Employee Benefits Broker Request for Proposal Questionnaire Dated - July 25, 2014 RFP Response Due Date August 15, 2014 Benefits Effective Date July 1 Purpose The purpose of this request for proposal is to obtain the services of an employee benefits broker, herein referred to as the proposer, to perform ongoing benefit consulting services, annual renewal negotiations and other related services. VSUW offers our employees a robust benefit package to include self-funded PPO and HSA plans, FSA, dental life, disability and employee assistance program. We currently have approximately 180 members enrolled in our health plans. Overview of VSUW Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) is a private not-for-profit organization which serves Maricopa County, Arizona and has been determined to be exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. VSUW retains a staff of approximately 125 employees that support volunteers in establishing policies, fundraising, fund distribution, grant administration, and internal operations. The specific areas of Valley of the Sun United Way are as follows: Ensuring Children and Youth Succeed End Hunger End Homelessness Improve financial stability for families The most recent Audited Financial Statements and IRS Tax Form 990 are located on our website at www.vsuw.org. VSUW Principle Contact Christine Frazer, SPHR Vice President, Human Resources 1515 E. Osborn Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85014 Phone: 602-631-4834 E-mail: cfrazer@vsuw.org Nature of Services Required Review of all VSUW benefit plans Annual competitive bid process Preparation of annual IRS Form 5500 1
Ongoing reporting and review of claims Regulatory oversight and guidance Ad-hoc reporting Claims resolution Vendor management Terms of Engagement The contract will be subject to the annual review and satisfactory recommendation of VSUW management. Submission Requirements All responses must be electronic and received by Christine Frazer, Vice President Human Resources, no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, August 15, 2014. Christine will be available to answer any questions relating to the proposal by calling (602)631-4834 or emailing cfrazer@vsuw.org. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer to ensure the proposal is received by VSUW prior to the date and time specified. All items in the request for proposal must be addressed. If your firm does not provide a service, please indicate accordingly. Respond to each question in order and reference the section/categories being addressed. VSUW reserves the right to reject bids without explanation and it not obligated to accept the lowest dollar bid. VSUW may waive any informalities, irregularities, omissions, or errors in bids. Include a contact name and telephone number of the person to call if we encounter any questions or need clarification in reviewing the proposal. Evaluation and Selection Process VSUW will review the finalists proposals received in accordance with the considerations listed in the evaluation criteria: Experience of the firm as related to this proposal Qualifications of all staff assigned to this engagement Location of firm s office and number of professional staff Cost Responsiveness of the proposal to purpose and scope of service VSUW may request to interview certain proposers. Proposers interviewed should be prepared to discuss their proposed fee schedule and cost of services at such time. It is the intent of VSUW to award the contract no later than September 30, 2014. Conditions and Limitations VSUW reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and/or to request clarification of information from any proposer. All proposals received in response to this request for proposal become the property of Valley of the Sun United Way. VSUW will not reimburse proposers for any cost associated with the preparation and submission of any proposal, or for any travel costs that are incurred. 2
Proposers, their agents and associates shall refrain from contacting or soliciting VSUW regarding this request for proposal during the selection process (Christine Frazer may be contacted in order to obtain details relevant for the preparation of the audit proposal). Failure to comply with this provision may result in disqualification of the proposer. PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING General Information 1. Provide history of your firm, in particular your employee benefits division. 2. How many employees are there in your company? Generally, what are their job categories (i.e., management, sales, technical, customer service, etc.)? 3. Who would be working directly with VSUW on administrative issues, questions, or problem solving? Please provide the roles and qualifications of each person. Also, include the number of clients each person is expected to handle and categorize these clients by large (500 or more), medium, or small (less than 100) groups. 4. How many clients do you currently work with on a broker basis? How many clients do you currently work with on a consultant basis? 5. How many not-for-profit clients to you serve? How many are local to the state of Arizona? 6. How many clients do you have with between 100-200 benefit eligible employees? 7. Describe the form of professional liability or errors and omissions insurance carried by your company and the amount of coverage. Account Services 1. What is your process for ensuring customer satisfaction? Do you offer performance guarantees? 2. What is the turnover rate of employees that perform the bulk of the problem-solving administration services within your organization? 3. What kind of training (industry, internal, computer, other) does your staff receive? 4. Do you provide employee communication services for your clients employees? If so, please provide a general description of your capabilities. Please provide a sample of employee communication materials you have distributed to other clients. 5. Do you help facilitate annual open enrollment? If so, to what extent? 6. Please explain the extent you work with vendors relative to the following: Annual Renewal Open enrollment Ongoing enrollment 3
Claims research Billing issues Customer service concerns Contract negotiations Data Analysis 1. What resources do you use to analyze claims? 2. What standard reports would you provide VSUW and how often? 3. Would VSUW have access to the data for ad hoc queries? If so, is there a charge? 4. Will your organization complete a provider analysis of physicians, clinics, and hospitals that treat our plan participants? 5. Will your organization provide a wellness and preventive health analysis of our employees and claims experience? Strategic Planning/Vendor Selection 1. What resources do you have available to help us manage our benefits and outline a benefits strategy consistent with current and future business plans? 2. How will you help us with the competitive marketing and placement of our plans, including development of marketing specifications, identification of market conditions, evaluation of proposals, negotiations, and placement of insurance contracts for annual renewals? 3. How is the rebidding process handled? 4. Please furnish a list of insurance companies, third party administrators, and other providers for which you are an authorized agent or broker. 5. What sort of benchmarking data are you able to provide? Is there a cost? Cost Projections/Ongoing Review 1. How will you help us develop cost projections tied to our fiscal goals? 2. Who do you use for actuarial services? Please provide credentials. 3. How will you help with the management of insurance, including: monthly (or quarterly) supervision and/or preparation of claims activity reports from carriers; executive summary reports; underwriting analysis for annual renewals; annual financial projections for budgeting purposes; and alternative funding analyses? 4
Plan Administration and Legislative Compliance 1. Do you have an in-house ERISA attorney? If yes, please provide their credentials and the number of years they have provided counsel on benefits issues. If no, do you use an external ERISA attorney? Which firm do you use? 2. How does your firm stay current with and advise clients on state regulations? 3. What is the process for notifying VSUW of changes in federal and/or local laws that would affect us? 4. Please explain your role in the annual 5500 preparation. 5. What is your expertise in Affordable Healthcare and how may we expect you to assist VSUW in the area of compliance? 6. Do you provide any auditing services? If so, please explain. 7. Explain what steps you have taken to become HIPAA compliant. Wellness Programs 1. What tools can you provide VSUW to help implement a wellness program? 2. Can you provide examples of low/no-cost wellness tools? 3. How can you help evaluate and refine our wellness program over time? 4. What is your process for measuring the success or failure of a wellness program? HR Tools Fees 1. Describe how you keep your clients abreast of employment laws in a timely manner. 2. What resources do you provide to help VSUW remain compliant? 3. Do you have any Internet-based employee communication tools? 4. Please explain any on-line enrollment services provided through your organization. 1. Describe your proposed form of compensation (i.e., commission, annual retainer, fee-for-service). If you are proposing a fee, please include your fee schedule/hourly rates. 2. If you charge fees for consulting and employee communication, please indicate the basis of your charges (hourly, by project, etc.) and what typical charges might be expected. 5
References/Other 1. How many clients of similar size to VSUW have you lost in the last three years? Explain. 2. Please provide a minimum of three references (a minimum of one non-profit) to include name, address, phone number and length of time associated with your organization. Indicate whether your firm s role was as a broker, consultant, or both. Please include at least one organization that has left in the last two years. 3. Describe any other facets of your organization and your firm s experience that are relevant to this proposal which have not been previously described and you feel warrant consideration. 6