINGSTON COUNTY RFP # LC Signature Sheet Name of Firm: Address: Telephone Number: Address: Fax Number: Federal Tax ID Number: CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Partnership, Non Profit Corporation, Profit Corporation Other, Specify: If awarded a contract in response to this proposal, our company: Will Will not be able to meet the specifications as required in Section C: Insurance Requirements. Signature of Authorized Signatory: Title and Name of Agency: Name of Authorized Signatory (Print): Date: The above individual is authorized to sign on behalf of the company submitting this proposal. Proposals must be signed by an official authorized to bind the provider to its provisions for at least a period of 90 days. 10