QA 19AR2024R0001.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

Health Insurance Services Solicitation No.: 19AR2024R0001

Pre-proposal Conference Question & Answers – Q&As

January 11, 2024

The U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires conducted a pre-proposal conference on Thursday January 11, 2024, at 09:00 hours for the above referenced solicitation for the US Embassy Buenos Aires. One (1) firm participated in the pre-proposal conference.

The questions and answers below are responsive to the inquiries received by prospective quoters regarding this solicitation.

Question #1: Please provide average historical claims data for the last 5 years - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019. It is standard practice in the insurance industry (and in other Department of State insurance solicitations) to provide this information to ensure equal/fair opportunity for all offerors in an open solicitation.

Answer #1: Argentine’s health system does not operate like an insurance policy where the customer pays in advance and then processes a claim to the company to get a reimbursement. In the Argentine system, both Employer and Employee pay an agreed upon amount periodically (e.g.

monthly) to get services and health care coverage without any other kind of additional payment.

The health service provider is obliged to cover the treatments and health services stipulated in the Medical Mandatory Program without any decision from the employer.

Question #2: Please provide average insured member counts for the last 5 years – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019. It is standard practice in the insurance industry (and in other Department of State insurance solicitations) to provide this information to ensure equal/fair opportunity for all offerors in an open solicitation.

Answer #2: Please reference the pricing chart in Section B and the demographic information on Section J of the solicitation.

Question #3: When is this plan likely to commence?

Answer #3: Our intended effective date for the new contract is April 1, 2024.

Question #4: Does the required financial statement required needs to be in English?

Answer #4: Yes.

Question #5: Shall documents be translated by a certified translator?

Answer #5: No, it does not need to be a certified translator as long as the person performing this task assures it is a proper and legitimate translation at his/her best capacity. Please note that using a certified translator helps to ensure that the translator has the knowledge and skills necessary to provide a quality translation. Additionally, the vendor will be held responsible for any mistranslations.

Question #6: Shall we consider the 2% retention amount prescribed by the James Zadroga Act?

After reading the solicitation., it is not clear if this 2% retention applies or if, otherwise, we shall request a waiver.

Answer #6: Yes, this solicitation incorporates the provision of the James Zadroga

Act. Please reference Section B of the solicitation, and the FAR clause at 52.229-12 - Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements — Notice and Representations, in Section I.

Question #7: What date does the new contract begins? The solicitation states the 1st of April.

Answer #7: Please, refer to answer #3 above.

Question #8: What is the cap for medical treatment outside of Argentina?

Answer #8: Please reference Section C of the solicitation in paragraph C.1.1.18 - Out-of-Country Medical Treatment, and paragraph C.1.2 - Annual Maximum Limit.

Question #9: Regarding paragraph C.1.1.18 on medical treatment abroad, and mainly C.1.1.19 about the transportation in case of carrying out said treatments (which is added in this solicitation, it was previously clarified that it was not covered):

• What coverage qualifies for point C.1.1.18? Specially the second part which allegedly states: “Medical expenses incurred out-of-country will be covered for employees and dependents (…) when the individual’s attending physician certifies in advance that such treatment is medically necessary and unavailable locally”.

• Have you had cases of requests for this type of treatment where transfer to another country/ies was required? If so, could you indicate what treatments were and where they should have been moved? All the information you can add in this regard will be welcome.

Answer #9: For medical treatment abroad, the contractor shall provide the same treatments and level of coverage as required in the rest of Section C of the solicitation. We have not had any request for treatments outside the country.

Question #10: Could you confirm if quotes can be submitted in US Dollars? Given the high inflation rates in Argentina exceeding 200%, providing fixed prices for a 5-year period as per the tender is challenging due to uncertainties in the local market and inflation. To address this concern, we propose considering the offer in US Dollars to mitigate potential financial viability issues arising from uncontrollable inflation and uncertainties. Predicting inflation rates for the next 5 years in Argentina is difficult for any party involved, and the Department of State in such economies has embraced US Dollar pricing for similar IDIQ contracts.

Answer #10: Please note that this solicitation is for a 3-year contract (base period plus two one-year options). See Section F of the solicitation in paragraph F.2, Period of Performance.

This opportunity allows for offers in different currencies.

See the FAR Clause at 52.225-17 Evaluation of Foreign Currency Offers, in Section M of the solicitation in paragraph M.10.

Question #11: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Details: We noted the inclusion of

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Section C.1.1.12 under "Reproductive Health." To accurately tailor our coverage options, could you please clarify the range of services envisaged under ART as mentioned in the solicitation?

Answer #11: According to local labor law and the Argentine Mandatory Medical

Program (MMP), that regulates the medical services that needs to be granted by the employer, it is required to provide 100% coverage in Reproductive Health. Reproductive health includes family planning services, prescribed contraceptive devices and drugs, preventive care and routine examinations, voluntary sterilization, and diagnosis and treatment of conditions which may cause infertility. Assisted reproductive technology (ART), fertility treatments and prescription drugs, and voluntary reversal of sterilization.

These mandatory services are specified in the MMP which constantly changes depending on the need of the Argentine society. Consequently, the range of service under ART may vary and we cannot guarantee that the medical services provided in the health contract, will be limited to the ones mentioned above.

Question #12: Family Group Compositions: The demographic data provided in the exhibits is immensely helpful; however, to refine our proposal further, we seek general information on the composition of family groups. A better understanding of the average number of dependents per employee and the common configurations of the family plans, such as the typical number of children, spouse, or extended family members typically covered, would greatly enhance the precision of our risk assessment and pricing strategy. I assure you we are not seeking any personal or identifiable details, just overarching patterns that will inform our proposal.

Answer #12: Currently, we have 239 plan holders. 144 of them have dependents.

Those 144 families are comprised of:

- 2 persons (40%)

- 3 persons (33%)

- 4 persons (19%)

- 5 persons (4%)

- 6 persons (3%)

Average is 2 children per family.

Question #13: Prevalence of Pre-Existing Conditions: Given the sensitive nature of health-related data, we are seeking aggregate information on the prevalence of pre-existing conditions and therapeutic situations that could influence the health coverage needs.

Could you provide us with general statistics on such conditions, including the types and quantities, with a particular focus on any disabilities? Specifically, we would appreciate insight into therapeutic situations that require disclosure of quantities, and in the case of disabilities, the type—for example, auditory, motor, etc. To aid in your understanding of our data requirements, we have included an attachment with examples of the information we are seeking. This information is crucial for us to evaluate our ability to offer comprehensive and cost-effective plans.

Answer #13: We do not have this data, as this is something the vendor handles. We don’t know the treatments or medical services that LE Staff are utilizing.

Question #14: Shall the 2% retention defined in this solicitation be discriminated as happens with

VAT?

Answer #14: The 2% retention amount prescribed by the James Zadroga Act shall not be treated like another tax. It is a portion of the price that is withheld from payment by the Government.

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