31786-00188_Digital_Submission_Instructions.pdf

This is a Digital Media Submission Instructions document for RFP #31786-00188 issued by the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, for the procurement of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Behavioral Health Organization (BHO) services. The RFP seeks comprehensive behavioral health management services for approximately 300,000 covered lives across three financially independent self-funded public sector plans: the State Plan (147,000 covered lives), Local Education Plan (128,000 covered lives), and Local Government Plan (26,000 covered lives). Required services include network administration, utilization management, claims adjudication, call center services, benefits communication, work-life services, and case management. Written questions are due October 22, 2025, and November 19, 2025, with a response deadline of December 19, 2025. Technical evaluations are anticipated to be completed by January 29, 2026, cost proposal scoring on January 30, 2026, and contract negotiations scheduled for February 9-11, 2026. The contract will span 86 months total, including eight months of implementation, 60 months of service delivery from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2031, and an 18-month claims runout period.

Respondents must submit all proposals and exhibits through a designated Box file sharing link (https://app.box.com/f/a2394d6695e747b89c4bd95ce8fc236e) and strictly adhere to all filing requirements, naming conventions, and format specifications outlined in RFP #31786-00188 and its Schedule of Events. The contract utilizes a per-employee-per-month (PEPM) administrative fee model. The state anticipates annual behavioral health claims of approximately $976 million across all three plans and requires the successful contractor to maintain NCQA accreditation as a Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organization and URAC accreditation for utilization management programs. Contractors must demonstrate financial stability, relevant experience managing large employer populations exceeding 10,000 members, and claims adjudication experience exceeding $10 million annually for at least two clients. Additional requirements include carrying $5 million in cyber liability insurance and maintaining SOC 2 Type 2 examinations and penetration testing compliance. The incumbent contractor will be responsible for transitioning existing members and services at no additional cost to the state, and the state encourages participation from minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and small business enterprises.