11-RFP 25-06410 Telephonic Interpreter Services and ASL VRI Services.pdf

Request for Proposal Rev. 09-24-2024

Request for Proposal # 25-06410

Telephonic Interpreter Services and American Sign Language Video Remote Interpreter Services

10801 6th Street Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

This RFP and any ensuing Addenda are available at the following link:

http://iehp.bonfirehub.com

NOTE: BIDDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO READ ALL INFORMATION THAT IS STATED IN THIS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND PROVIDE A RESPONSE AS REQUIRED

http://iehp.bonfirehub.com/

Timeline

1. The following timeline is based on IEHP’s requirements and will be strictly adhered to unless modified by written addendum:

Date: Description:

09/03/25 RFP release date 09/11/25 Bidder Questions Due (5:00 p.m. PT) 10/01/25 Bidder’s Proposals Due (2:00 p.m. PT)

IEHP anticipates holding Bidder Presentations/Demonstrations as indicated in the RFP Timeline above. IEHP may choose to hold presentations/demonstrations with all, some or no Bidders, at its sole discretion, pursuant to this RFP.

2. The period of performance anticipated for this RFP shall be for an initial term of one

(1) year. At the end of the initial term, IEHP shall have the option to renew the Agreement for up to 5 additional one (1) year period(s), upon written notice. This RFP does not commit IEHP to award a contract, and there is no obligation by IEHP to purchase any specified amount of goods or services. IEHP will award a contract, if any, in its best interest and based on a proposal that best meets its needs as set forth herein.

3. IEHP reserves the right to award to multiple Bidders, based on IEHP’s needs, at IEHP’s sole discretion. IEHP reserves the right to award contracts resulting from this Request for Proposal (RFP) in whole or in part and to make multiple awards if deemed in the best interest of IEHP. The Award may be issued to multiple vendors based on the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFP, and services may be allocated among awarded vendors as determined by IEHP. IEHP further reserves the right to negotiate contract term with one or more vendors prior to finalizing any award.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. SOLICITATION INTRODUCTION

1. Background of IEHP

2. Key Principles

3. Primary Goals

4. Program Objectives

5. Key Selection Criteria

6. Program Outcomes

7. Target Population/Historical Information

B. PROPOSAL COMPONENTS

Instructions Proposal Guidelines Bidder Acknowledgements Required Documents Required Data Company Profile Company Evaluation Criteria Scope of Services Demonstration Cost Proposal/Pricing Narrative Financial Documents Security Questionnaires Exhibit A: RFP Bidder Terms and Conditions Exhibit B: IEHP Standard Contract Terms Exhibit C: IT Security Documents

A. Solicitation Introduction

1. Background of IEHP

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is a local public entity of the State of California and is a rapidly growing Medi-Cal and IEHP DualChoice (HMO D-SNP [Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans]) health plan in California. Since September of 1996, IEHP has consistently focused on our mission: “We heal and inspire the human spirit”. As a result of the Healthcare Reform and participation in the California Coordinated Care Initiatives, IEHP grew to over 1 million members. With a provider network of over 7,500 providers and more than 3,200 employees, we now serve more than 1.5 million residents of the Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medi-Cal, D-SNP, or Covered California.

IEHP’s Membership totals as of May 2024 are listed in the table below:

Line of Business Member Count Medi-Cal 1,442,119

D-SNP 37,320

Covered California 49,213 Total Membership 1,528,652

2. Key Principles

This RFP contains a list of requirements for Telephonic Interpreter Services and American Sign Language (ASL) Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) Services on behalf of IEHP. IEHP’s Procurement Department is soliciting responses from qualified vendors to address the stated requirements of this RFP. A “Qualified Bidder”, for the purpose of this RFP, is one that can reliably and independently provide the required services to IEHP for the entire term of the agreement.

3. Primary Goals

The primary goal of contracting with a vendor for Telephonic Interpreter Services and ASL VRI is to ensure accessible and effective communication for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and those requiring ASL services. The vendor will also facilitate eligibility verification through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, tablet, or iPad, providing immediate access to a live interpreter. The vendor will also provide monthly reports detailing utilization and quality assurance metrics. Offshore services for all lines of business are not allowed. All vendors contracted to provide services to IEHP must not utilize offshore Subcontractor(s) without a pre-approved exception. ensuring no offshoring of services.

4. Program Objectives

The primary objective of contracting with a vendor for Telephonic Interpreter Services and ASL VRI is to ensure accessible and effective communication for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and those requiring ASL services.

5. Key Selection Criteria

At the discretion of the Evaluation Team, 65 points will be allocated between the scope and company scores, 30 points will be assigned to price, and 5 points will be given for local preference. If demos are held, an additional 10 points will be allocated to demo scores. IEHP reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to award the contract to the responsive, responsible Bidder whose Proposal is most advantageous to IEHP;

price, delivery, and other factors considered. Additional information on evaluation criteria can be found in Exhibit A (RFP Bidder Terms and Conditions).

6. Program Outcomes

Successful program outcomes include efficient member eligibility verification by the vendor without health plan member service intervention via preferred technology;

on-demand video remote interpretation for unscheduled appointments via provided technology for ASL; reliable over-the-phone interpretation with minimal disconnections and 30-seconds or less for average connection time / average speed of answer; transparent performance reporting through monthly utilization metric reviews; and adherence to domestic interpreter staffing.

7. Target Population/Historical Information

In 2024, IEHP Telephonic Interpreter Services received 86,683 calls.

8. FDR Status – YES

The services outlined in this RFP are classified as delegated administrative or healthcare services. The contractor will be recognized as a first-tier, downstream, and related entity (FDR) vendor, and must comply with all relevant requirements.

B. Proposal Guidelines

Instructions:

This document is provided to Bidders as a reference. Bidders are not required to enter answers to Bidder questions in this document. All required questions will be found under the associated solicitation number on the Bonfire website at http://iehp.bonfirehub.com.

o All requested documents from each section shall be uploaded to their corresponding document slot at http://iehp.bonfirehub.com.

o All questions from each section shall be answered by Bidders in the corresponding questionnaire and/or bid table located at

Follow the instructions in each section of this RFP.

All Proposals must include a detailed description of each proposed service to be provided.

Responses that do not comply with submission instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Bidders that do not follow the bid instructions found in the Bidder Terms and Conditions document, attached hereto as Exhibit A, may be found to be “non-responsive” and disqualified from the bid process, at the sole discretion of IEHP.

A duly authorized officer of the organization must sign your RFP response.

IEHP reserves the right to modify or terminate the RFP process at any time. IEHP may amend or modify the project scope of services prior to the award of contract, as necessity may dictate, reject any and all proposals submitted (and rebid, if necessary), accept any or all proposals submitted, negotiate with any qualified source, or cancel, in part or in its entirety, this RFP if it is in the best interest of IEHP.

IEHP may keep submissions and negotiations confidential until the Governing Board approves the final contract and/or a contract is issued. Proposals may contain financial statements or other information which constitute a trade secret. In order to protect such data from disclosure, please identify the pages by clearly marking the applicable pages as confidential.

Upon receipt of this RFP, recipients are expected to read and understand the service priorities and requirements that have been defined by IEHP. Opportunity will be given to ask questions and receive clarification. The character and operating principles of the successful vendor are important to IEHP. The following sections ask questions about the history and purpose of the vendor’s company. Please answer the specific questions.

If additional information would be informative to IEHP, please add it to the last question http://iehp.bonfirehub.com/ https://iehp.bonfirehub.com/ in each question set.

Each proposal will be reviewed by IEHP’s Procurement team to determine if the proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in the RFP. A responsive proposal, for the purpose of this RFP, is one which follows the requirements of this RFP, includes all documentation, is submitted in the format specified in this RFP document, is submitted on time, and has the appropriate signatures required on each document.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive and, therefore, rejected, at the sole discretion of IEHP.

An Evaluation Committee comprised of IEHP stakeholders will review each bidder’s responses to the questions contained in this RFP. If the respondent cannot represent and warrant the business requirements listed herein, the proposal may be rejected, at the sole discretion of IEHP.

The Evaluation Committee will review, evaluate, and score the proposals. The best response(s) may be recommended for another round of evaluation at IEHP’s sole discretion. IEHP reserves the right to conduct as many rounds of evaluations as it deems to be reasonable or necessary in the public interest. Each round of evaluation may result in modification of scores, further clarification or addenda being issued, and changes in the RFP process.

Upon evaluation of the criteria and the rating and ranking, the Evaluation Committee may choose to conduct an oral presentation/demonstration with any bidder(s). Upon completion of the oral presentations/demonstrations, the Evaluation Committee members may re-evaluate, re-score and/or re-rank the proposals remaining in consideration.

The price proposal will be evaluated relative to the combination of the technical proposal, including an evaluation of how well it matches the bidder’s understanding of IEHP’s needs described in this Solicitation, the bidder’s assumptions, and the value of the proposed solution and/or services. The pricing evaluation is used as part of the evaluation process to determine the bidder that will provide the best overall value to

IEHP.

IEHP may direct negotiations with its first-choice bidder, negotiations with multiple Bidders, and/or may request for best and final offers. The discussions may include price and conditions attendant to price. This RFP includes IEHP’s standard, required contract terms, attached hereto as Exhibit B, which IEHP expects to be incorporated into a final contract form together with other terms and conditions. Failure to accept IEHP’s standard terms may result in the Bidder being removed from consideration.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if IEHP believes IEHP and the said bidder(s) cannot reach agreement on a contract, IEHP shall exercise its right to terminate or suspend negotiations and may begin negotiations with the other bidder(s). This process may continue until a contract acceptable to IEHP has been executed or all proposals are rejected. No bidder shall have any rights against the IEHP arising from such negotiations or termination thereof.

A Bidder’s protest of any IEHP decision to eliminate the Bidder from further consideration for an award, or to award a contract to another Bidder, shall be made in writing and submitted to IEHP by 5:00 p.m. on the fifth (5th) day following notice to the Bidder or award of the contract, whichever occurs first. The written protest shall be submitted to procurement@iehp.org The written protest shall fully describe each and every basis for protest and shall describe the manner in which IEHP failed to act within its discretion or abused its discretion. For avoidance of doubt, IEHP’s intent is to reserve its discretion under this RFP to maximum amount allowed by law, and this RFP shall be construed in favor of reserving IEHP’s discretion in all circumstances. Failure to timely and completely submit a protest shall constitute a final and conclusive waiver of any and all rights to bring a legal action to challenge an award of a contract pursuant to this RFP.

IEHP will not consider untimely protests or protests where the Bidder failed to timely object pursuant to Section 1 of the Bidder Acknowledgements below. All Bidders expressly acknowledge that IEHP may proceed with awarding and implementing a contract pursuant to this RFP while any protest, or legal action related to a protest, is pending.

1. Clarifications, Exceptions, or Deviations

All Bidders shall describe any exception or deviation from the requirements of the RFP in Question Set 1 of Questionnaire Q-01FI Each clarification, exception, or deviation must be clearly identified. If your firm has no clarifications, exceptions, or deviations, a statement to that effect shall be included. IEHP’s standard contract terms are discussed in the RFP Bidder Terms and Conditions document incorporated herein by this reference, and attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Any objection by a Bidder to the prescribed procedures, terms, conditions or requirements set forth in this RFP or any of its component documents must be submitted to IEHP as part of, or contemporaneously, with the Bidder’s proposal.

Failure to timely submit an objection, or failure to submit a proposal, shall constitute a final and conclusive waiver of any and all rights to thereafter such objection for any purpose including, without limitation, any protest or legal action to challenge an award of a contract pursuant to this RFP.

2. Evidence of Insurability/Business Licenses

All Bidders shall submit evidence of all required insurance in the corresponding document slot on the Bonfire website. An Acord cover page will suffice and if awarded the contract the bidder has ten (10) calendar days to produce the required insurances, including a certified endorsement naming IEHP as additionally insured.

The bidder shall certify to the possession of any and all current required licenses or certifications. Do not purchase additional insurance until this bid has been awarded.

Provide a copy of current business license or other applicable licenses. Failure to provide the required document may be grounds for disqualification of bidder from the RFP process, at IEHP's discretion.

3. IEHP General Compliance Requirements for Contractors

If the services provided pursuant to this RFP are designated as delegated administrative or healthcare services, the contractor will be considered a First-Tier, Downstream, and Related Entity (FDR) vendor. IEHP will require all temporary FDR staff and contractors to participate in General Compliance Training as required by State and Federal regulations. The training is followed by a quiz designed to check the bidder’s knowledge about compliance topics. This is a mandatory training which includes the following objectives: understand the purpose of a Compliance Program and its functions; learn the 7 Elements of an Effective Compliance Program; and learn about IEHP’s Fraud, Waste and Abuse and HIPAA Programs, including reporting requirements and how to report suspected non-compliance.

Bidder Acknowledgements

4. IEHP Background Check Requirements for Bidders

IEHP may require all individuals assigned to provide services to IEHP pursuant to this RFP, to undergo a background check prior to commencement of performance, at the Contractor’s expense, to include any and all background checks required by law.

5. Out of Country Services Notice

a. IEHP will only consider service offerings within the continental United States, defined as the 49 States including Alaska and the District of Columbia: excluding Hawaii.

b. Proposed solutions that create, transmit, receive and/or maintain IEHP data must always reside within the United States.

c. IEHP’s data must always remain in the United States.

d. All persons, electronic processes, information systems, and computer devices accessing IEHP’s information systems and/or data in any capacity as part of the proposed solution must be physically located in the United States.

6. Executive Order N-6-22 – Russia Sanctions

On March 4, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6- 22 (the EO) regarding Economic Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S.

government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. The EO directs all California state agencies and departments to terminate contracts with, and to refrain from entering any new contracts with, individuals or entities that are determined to be a target of Economic Sanctions. All contractors and grantees are obligated to comply with the Economic Sanctions. Accordingly, should the State of California (the State) or IEHP determine Contractor is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for termination of this Agreement. Contractor shall be provided with advance written notice of such termination, allowing Contractor at least thirty (30) calendar days to provide a written response. Termination shall be at the sole discretion of the State or

IEHP.

All required documents listed below shall be uploaded to their corresponding document slot in the Requested Information section at http://iehp.bonfirehub.com.

Note: Failure to provide the required documents listed below at time of bid may be grounds for disqualification of bidder from the RFP process, at IEHP's sole discretion.

1. Principal Certification Binding Bidder’s Response (IEHP-provided form)

2. Certification of Non-Debarment (IEHP-provided form)

3. Non-Collusion Declaration (IEHP-provided form)

4. Local Preference Affidavit (If applicable – IEHP-provided form)

5. Contractor’s Certificate Regarding Workers’ Compensation (IEHP-Provided form)

6. Acknowledgment of Non-Negotiable Contract Terms (IEHP-Provided form)

7. Company W-9 Form listing company’s Tax Identification Number (TIN)

8. Evidence of Insurability (ACORD Certificate of Insurance)

9. Business License(s)

10. Proof of Registration: Documentation verifying corporate registration with the

California Secretary of State or if not a corporation, proof of tax registration with the California Franchise Tax Board.

11. Company Hierarchy/Organizational Chart

12. Account Management Narrative

13. List of three (3) contracts of similar value awarded to your company in the past three

(3) years. Include the year, type of services, dollar amounts, services provided, location, contracting company, contact name, and phone number.

14. Policy and Procedures document detailing Bidder’s background checking procedures and the name of any external company utilized to perform this service.

15. Pricing Narrative

16. Redacted Pricing Narrative

17. Financial Statements

18. IEHP Security Risk Assessment

19. Data Sharing Assessment

20. Vendor Security Documents Checklist

21. Bidder’s Security Documents

22. Sample Standard Reports (Monthly Summary Report)

23. Sample Proposed Document (Quick Reference Guide for Members – Quick Access to Interpreter)

24. Annual Report for publicly traded companies, or if privately held, details of financial stability.

25. Bidder’s Standard Agreement Template, including detailed pricing and Scope of

Work (for consideration). If not available, include a detailed proposal on Bidder’s letterhead including detailed pricing and Scope of Work (for consideration).

26. References (Questionnaire Q-36DP)

27. Cost Proposal (Bid Table BT-67IX)

28. Company Profile and Evaluation Criteria (Questionnaire Q-01FI)

Required Documents

29. Bidder Response Questions (Questionnaire Q-46GL)

30. List of all languages currently supported by your organization

31. Service Level Agreement (SLA) for both Spoken Language and American Sign

Language

All required data listed below shall be answered in the Requested Information section at

Note: Failure to provide the required data listed below at time of bid may be grounds for disqualification of bidder from the RFP process, at IEHP's sole discretion.

1. IEHP is a public agency with a Board of Directors composed of elected officials and public members. The elected officials are restricted from voting on any action concerning a contract whose owners have made a campaign contribution of $250 or more in the previous 12 months. To assist them in their decision-making process, please indicate the owners of the company, and if any contributions were made to the Elected Officials.

2. In accordance with 42 C.F.R. 438.610, 422.503 (b)(4)(vi)(F), 423.504 (b)(4)(vi)(F) and California Welfare and Institutions Code, §§ 14043.6 and 14123, IEHP is prohibited from employing, contracting, or issuing payments to an individual or entity that is excluded, ineligible, or terminated from participation in State and Federal health care programs. Contract awards are contingent upon the bidder, its principals’ and subcontractors’, eligibility to participate in State and Federal health care programs.

Bidders must certify that it or any of its subcontractors do not appear on State and Federal exclusionary lists in the Requested Data section of their response on Bonfire.

3. Bidder’s DUNS Number

Required Data

Company Profile

This section of the proposal is designed to establish the Bidder as an entity with the ability and experience to operate the program or provide goods and/or services as specified in the RFP. The Company Profile should be concise and clear, including descriptive information regarding service delivery. All Bidders shall answer these questions in Question Set 2 of Questionnaire Q-01FI, unless specifically stated otherwise below. Questions that also require the upload of a (Required Document) to the associated document slot are noted.

Questions that require an answer in the form of (Required Data) are also noted.

2.1 Company Name and Corporate Structure:

2.1.1 Business name and legal business status (i.e., partnership, corporation, etc.).

2.2 Company overview related to RFP services or activities performed, including:

2.2.1 Company hierarchy (President, Vice President, Company Officers, etc.) and an organizational chart. The organizational chart shall clearly identify all staff members that will provide services under this contract. Upload this document to the corresponding document slot on Bonfire. (Required Document)

2.2.2 Number of years in business under the present business name, as well as prior business names, and the number of years of experience providing the proposed, equivalent, or related services.

2.2.3 Location of the office from which the work under this contract will be provided, and the staff allocation at that office.

2.3 Provision of Services:

2.3.1 Please provide a detailed response discussing how Bidder plans on providing the services requested in this RFP; specifically, whether services will be provided by Bidder’s own forces, subcontractors.

2.4 Financial Interests:

2.4.1 Please indicate whether the Bidder holds controlling or interests in any other organization or is owned or controlled by any other person or organization. If none, please state N/A. Governmental agencies are exempt from this requirement.

2.4.2 Provide any financial interests in any other business. Individuals who are personally performing the contracted services and governmental agencies are exempt from this requirement.

2.4.3 Please indicate if the Bidder is privately or publicly held. If private, please provide details of financial stability. If public, please provide ticker symbol and copy of your most recent annual report.

2.5 Company Structure/Staffing:

2.5.1 Please describe any organizational changes (mergers, acquisitions, divestitures) that have occurred in the past five (5) years.

2.5.2 Please indicate whether Bidder has organizational changes (mergers, acquisitions, divestitures) planned within the next five (5) years.

2.5.3 Please indicate whether Bidder has any layoffs, or personnel expansions planned within the next five (5) years.

2.6 Legal:

2.6.1 Provide a detailed explanation of any litigation involving the Bidder or any principal officers thereof in connection with any contract within the last five (5) years. Is your firm, or the principals corresponding with your firm, under investigation, being sued, suing, or affiliated in any lawsuit or alternative dispute resolution with any governmental agency? If none, state N/A.

2.6.2 Has your company ever been or are you currently subject to any federal or state regulatory enforcement action including but not limited to exclusion and/or suspension from participation in a federal program?

2.6.3 List the officers of your organization who are authorized to negotiate the agreement with IEHP if awarded, and their positions within your organization.

2.6.4 Provide details of any failure or refusal to complete a contract. If none, that must be stated.

2.6.5 Has your company ever been or are you currently subject to any federal or state regulatory enforcement action including but not limited to exclusion and/or suspension from participation in a federal program?

2.6.6 State whether your company, or the principals corresponding with your company, are under investigation, being sued, suing, or affiliated in any lawsuit or alternative dispute resolution with any governmental agency. If so, please provide details.

2.7 Certification of Non-Debarment: (Required Document)

2.7.1 IEHP receives Federal and State funds. All Bidders must sign and submit the Certification of Non-Debarment document provided by IEHP in Bonfire that verifies that the bidder is not listed on any of the exclusion lists notated in the section below.

If awarded a contract, awarded vendor must notify IEHP immediately if debarred at any time during the contract period.

a. The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE). Please visit https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov.

b. General Services Administration (GSA), and the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Please visit https://www.sam.gov.

c. California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and Medi-Cal Suspended and Ineligible Provider List (S&I List). Please visit https://mcweb.apps.prd.cammis.medi-cal.ca.gov/references/sandi.

d. Medicare Opt-Out List. Please visit https://data.cms.gov/tools/provider-opt-out-affidavits-look-up-tool.

2.8 Financial Stability:

2.8.1 Please detail your insurance coverage, including the name of the carrier and coverage level for General Liability.

2.8.2 Please detail your insurance coverage, including the name of the carrier and coverage level for Tech Errors & Omissions (E&O).

2.8.3 Please detail your insurance coverage, including the name of the carrier and coverage level for Cyber Crime Insurance

2.8.4 Please provide your revenue for last five (5) fiscal years.

2.8.5 Please provide your profit/(loss) for last five (5) fiscal years.

2.8.6 Please provide your company ratings (i.e., A.M. Best, Better Business Bureau, etc.).

2.8.7 Please provide your annual R&D budget for the last five (5) fiscal years (break out by product offerings).

2.8.8 Explain how your company is planning to meet the increase in demand for your product (including implementation, training, and support) over the next five (5) years.

2.9 Eligibility to Participate in Federal and State Health Care Programs (Required Data)

2.9.1 In accordance with 42 C.F.R. 438.610, 422.503 (b)(4)(vi)(F), 423.504 (b)(4)(vi)(F) and California Welfare and Institutions Code, §§ 14043.6 and 14123, IEHP is prohibited from employing, contracting, or issuing payments to an individual or entity that is excluded, ineligible, or terminated from participation in State and Federal health care https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ https://mcweb.apps.prd.cammis.medi-cal.ca.gov/references/sandi https://data.cms.gov/tools/provider-opt-out-affidavits-look-up-tool programs. Contract awards are contingent upon the bidder, its principals’ and subcontractors’, eligibility to participate in State and Federal health care programs.

Bidders must certify that it or any of its subcontractors do not appear on State and Federal exclusionary lists in the Requested Data section of their response on Bonfire.

Company Evaluation Criteria

This section of the proposal is designed to further establish the Bidder as an entity with the ability and experience to operate the program or provide goods and/or services as specified in the RFP. The Company Profile should be concise and clear, including descriptive information regarding service delivery. All Bidders shall answer these questions in Question Set 3 of Questionnaire Q-01FI, unless specifically stated otherwise below. Questions that also require the upload of a (Required Document) to the associated document slot are noted.

3.1 Differentiators

3.1.1 What do you consider to be your company’s strengths, and how do you see your company as differentiated from other Bidders?

3.1.2 Is there any other information you would like IEHP to know about your company including value-added services?

3.2. Account Management Team (Required Document)

3.2.1 In the corresponding document slot on Bonfire, please provide the name(s) and general background(s) of each member of your account management team that will be assigned to IEHP. Include the information below:

• Functional area to which each person reports

• Years of service with your organization

• Total years of experience with commercial product implementation and operations

• Number of public entity accounts currently handled

• General size of the accounts (in terms of number of employees)

3.3 Organizational Information:

3.3.1 Provide a summary of the work plan and/or methodology and physical resources (staff and equipment) your company will commit to ensure successful services are provided pursuant to this RFP.

3.3.2 Will IEHP have a dedicated team assigned throughout the implementation? If so, who? Provide the organizational structure and experience for each team member, if not outlined above.

3.3.3 How would the account service team be structured after the implementation?

3.3.4 What is your company’s Mission Statement?

3.3.5 Summarize your company’s billing procedures.

3.3.6 What office will support IEHP?

3.3.7 Please indicate your company’s total number of employees this year and last year.

3.3.8 Please indicate your company’s total number of contractors this year and last year.

3.4 Administration:

3.4.1 Describe any customer and/or member services available on-line.

3.4.2 Could IEHP link their website to your website?

3.4.3 Do you have a customer service department? If so, what is the phone number, and the hours of operation?

3.4.4 Please describe how your customer service department is organized. Would IEHP receive a dedicated team?

3.5 Experience:

3.5.1 Describe your company’s experience/history with providing the services requested in this RFP.

3.5.2 Describe your company’s experience with Health Maintenance Organizations.

3.5.3 Describe your company’s relationship/experience with governmental regulators (e.g., Department of Health Services, Department of Managed Healthcare, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).

3.6.1 Credentials/Resumes/Certifications/Licenses: (Required Document)

In the corresponding document slot on Bonfire, please provide information for all employees/subcontractors responsible for administering or providing services.

Provide a summary list of the organizational personnel that will actively participate and contribute their skills to this project. Include in this list:

• Name

• Job title

• Work location and

• Responsibilities

• Qualifications/Experience

• Relevant experience in projects of similar size and complexity. (Responses may be one page per individual.)

• Education

• Certifications/licenses, if applicable

• Years of service with your organization

• Total years of experience

• List other pertinent information that will assist in evaluating Bidder’s qualifications.

3.7 Awarded Contracts: (Required Document)

3.7.1 In the corresponding document slot, provide a list of three (3) contracts of similar value awarded to your company in the past three (3) years. Include the year, type of services, dollar amounts, services provided, location, contracting company, contact name, and phone number.

Scope of Services

Summary of Services

The following criteria will be required of the Awarded Vendor:

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is seeking a vendor who can provide timely access to trained interpreters for telephonic interpreter services and American Sign Language video remote interpreter services, to ensure accessible and effective communication for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and those requiring American Sign Language (ASL) services. These services will be provided to IEHP Members and Non-Members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at IEHP Facilities, Community Events and in-network provider offices throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The vendor will also facilitate member eligibility verification through vendor proposed technology (Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, software, tablet, or iPad if applicable), providing immediate access to a live interpreter without health plan member services intervention.

The vendor will also provide monthly reports detailing utilization and quality assurance metrics. Offshore services for all lines of business are not allowed. All vendors contracted to provide services to IEHP must not utilize offshore Subcontractor(s) without a pre-approved exception. All interpreters must be qualified in medical interpretation according to the State of California’s standards. These requirements include but are not limited to the following:

• Demonstrated proficiency in speaking and understanding both spoken English and the language spoken by the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) beneficiary.

• The ability to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressly, to and from the language spoken by the LEP beneficiary and

English, using any necessary specialized vocabulary, terminology, and phraseology.

• Adherence to generally accepted interpreter ethics principles, including client confidentiality.

Compliance Requirements

1. Offshore services for all lines of business are not allowed. All Subcontractors contracted to provide services to IEHP must not utilize Offshore Subcontractor(s) without a pre-approved exception.

2. Contractor must adhere to California Department of Health Care Services APL 25-005 requirements.

3. Contractor must ensure that IEHP data including but not limited to PHI/PII must adhere to the HIPAA Business Associate Agreement.

Monthly Summary Report

The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Summary Report to IEHP by the (10th) workday of each month following the previous month in which services were provided.

Depending on regulatory requirements, the report shall include at a minimum.:

1. Calls dropped due to disconnections

2. Average time to answer call in seconds

3. Average connection time to interpreter in seconds

4. Average duration of call in minutes

5. Total number of calls

6. Total duration of call in minutes

7. Total cost

8. Specific data collection, as specified by IEHP

9. Call date and time

10. Language

11. Charge for each call

12. Access code

13. Employee name

14. Location of Facility

15. Department

16. Employee initials

17. Employee identification number

18. Employee telephone number

19. Patient name

20. Patient insurance provider

21. Patient identification number https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/Documents/MMCDAPLsandPolicyLetters/APL%202025/APL25-005.pdf

22. Patient social security number

23. Nature of call

Failure to Submit Timely, Complete, and Accurate Report

Failure to submit timely, complete, and accurate monthly report may result in financial penalties assessed against IEHP by Health Plan regulators. If Contractor fails to submit the required monthly report by the due date without prior written approval of an extension. Contractor shall be responsible to pay for penalties equal to sanctions imposed onto IEHP by Health Plan regulators.

Penalties may be withheld from future payments due to the Contractor

Bidder Response Questions (Questions in this section must be answered in Questionnaire Q-46GL, unless specifically stated otherwise)

A. Questions for Bidder Responses

[Questions are scored by evaluators on a scale of 1-10]

Bidder Questions

1.0.1

Do all of your spoken language interpreters hold a nationally recognized certification? Please list the nationally recognized certificates that your spoken language interpreters hold.

1.0.2 Please list the nationally recognized certifications that your ASL interpreters hold.

1.0.3 Please list and describe what training is mandated for your interpreters. What is the passing standard and threshold for each of the trainings?

1.0.4 Are your interpreters available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week including Federal holidays? If not, please explain your availability.

1.0.5 What does your organization consider afterhours for your weekday and weekend services?

1.0.6 Can your system restrict access to video remote interpreting services so that they are only available for American sign language requests and not for spoken languages? If so, please describe how this restriction is configured and managed.

1.0.7 Please describe in detail your internal process for ensuring the competence and qualifications of your interpreters.

1.0.8 Please provide a detailed summary of your policies and procedures on interpreters quality assurance program and processing of complaints.

1.0.9

Do you retain 100% of interpreters in-house, or do you utilize subcontractors or independent contractors for any portion of the service? If you utilize subcontractors/independent contractors, please list and describe in detail what portion of the services they will be performing.

1.0.10 Does your organization have the capability to verify member eligibility? If yes, please provide a detailed description or workflow of the process.

1.0.11 What is your average connection time for telephonic interpreter requests and for ASL VRI sessions once a request is initiated?

1.0.12

Are there capabilities within your reporting system to customize reports by internal IEHP departments (such as Member Services, Utilization Management, Behavioral Health/Case Management, etc.)?

1.0.13 To what extent can the reports be tailored to meet specific requirements?

1.0.14 Can reports be converted to MS Excel / MS Word? Please describe if there are other ways that IEHP is able to extract the reports.

1.0.15 Can you confirm that disconnection-related issues consistently account for less than 30% of all reported telephonic service issues?

1.0.16 Are all of your interpreters physically located within the United States of America? If not please explain where the interpreters are located.

1.0.17

Please provide a detailed explanation outlining your proposed software capabilities such as API Integration to verify Member Eligibility and/or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities.

1.0.18 Is your organization and all of its subcontractors/ independent contractors compliant with state requirements for interpreting?

1.0.19 Is your organization willing to complete additional compliance or other required training, including testing if required by IEHP?

1.0.20

Can you please describe your organization’s HIPAA compliance processes, including how you protect patient information and ensure staff are trained in privacy and security requirements?

1.0.21 Is your organization willing to participate in monthly meetings to review performance metrics and address any challenges or concerns?

1.0.22

Please describe your typical implementation timeline and lead times for launching telephonic and video remote interpreting services. Additionally, identify any potential challenges or barriers you anticipate during the onboarding process.

1.0.23

What is the average number of telephonic interpretation and ASL VRI calls your organization handles per month? Please also provide a break down on what languages were predominant in the services provided for year 2024.

1.0.24

Please describe how your organization monitors and tracks service disruptions, specifically disconnection issues, for telephonic interpreter services. Please explain your service level agreement (SLA) and what happens (protocol/procedures) if services are not met if connection disruptions occur.

Compliance Program Questions

2.0.1 Describe your Compliance Program structure, including the reporting structure of the Compliance and HIPAA Privacy Officer(s), Chief Executive Officer, Compliance Committee and Board of Directors/Governing Body.

Identify your designated Compliance Officer and provide an organizational chart.

2.0.2 How do you ensure ongoing compliance education and training for your staff, including leadership and those performing delegated functions? Include frequency, content, and methods of delivery for compliance training.

2.0.3 Describe your process for monitoring, auditing, and evaluating compliance with the health plan’s contractual, regulatory, and operational requirements. Include examples of recent audits, monitoring activities, and how findings are addressed.

2.0.4 What mechanisms do you have for employees, contractors, and downstream entities to report suspected non-compliance or misconduct confidentially and without fear of retaliation? Describe your communication channels and whistleblower protections.

2.0.5 How do you enforce compliance standards and implement corrective actions following the identification of compliance issues? Provide examples of disciplinary guidelines and corrective action plans.

2.0.6 Explain your experience with regulatory agency audits, including any corrective action plans implemented in the past five years. Disclose any sanctions, fines, or adverse findings and how they were resolved.

2.0.7 Describe your organization’s process to monitor employees, board members, subcontractors, and any other associates involved in providing your services for exclusion from federal and state healthcare programs. Detail your process for initial and ongoing screening against exclusion lists, including the lists reviewed.

2.0.8 Describe the criteria and process implemented to identify downstream entities, to manage, and to oversee these entities.

2.0.9 IEHP Subcontractor Compliance Program Requirements Manual Describe any challenges or concerns with adherence to the IEHP Subcontractor Compliance Program Manual and associated policies located on the IEHP.org website (https://www.iehp.org/en/our-organization/who-we-are/compliance-program).

HIPAA Privacy Program Questions

2.1.1 Describe your HIPAA Privacy Program, including policies and procedures for the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI).

2.1.2 How do you ensure HIPAA training and awareness for all staff, including temporary and contracted personnel? Detail the frequency and content of privacy training.

2.1.3 What safeguards (administrative, technical, and physical) do you have in place to protect PHI? Describe your data security, backup, and disaster recovery processes, especially as they relate to delegated functions.

2.1.4 How do you monitor and audit for inappropriate access or disclosure of PHI, and what is your process for investigating and remediating privacy incidents?

2.1.5 Describe your process for ensuring compliance with HIPAA requirements when subcontracting or delegating functions to downstream entities. Include how you manage Business Associate Agreements and oversight of downstream compliance.

Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Program Questions

2.2.1 Describe your FWA prevention, detection, and response program.

https://www.iehp.org/en/our-organization/who-we-are/compliance-program https://www.iehp.org/en/our-organization/who-we-are/compliance-program

2.2.2 Describe your data analytics and monitoring capabilities for identifying unusual billing patterns or potential FWA. Provide examples of how you have detected and responded to FWA in the past.

2.2.3 Explain your process for reporting suspected FWA to the health plan, regulatory agencies, and law enforcement, as required. Include timelines and documentation practices.

2.2.4 How do you ensure that your FWA program requirements are incorporated into your compliance program and extended to all contractors, agents, and downstream entities?

Technical API Requirements for Interpreter Services Integration

Core API Architecture

RESTful API Design

Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.1.1 Protocol: HTTPS only (TLS 1.2 minimum, TLS 1.3

preferred)

3.1.2 Authentication: OAuth 2.0 with JWT tokens or API key-

based authentication

3.1.3 Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting (e.g., 1000

requests/hour per client)

3.1.4 API Versioning: URI versioning (e.g., /api/v1/interpreters

3.1.5 Response Format: JSON with standardized error codes

3.1.6 Base URL Structure

https://api.interpreterservice.com/v1/

Authentication & Security

API Authentication Methods

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.2.1 OAuth 2.0 Flow- Client credentials grant for server-to-server

3.2.2 OAuth 2.0 Flow- Authorization code flow for user-facing applications

3.2.3 OAuth 2.0 Flow- Token refresh mechanism with 1-hour

access token expiry

3.2.4 API Key Authentication- Header-based: Authorization:

Bearer {api_key}

3.2.5 API Key Authentication- Query parameter fallback for

webhook callbacks

3.2.6 API Key Authentication- Key rotation capabilities

Security Requirements Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.2.7 Encryption: All data in transit encrypted with TLS 1.3

3.2.8 Data at Rest: AES-256 encryption for stored session

data

3.2.9 HIPAA Compliance: PHI handling capabilities with audit

trails

3.2.10 SOC 2 Type II: Compliance for enterprise integrations

Core API Endpoints Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.3.1 Session Management

POST /sessions GET /sessions/{session_id} PUT /sessions/{session_id} DELETE /sessions/{session_id}

3.3.2 Interpreter Availability

GET /interpreters/availability POST /interpreters/request GET /interpreters/{interpreter_id}/status

3.3.3 Language Services

GET /languages GET /languages/{language_code}/interpreters POST /language-detection

Real-Time Communication Requirements

WebRTC Integration

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.4.1 Protocol Support: WebRTC enables Web applications to

capture and stream audio/video media and exchange data between browsers without requiring intermediary software

3.4.2 Peer Connection: RTCPeerConnection for direct

browser-to-browser communication

3.4.3 Media Streams: getUserMedia() API for

camera/microphone access

3.4.4 Data Channels: RTCDataChannel for text-based

communication alongside video

WebRTC Technical Specifications Meet

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.4.5 Video Codecs: H.264, VP8, VP9 support

3.4.6 Audio Codecs: Opus, G.722, G.711 (PCMU/PCMA)

3.4.7 Bandwidth Requirements: Minimum 1 Mbps

upload/download for 720p video

3.4.8 Latency: Sub-200ms end-to-end latency requirement

3.4.9 Security: All WebRTC components encrypted, requiring

secure origins via HTTPS

Signaling Server Requirements Meet

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.4.10 WebSocket connection for real-time signaling

3.4.11 STUN/TURN server configuration for NAT traversal

3.4.12 Session Description Protocol (SDP) handling

3.4.13 ICE candidate exchange management

Webhook Implementation Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.5.1 Event-Driven Architecture

Webhooks automatically respond to events, unlike APIs that only send data upon user request

3.5.2 Required Webhook Events

3.5.3 Webhook Payload Structure

SDK Requirements

Multi-Language SDK Support Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.6.1 JavaScript/TypeScript: Browser and Node.js

compatibility

3.6.2 C#/.NET: ASP.NET Core compatibility

SDK Core Features Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.6.3 Connection management and retry logic

3.6.4 Automatic token refresh

3.6.5 WebRTC abstraction layer

3.6.6 Event handling and callbacks

3.6.7 Error handling and logging

Data Formats & Schemas Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet

3.7.1 Session Request Schema

3.7.2 Interpreter Response Schema

Quality of Service (QoS) Requirements

Performance Metrics Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.8.1 API Response Time: <200ms for non-media endpoints

3.8.2 Session Connection Time: <30 seconds from request to

interpreter connection

3.8.3 Video Quality: Minimum 720p@30fps, adaptive bitrate

streaming

3.8.4 Audio Quality: 16kHz sampling rate minimum for

telephonic

3.8.5 Uptime SLA: 99.95% availability

Monitoring & Analytics Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.8.6 Real-time session quality metrics

3.8.7 Connection failure rate tracking

3.8.8 Interpreter performance analytics

3.8.9 Compliance audit trail generation

Error Handling & Status Codes Meet Requirement

Unable to Meet Requirement

3.9.1 HTTP Status Codes

200 OK - Successful request 201 Created - Resource created successfully 400 Bad Request - Invalid request parameters 401 Unauthorized - Authentication failed 403 Forbidden - Insufficient permissions 404 Not Found - Resource not found 409 Conflict - Resource conflict (e.g., session already exists) 429 Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceeded 500 Internal Server Error - Server error 503 Service Unavailable -…