Q_and_A_set_one_19GE5022R0060.docx

19GE5022R0060 Q and A set one TCN Health Insurance US Embassy Baghdad

RPSO has received the following thirteen (13) questions and is providing the below answers.

1. Q: Please provide five years of loss data (table 1) by year of account including annual net premium (for the same period), incurred claims and membership history. For membership history (Table 2) please provide the number of Employees with single coverage and with family coverage at the end of each year. Please do not include any confidential information, just the overall statistics for the group. Claims information is critical to our pricing and the relationship of claims to employee growth or shrinkage is part of the claims analysis.

Table 1 – There is no family coverage on this solicitation, only individual coverage. The other data requested is not available. Please note that the majority of claims will be submitted for third country procedures as the majority of medical services in Iraq are provided free of charge by the US Embassy in Iraq and, therefore, those services will not be submitted as claims.

Table 2 There is no family coverage on this solicitation, only individual coverage.

2. Q: We would like to know if you have been informed of Catastrophic cases, such as: Hemodynamics, Open Heart Surgery, Orthopedic Mayor Surgeries, Organ Transplant, Traumatic Accident, Cancer and Oncology Cases (Radio and Chemotherapy), and hospitalizations with more than 10 days.

A: We cannot provide this data due to privacy laws, but procedures like this are usually not scheduled months in advance.

3. Q: What is the name if the insurance company that currently provides coverage?

A: GBG

4. Q: Is there a preferred list of Hospitals, Clinics or other Medical Facilities that the Embassy employees prefer? If yes, please provide a list of these facilities.

A: No, a provider is selected based on the procedures needed. Al-Abdali Hospital is the most common referral as they accept international insurance.

5. Q: Could you please provide information about the Claims you have had out of country during your current coverage?

A: We cannot provide this data due to privacy laws.

6. Q: Has there been any changes to the Table of Benefits over the past 5 years?

A: Per C.1.16, the current contract provides Dental Care at 100% whereas the minimum coverage of the proposed contract is 50%.

7. Q: Would the Embassy accept proposals in USD where premium are also paid in USD from non US companies?

A: See Section I, Sub Section B.5: The contractor shall state the currency of the price proposal.

The contract will be issued in that currency and payment to the contractor will be made in that currency. The currency cannot be changed during the performance period of the contract.

8. Q: Can also claims be paid in USD or is there a need to be paid in the local currency?

A: We’d ask that the contractor use the currency that they bid, per Section I, Sub Section B.5.

9. Q: Would the Embassy accept a proposal form an internationally licensed insurance company under an off shore jurisdiction or does it insist on a locally licensed insurance company only?

A: Any contractor may submit a proposal to this solicitation. The proposal needs to be in accordance with the terms and conditions of our solicitation.

Contractors need to warrant the requirements stated in 652.242-73 – AUTHORIZATION AND PERFORMANCE.

10. Q: Would 2 % tax based on James Zadroga Act be applicable to this solicitation?

A: Yes, it does.

The Zadroga Act applies to all solicitations above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold ($250k).

FAR clauses 52.229-12 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements (FEB 2021) and 52.229-11 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements—Notice and Representation (Jun 2020) apply to this solicitation and are included in Sections II and V. IRS Form W-14 is being provided in the attachments.

Offerors need to provide representation 52.229-11 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements—Notice and Representation (Jun 2020) as part of their Proposal (Volume 1 – Tab C Representations and Certifications).

As per 52.229-11, an offeror representing they are a foreign person also needs to submit the IRS Form W-14.

On the IRS Form W-14 Offerors can seek relief from the 2% excise tax if

• they are Nationals (including corporations and individuals) of a country covered by a qualifying tax treaty (See IRS Notice 2015-35 for a list of qualified income tax treaties).

Or

• services are provided in a country which is part to an international procurement agreement with the US (World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement WTO GPA, see FAR 25.400 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-25#FAR_25_402).

11. Q: Is this a mandatory plan, meaning all employees of the Embassy will be covered or voluntary, meaning the employees will be given the option to sign up for the health insurance?

A: It is mandatory.

12. Q: What are the possible differences to the provided Estimated Number of Premiums in the Pricing schedule, as the number of insured persons is essential for the risk evaluation (premium rates calculation).

A: The estimated numbers are based on projected hiring and actual numbers. Initial variances could be +/- 10%.

13. Q: Is this Solicitation addressed only to Insurance companies or would Insurance intermediaries/brokers also be eligible offerors?

A: We are intending to issue a contract to a contractor to provide us with Health Insurance services. Any offeror may submit a proposal conforming with the terms and conditions of our solicitation and in accordance with the Instructions to Offerors. Award will be made to the lowest priced technical acceptable and responsible offeror.

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