Fayetteville Public Schools Request for Proposals

Transcription

1 Fayetteville Public Schools Request for Proposals TITLE: DEPARTMENT: Employee Benefits Broker Services Human Resources ISSUE DATE: May 28, 2013 DUE DATE: 4:00 PM, June 11, 2013 ISSUING AGENCY: Fayetteville Public Schools Human Resources Department-Greg Mones 1000 W. Bulldog Blvd. Fayetteville, AR Sealed Proposals subject to the conditions made a part hereof will be accepted until 4:00 p.m., June 11, 2013 for furnishing services described herein. IMPORTANT NOTE: Indicate firm name and opening date on the front of each sealed proposal envelope or package. Electronically submitted ( /fax) proposals will not be accepted. Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Greg Mones Fayetteville Public Schools 1000 W. Bulldog Blvd. Fayetteville, AR phone/ fax greg.mones@fayar.net NOTE: Questions concerning the RFP requirements must be submitted by . They may be ed to Greg Mones (no phone calls) at greg.mones@fayar.net Questions must be submitted no later than 4:00 P.M. on June 5, All questions submitted will be answered in the form of an addendum to this Request for Proposals. No direct contact with the Human Resources Department will be allowed during the proposal process. Any vendors contacting the using department(s) directly may subject their proposal to rejection. 1

2 Purpose: The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit offers from qualified brokers to assist Fayetteville Public Schools with strategically planning, designing and negotiating the best coverage and cost for selective employee benefit programs. Additionally, the district is seeking a broker partner that has the resources and system to educate both the HR staff and district employees on changing benefit laws and requirements on a timely basis. The School System has approximately 1,000 benefit eligible employees. Fayetteville Public Schools is constantly competing to recruit and retain the best employees possible. Our leadership is looking to ensure we have financially competitive and affordable benefit programs to offer our employees. The District s current employee benefit package includes the following on a payroll deduct basis: Voluntary products Cancer Insurance Critical Illness Insurance Vision Insurance Short Term Disability Life Insurance Long Term Care Insurance Employer provided products Group Life/AD&D Group Long Term Disability Group Dental Insurance with an Employee buy-up plan As Agent of Record you will be required to service the above products and provide all services around these products. School District is not bidding out specific products at this time. This will be decided once an Agent of Record is selected. Scope of Work: Fayetteville Public Schools will give strong preference to an Arkansas licensed Broker that is independent and is not affiliated with any benefit provider, insurance company, third party administrative agency or provider network. The brokerage firm must have experience (no less than 5 years) in providing brokerage services for public employers with at least 1000 employees. Experience providing brokerage services to school systems is preferred. Fayetteville Public Schools requires the following services: A) Audit any resulting contracts for accuracy of coverage, terms and conditions. B) Have access to or be able to provide independent legal counsel on various benefit issues, including but not limited to ERISA, health care reform, etc. C) Assist with annual benefits renewals, including negotiation of changes in contracts. 2

3 D) When employee benefits are marketed, prepare bid specifications, identify appropriate markets, summarize and present all bids received, make recommendations, and assist in negotiation of (preferably multi-year) contracts. E) Annual reviews of selected employee benefit package for quality of benefits provided, cost effectiveness, competitiveness and plan administration. F) Monitor ongoing contracts, including provider plan administration, provider compliance with contract, and incurred claims. G) Provide timely, strategic, and detailed information to both Human Resources and District employees on relevant employee benefit issues, trends and proposed or existing/new legislation. H) Assist the District in resolving disputes with insurers. I) Provide timely and accurate reporting of benefit usage and participation. Reporting is to include, but not limited to, enrollment gains, losses, product loss ratio, etc. J) Be available to meet with the Benefits staff and School Administrators on a monthly basis. K) Assist in the design of employee benefits communications. Participate in annual Benefit Fairs and enrollment process. L) Provide complete and timely reporting involving any and all fees paid to broker or any other vendor resulting from benefit offerings. M) Provide a key local contact person to be available to answer questions and resolve issues that arise during the plan year regarding employee benefits, contract administration, and service provisions. N) Evaluate various insurance products submitted by carriers, agents and brokers, and provide recommendations for enhancements via review with district staff as needed. O) Perform other related consultation services as needed or requested. P) Establish and maintain a comprehensive benefits webpage (to include online enrollment), hosted either at the brokers site or at the District s site. Q) Be the district s initial contact for all sales people marketing employee benefit products. Vendor Proposal Requirements: The proposal response must clearly demonstrate the required qualifications, expertise, competence and capability of the vendor. Please provide a concise description of your firm s ability to provide the services required in the Scope of this document. Costs incurred by firms responding to this RFP are solely their responsibility. Additionally, please include the answers to the following questions (address by number): 1. Provide an overview of your company including why it would be the best choice for the Fayetteville Public Schools. 2. Describe your contractual relationships, if any, with organizations necessary to your proposal s implementation (i.e. actuarial services, data information services). 3

4 3. Describe your organizational structure (i.e. publicly held corporation, partnership, etc.). 4. Confirm that you are a licensed and bonded broker in Arkansas and provide documentation. Confirm that you serve as a broker, independently, and are not affiliated with any insurance company, third party administrative agency or provider network. 5. How long has your organization been providing brokerage services? 6. How many clients does your organization presently have? Typically, how many clients does each broker manage? Typically, how many client employees does each broker manage? 7. What is your target client size? 8. What is your median client size? What is the name of your largest client and your smallest client? 9. How many public sector clients do you personally manage? 10. Provide an aggregate percentage of your book of business by carrier and by benefit offering. 11. What is your average response time to questions posed from your clients? How do you handle follow up to outstanding items? What is your preferred method of communicating with your clients (i.e. voic , , fax)? 12. Please provide a list of four verifiable client references of similar scope and industry, all of whom are able to comment on your organization s relevant experience. This list should include at least three active client references that are similar in nature and size to Fayetteville Public Schools, and one reference from a former client. Please include company name, contact name, telephone number and size of company s workforce. It is the vendor s responsibility to provide valid reference information and Fayetteville Public Schools the right to use reference checks in its evaluation of proposals. 12a. Furnish a list of your three largest public sector accounts including services you provided and for which benefit plans, the time period you have serviced the account, the number of covered employees, and contact name and phone number. 13. Please describe the organizational structure of the brokers who would provide services to the school system (i.e. individual broker, individual broker with supporting back up, team of brokers). List the annual turnover rate for said 4

5 brokers for the last five years. Include a brief professional history for each individual and how they are qualified to provide services to the school system. 14. Briefly describe the level of service and support provided by your brokers on a day-to-day basis. 15. What steps does your organization take to ensure that each broker is educated on current market trends and legislative developments? How is this information communicated to your clients? 16. Describe how you propose to build an understanding of the direction and priorities of Fayetteville Public Schools and how you would utilize this information in order to anticipate our needs in relation to benefits. 17. Detail how your organization participates in developing a strategic benefit plan with your clients. 18. Describe your organization s involvement in the annual renewal process. Include information regarding process timeframes, negotiation of rates and vendor selection. 19. Describe the process of how your organization would assist Fayetteville Public Schools in selecting a new benefits vendor. Include how your company s experience and expertise would benefit the school system. 20. Disclose any business relationship(s) that you may have with any insurance provider or third party administrator who provides services contemplated in this RFP. 21. What is your process for providing plan recommendations to your clients? 22. Describe how your organization strives to streamline benefit administration for your clients. Include any services you provide for automation of the benefit process (i.e. electronic capabilities, outsourcing options). Attach any associated costs for these services on a separate fee schedule. 23. Detail how you develop a benefit communication strategy with your clients. Include what tools or resources you have available to assist your clients in effectively communicating not only the specific plan details but also the value of the benefits offered? 24. What training resources does your organization provide to assist your clients in educating and training their benefit staff? 25. What makes your organization unique from other organizations that may submit proposals for Fayetteville Public Schools consideration? 5

6 26. Provide any additional information regarding your organization or services that you feel would be beneficial in helping Fayetteville Public Schools select a benefits broker. 27. Please detail your administrative capabilities on benefits plan compliance issues (discrimination testing, Form 5500, etc.). 28. Please provide a list of the products your company has brokered for your clients. Criteria for Evaluation: All proposals will be evaluated according to, but not necessarily limited to, the following: The proposal s Plan of Services as required in item 3. Scope of Work and 4. Vendor Proposal Requirements. Extent and success of previous work provided to organizations similar in nature and size to those required herein. References provided verifying the required experience and level of service needed by the school system. The proposal itself as an example of the potential vendor s work. Qualifications/experience of key personnel to be assigned to the project. All required forms completed and returned as part of the proposal package. Pricing: Please clearly outline any and all costs associated with the required services on a separate fee addendum. Include the following information: List any fees or costs carriers will have to pay to utilize your services/technologies and be serviced by you. List all services you will provide at no charge to the district based on the commissions and fees you will charge carriers. List the fees you will pay on behalf of the district. Additional Services Provide any information and associated Fees regarding additional services you can provide not requested in this RFP 6

7 Oral Presentations: During the evaluation process, Fayetteville Public Schools may, at its discretion, request any one or all brokerage firms to make oral presentations for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. However, brokers are cautioned that the District is not required to request clarification; therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the broker. Not all brokers may be asked to make such oral presentations. Final Selection: It is a goal of the District to make a recommendation to the Fayetteville Board of Education by June 27, It is anticipated that this recommendation will be voted on by the School Board at their next scheduled meeting. Note: The right is reserved to accept the response that Fayetteville Public Schools determines to be in the best interest of the school system and it s employees. Fayetteville Public Schools reserves the right to reject any and or all proposals. 7

8 COMPANY NAME REFERENCES PROPOSALS MUST LIST FOUR (4) REFERENCES FOR WHOM SIMILAR WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED DURING THE PAST THREE (3) YEARS. (1) CLIENT NAME ADDRESS (Street) ADDRESS (City, St, Zip) CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE/ (2) CLIENT NAME ADDRESS (Street) ADDRESS (City, St, Zip) CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE/ (3) CLIENT NAME ADDRESS (Street) ADDRESS (City, St, Zip) CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE/ THIS PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED AS A PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL. 8

9 (4) CLIENT NAME ADDRESS (Street) ADDRESS (City, St, Zip) CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE/ THIS PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED AS A PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL. 9

10 DATE: EXECUTION OF PROPOSAL The potential Contractor certifies the following by placing an "X" in all blank spaces: That this proposal was signed by an authorized representative of the firm. That the potential Contractor has determined the cost and availability of all materials and supplies associated with performing the services outlined herein. That all labor costs associated with this project have been determined, including all direct and indirect costs. That the potential Contractor agrees to the conditions as set forth in this Request for Proposal with no exceptions. Therefore, in compliance with the foregoing Request for Proposal, and subject to all terms and conditions thereof, the undersigned offers and agrees, if this proposal is accepted within thirty (30) days from the date of the opening, to furnish the services for the prices quoted within the timeframe required. CONTRACTOR ADDRESS CITY, ST. & ZIP PHONE FAX BY TITLE_ (Signature) Type or Printed Name Federal Identification Number THIS PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED AS A PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL. 10

11 General Procurement Instructions 1. All proposals must be received by the issuing agency no later the date and time listed on the cover sheet of this proposal. Clearly mark the proposal number and date of opening on the outside of the envelope. Twelve (12) copies of the proposal must be received (1 original, 11 copies). Each proposal must be signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the firm. Late proposals will not be considered. Electronic proposals (fax, , etc.) will not be considered. 2. Proposals will be evaluated according to completeness, content, experience with similar projects, ability of the broker and its staff. The award of a contract to one broker does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed to provide the best value to the School System. 3. Brokers are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not a request to contract and the Fayetteville Public Schools reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers when such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the school system. 4. Elaborate proposals in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that necessary to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. In an effort to support the sustainability efforts of Fayetteville Public Schools we solicit your cooperation in this effort. 5. Any costs incurred by broker in preparing or submitting offers are the broker s sole responsibility; Fayetteville Public Schools will not reimburse any broker for any costs incurred prior to award. 6. Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the RFP. Failure to include any required information may cause rejection of the proposal. 11