25-8426_Solicitation.pdf

(Template Version 1)

COLLIER COUNTY

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

FOR

Collection Agency Services

SOLICITATION NO.: 25-8426

DANIA GUERRERO, PROCUREMENT STRATEGIST, III

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FLORIDA 34112

TELEPHONE: (239) 252-7989

Dania.Guerrero@collier.gov (Email)

SOLICITATION PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

(RFP) NUMBER:

25-8426

PROJECT TITLE: Collection Agency Services

PRE-PROPOSAL

CONFERENCE:

N/A

LOCATION: N/A

DUE DATE: March 12, 2026, at 3:00 PM (EST)

PLACE OF RFP OPENING: PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FL 34112

All proposals shall be submitted online via the Collier County Procurement Services Division Online Bidding System: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl.

INTRODUCTION

As requested by the Emergency Medical Services Division (hereinafter, the “Division or Department”), the Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division (hereinafter, “County”) has issued this Request for Proposals (hereinafter, “RFP”) with the intent of obtaining proposals from interested and qualified Proposers in accordance with the terms, conditions and specifications stated herein, in the Solicitation and/or attachments. The Proposers, at a minimum, must achieve the requirements of the Specifications, Scope of Services, or Scope of Work stated herein. All references to “Proposer” are also referred to as “Consultant,” “Firm,” “Offeror,” “Contractor,” and “Vendor.”

The results of this solicitation may be used by other County departments once awarded according to the Board of County Commissioners Procurement Ordinance.

Historically, County departments have spent approximately $940,000.00; however, this may not be indicative of future buying patterns.

BACKGROUND

Collection services are required for a variety of County Divisions where non-payment has occurred, and where County and/or its designated billing consultants have exhausted their collection efforts. Most accounts will typically be assigned to the vendor when determined to be one hundred twenty (120) days past due. However, determination as to which accounts will be assigned to the vendor and when such assignment is to be made rests solely with the County’s Project Manager or designee.

In relation to Collier County's Emergency Medical Services Division, an estimated volume based off FY 2024 of ten thousand five hundred (10,500) uncollectible or non-deliverable accounts totaling approximately 8.8 million dollars ($8,8000,000.00). Emergency Medical Services Division will place an average of $550,00.00 -$1,418,000.00 (662- 1,582 accounts) each month with the Collection Agency.

AWARD AND TERM OF AGREEMENT

Collier County reserves the right to select one, or more than one Proposers for award as deemed the best value to the County; however, it is the intent to:

• Single Awardee

The results of this solicitation may be used by other County departments/divisions once awarded.

The agreement term is intended to be for three (3) years with two (2) one (1) year renewal options.

Prices shall remain firm for the initial term of the awarded Agreement. Requests for consideration of a price adjustment must be made prior to the contract renewal date thereafter and submitted in writing to the Division Director of Facilities Management. Price adjustments are dependent upon the most recent 12-month Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area, budget availability, and Facilities Director or designee approval, and cannot exceed 3% annually, whichever is less.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl

The Procurement Director or designee has the authority to approve price adjustments in accordance with the Procurement Ordinance, as amended. Price increase requests are not guaranteed. If approved, the Contractor will be notified in writing with the effective date of any approved price increases.

The County may, after examination, refuse to accept the adjusted rates if they are not properly documented, or considered to be excessive, or if decreases are considered to be insufficient. In the event the County does not wish to accept the adjusted rates, and the matter cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the County, a contract termination will be processed.

DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

Collier County is requesting that Proposers for collection services of uncollected accounts receivable to perform the tasks associated with the services stated in this RFP. An uncollectible account for this scope is defined as one for which all collection methods have been exhausted, and no collection has been made. A non-deliverable account is one for which all options regarding locating a customer have been exhausted, and service and technical assistance may be requested, such as duplicate bills, duplicate insurance forms, correspondence.

1. Account Management and Collection Efforts The selected Proposer/Collection Agency will:

1.1 Accept and manage delinquent accounts referred by the County.

1.2 Initiate collection activity within a mutually agreed timeframe upon account assignment.

1.3 Employ skip-tracing methods, correspondence, and outbound calls to maximize recovery efforts.

1.4 Provide written notices that comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Florida

Consumer Collection Practices Act, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

1.5 Conduct collection services in a professional and ethical manner, ensuring that all communications and actions maintain and protect the public trust and positive image of the County.

2. Legal Compliance Requirements The selected Proposer/Collection Agency will:

2.1 Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local collection regulations including but not limited to:

FDCPA, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and Florida statutes governing consumer collection practices.

2.2 Ensure compliance with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation pursuant to Florida Statutes, Chapter 559, as it relates to the Consumer Collection Practices Act.

2.3 Maintain all required licenses, certifications, and permits to operate as a collection agency in Florida.

2.4 Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, the Collection

Agency will adhere to the same standards as the County and other HIPAA covered entities regarding the protection and non-authorized disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).

2.5 Ensure collection practices are in compliance with the Equal Opportunity Credit Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Uniform Consumer Credit Code and the American Collectors Association, Inc.

3. Reporting and Communication The selected Proposer/Collection will:

3.1 Provide a monthly detailed Account Acknowledgment Placement Report that includes names, account numbers, date of service, amount, and date placed to reconcile with the Billing Vendor.

3.2 Provide detailed reports as requested for the annual write-off.

3.3 Submit a monthly report of all account balances to the County, which is due no later than the fifteenth

(15th) of each month for the prior month's activity.

3.4 Submit an annual report of all accounts that have not had payment activity for two (2) years.

3.5 Maintain real-time account information accessible to the County through a secure online portal.

3.6 Provide monthly error-free billing accompanied by a check for all monies collected by the Collection

Agency for the particular month. Detailed reports and checks must be received no later than the fifteenth day of each month for the prior month’s activity. The revenue report shall include, but is not limited to: account #, patient name, date of service, date of placement, payment amount, interest, and commission fee.

4. Remittance of Collections The selected Proposer/Collection Agency will:

4.1 Ensure commission fees are calculated and offset against the customer payment and shown on the

Collection Agency's revenue report each month. No check will be issued by Collier County due to the commission obtained at the time of payment by the Collection Agency.

4.2 Provide detailed remittance statements identifying each account, amounts collected, and applicable fees.

4.3 Ensure remittances are processed securely and in compliance with industry’s best practices for safeguarding financial data.

5. Account Resolution and Closure The selected Proposer/Collection Agency:

5.1 Agrees that should there be no collection activity within one (1) year after initial placement with the

Collection Agency. The County reserves the right to remove the account(s) that were originally placed and opt to place them in the hands of a backup agency.

5.2 County has the right to return the account from collections back to billing vendor for specified reasons such as (probate, insurance filings, customer never received bill). This will be case by case only and approved by the County’s Project Manager or designee.

6. Technology and Security The selected Proposer/Collection Agency will:

6.1 Provide Collier County departments with access to their website at all times to review the status of the accounts and provide printing access for billing statements and the ability to run ad-hoc financial reports.

6.2 Provide software that has the ability to charge and track interest on past due accounts and provide accurate reports each month showing the breakdown of payment (Principal/interest). Emergency Medical Services Division billing resolution charges interest on collection accounts.

6.3 Utilize secure systems for data transfer, storage, and communications.

6.4 Protect all account holder information in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection laws.

RESPONSE FORMAT AND EVALUATION GRADING CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF

SHORTLIST:

1.1 Proposers are encouraged to review the Request for Proposals Instructions, which includes the evaluation process.

1.2 For the development of a shortlist, the following Evaluation Criteria will be utilized by the County’s Selection Committee to score each proposal. Proposals must address all the following criteria:

No. Evaluation Criteria Maximum Points

1 Cover Letter/Management Summary 5 Points

2 Certified Woman and/or Minority Business Enterprise

5 Points

3 Business Plan 20 Points

4 Cost of Servies to the County 20 Points

5 Experience and Capacity of the Firm 20 Points

6 Specialized Expertise of Team Members 20 Points

7 Local Vendor Preference 10 Points

TOTAL 100 Points

Detailed Criteria Descriptions are further described below. Proposals must be assembled, at minimum, in the order of the Evaluation Criteria listed or the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 1: COVER LETTER/MANAGEMENT SUMMARY (5 Total Points Available)

Provide a cover letter that includes:

• The Proposer’s philosophy in providing the services requested.

• Name(s), telephone number(s) and email(s) of the authorized contact person(s) concerning proposal.

Note: Submission of a proposal certifies that the Proposer will accept any awards as a result of this

RFP.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 2: CERTIFIED WOMAN AND/OR MINORITY BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE (5 Total Points Available)

Submit certification with the Florida Department of Management Service, Office of Supplier Diversity as a Certified Woman and/or Minority Business Enterprise.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 3: BUSINESS PLAN (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Detailed plan of implementation and set up including milestones.

• Include with the plan or as an attachment, a copy of a report as an example of work product. This should be for one of the company’s listed as a reference.

• Describe how your solution meets the scope of services.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 4: COST OF SERVICES TO THE COUNTY (20 Total Points Available)

Identify the percentage of fee for funds collected:

PERCENTAGE OF FEE FOR FUNDS COLLECTED %

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 5: EXPERIENCE AND CAPACITY OF THE FIRM (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Provide information that documents your firm’s and subcontractors’ qualifications to produce the required deliverables, including abilities, capacity, skill, and financial strength, and number of years of experience in providing the required services.

• Describe the various team members’ successful experience in working with one another on previous projects.

• Proposals will be evaluated on the clarity, thoroughness, and effectiveness of the described methods and communication plan for handling all Collier County billing accounts, with emphasis on efficiency, accuracy, and customer service standards

As a part of this RFP, the Proposer will:

• Provide a written in-depth description of methods and communications used in handling all billing accounts.

• Have the ability to file appropriate medical claims with insurance.

• Permit audits of all Collier County accounts, as requested, by County internal or external auditors.

• Agree not to add, delete, or change in any way an account without prior written authorization from the County’s Project Manager or designee.

• Proposers shall provide a written acknowledgment accepting full responsibility for safeguarding cardholder data in accordance with PCI DSS Requirement 12.8.2. Proposers must also submit current PCI DSS compliance documentation. Only proposers demonstrating verifiable PCI DSS compliance will be considered responsive to this criterion. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive

• Upon award, the vendor shall complete and submit a PCI DSS compliance attestation (e.g., current SAQ or Attestation of Compliance) confirming that it has implemented and maintains compliance with all applicable PCI DSS requirements.

• The vendor shall also provide an updated Attestation of Compliance (AOC) to the County on an annual basis, or upon significant changes that could affect its PCI DSS compliance status.

• References: Submit three (3) through ten (10) references using the County’s Reference Form.

Include up to two additional pages per project to illustrate relevant experience. The references must be for projects within the last five (5) years whose projects are of a similar nature, size, scope and complexity of this solicitation.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 6: SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE OF TEAM MEMBERS (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Description of the proposed contract team and the roles.

• Brief resumes of all proposed project team members who will be involved in the management of the total package of services, as well as the delivery of specific services.

• Resumes of letters of intent for sub-contractors/vendors.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 7: LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE (10 Total Points Available)

Local business is defined as the Proposer having a current Business Tax Receipt issued by the Collier or Lee County Tax Collector prior to proposal submission to do business within Collier County, and that identifies the business with a permanent physical business address located within the limits of Collier or Lee County from which the Proposer’s staff operates and performs business in an area zoned for the conduct of such business.