AMENDMENT 1 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH PRE-BID SUBMISSION POWERPOINT.pdf

Amendment #1 Questions and Answers and Pre-Bid Submission Conference PowerPoint Presentation

1 1.10.2 Minimum Qualifications 8

We have over 12,000 clients. We are not able to provide a complete list of all of our clients within our proposal response nor do all of our clients allow us to include them as references. Will providing the the number of clients that we cover along with 3-5 clients that may be contacted as references suffice?

The Division of Medicaid (DOM) is requesting a list of business clients to whom EAP services have been provided within the last five (5) years.

Providing a total number of business clients that you have covered/are covering within the past 5 years, along with 6-8 clients from that same period that may be contacted as references, will be sufficient.

2 1.10.2 Minimum Qualifications 9

Bidders must provide a list of all professional counselors proposed to support DOM, including their titles and relevant certifications. - We can provide a list to include the provider type/credential, city, state, county, and zip code, but can not include provider names and addresses due to confidentiality agreements.

Will this result in disqualification?

When proposing professional counselors, providing a list that includes the provider type/titles omitting personal names and addresses and listing required qualifications (e.g., valid licenses, degree level, years of experience in the field) is acceptable. Failure to provide this information will result in bid disqualification.

Question # RFP Section # RFP Page # Question DOM Response

This Amendment must be signed and submitted as part of the Invitation for Bid (IFB) response to be considered for this procurement.

IFB response deadline is August 1, 2025 by 2:00 p.m.

Employee Assistance Program IFB#20250613 RFx# 3160007134 Date: July 21, 2025

3 2.1.1 General Requirements 12

How many hours of the following services are included within the current EAP contract per year?

Onsite training/orientation/educational seminars Onsite health fair/event participation Onsite critical incident support events (# events/# hours) Webinar training

The hours were not captured for these services and are not pre-defined or fixed annually.

1) For services such as onsite training, orientation, educational seminars, and critical incident support, these services are typically utilized on an as-needed basis, initiated by our Human Resources department for the Regional Office locations or for a specific department in response to particular issues that arise, such as employee well-being concerns, team development needs, or in the unfortunate event of a critical incident like an employee death.

2) Onsite health fairs typically occur once a year.

See also Amendment #2 to Section 2.1.1 General Requirements

4 2.1.1 General Requirements 12

How many total hours of the following services were utilized in each of the last two (2) years?

Onsite training/orientation/educational seminars Onsite health fair/event participation Onsite critical incident support events (# events/# hours) Webinar training

The hours were not previously captured for these services and are not pre-defined or fixed annually.

See also Amendment #2 to Section 2.1.1 General Requirements

5 2.1.1.3 13

Unlimited counseling sessions does not meet the definition of short-term counseling under an EAP. We can provide a maximum of 12 sessions per issue. Will you accept a 12-session model in lieu of unlimited sessions? What is the current average number of sessions used per case under your EAP?

1) DOM will allow a maximum of 12 sessions per issue, as long as the treating providers or any referrals, if necessary, accepts DOM's insurance plan.

2) Please see Attachment A and B for EAP Utilization Reports.

6 2.1.1.3 13

Because we confirm a provider referral within 3 business days and the member schedules the appointment with the referred provider, we are not able to meet the appointment scheduling time within 24 hours. If it is a crisis, we will assist the member in receiving appropriate care in-the-moment. Is this means for disqualification? Does this meet your need?

As stated in the bid specifications, appointments must be scheduled within 24 hours of the request. The actual date of the appointment can occur at a later date.

The timeline for confirming a provider referral within 3 business days does not align with the 24-hour appointment scheduling requirement outlined in the bid.

7 2.1.1.10 13 We provide utilization reports within 20 days of the completed month - not 15. Will you accept this timeframe?

Yes, DOM will accept utilization reports within 20 days of the completed month.

See also Amendment #2 to Section 2.1.1.10 General Requirements, reflecting this change.

8 2.1.1.10 13

We do not report statistics of scheduling appointments within 24 hours of initial contact or the number of outpatient therapy admissions. Will this result in disqualification?

By submitting a bid, bidders are agreeing to provide DOM all statistics required by Section 2.1.1.10. Any bidder who is unable to do so should not submit a bid.

A bidder who is awarded a contract and fails to meet the requirements of Section 2.1.1.10 may be assessed liquidated damages or other penalties under the contract.

9 2.1.1.10 13 Please provide copies of 2022, 2023, and 2024 EAP utilization reports.

Please see Attachment A and B for EAP Utilization Reports.

10 2.2.2 14

Is this referring to coordinating ongoing referrals beyond the EAP to providers within DOM's preferred provider network or is it referring to EAP cases being made to providers that also serve within DOM's medical plan network?

When additional care is recommended, the EAP provider should make referrals to in-network providers to support continuity of care and minimize out-of-pocket costs. This coordination is a key part of a transition process to help members move seamlessly into long-term treatment under their current health plan coverage. DOM's current network provider is Blue Cross Blue Shield of MS.

In the event there is no in-network provider, the employee needs to know in advance to have the opportunity to deny the service due to fees, etc.

11 2.6 15 Who is DOM's current EAP vendor? What is the current rate and rate history for the EAP?

1) Imagine LLC is the current vendor. The compensation rate is $6.00 per employee per month for one thousand employees.

2) The rate for the previous vendor was $1.75 per employee per month for one thousand employees.

Receipt of Amendment #1 Acknowledged:

Signature

Printed Name

Title

Entity Name

DOM EAP Utilization November December January February March April May June YTD

Phone Calls Referrals New Admissions Counseling Sessions No Shows Cancelations Emergency Line

Total Encounters Psychiatry

Referral types Psychiatry Testing Inpatient Nutritionist Pain Management Substance Abuse Tx

14 17 4 13 21 28 22 8 127 2 1 1 2 2 2 0 3 13 11 5 3 6 4 5 5 7 46 15 27 13 22 29 34 35 45 220 1 2 2 0 1 2 1 0 9 1 11 7 4 7 6 6 9 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

44 63 30 47 63 77 69 73 466 1 4 4 3 3 2 6 2 25

2 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

1920 Dunbarton Dr | Jackson, Mississippi 39216 | (P) 601.982.5376 (F) 601.982.5377 www.ImagineBH.com

Attachment A - EAP Utilization Report

Attachment B - EAP Utilization Report

Jeanette Crawford Pencil

PRE-BID CONFERENCE ON SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IFB

AGENDA

• Procurement Team

• Housekeeping

• Procurement Overview

• 5-Step Submission Process

• Bid Review Process

• Closing

PROCUREMENT TEAM

procurement@medicaid.ms.gov

Sharon Clark Procurement Supervisor

601.359.6153

Kayla McKnight Procurement Director

601.359.2286

Jeanette Crawford Procurement Team Leader

601.359.2664

Please place your microphone on mute. Please refrain from typing questions directly into the chat.

Presentation slides will be posted on DOM’s website.

OVERVIEW

• Understand the bid submission process.Understand

• Educate on the requirements of the submission.Educate

• Ensure the procurement process is fair and just to all vendors.Ensure

FIVE (5) STEP

SUBMISSION

PROCESS

Letter of Intent

Pre-Bid Submission Conference

Questions / Answers

SharePoint Access

Verification / Test

Documents

Bid Submission

LETTER OF INTENT

(completed prior to Pre-Bid Conference)

Letter of Intent is a requirement for bid submission eligibility.

Signed by individual authorized to commit the Offeror to the work proposed.

SharePoint access to two (2) individual email addresses. No shared emails.

Letter of Intent Submission does NOT bind a prospective Bidder to submit a bid.

PRE-BID SUBMISSION CONFERENCE

A record of all attendees will be taken.

Nothing stated in the Pre-Bid Submission Conference will change the submission requirements. Only an amendment can change submission requirements.

QUESTIONS

Questions are to be submitted using the Question-and-Answer template provided on the Medicaid website found at: https://Medicaid.ms.gov/resources/procurement

Email questions to: procurement@medicaid.ms.gov with subject line:

EAP – Questions.

Procurement will email receipt confirmation.

Questions received after the deadline will NOT be answered.

A register of questions will be compiled, exactly as submitted.

https://medicaid.ms.gov/resources/procurement mailto:procurement@medicaid.ms.gov

ANSWERS

Answers will be provided as an Amendment to the procurement.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENT(S)

Each amendment must be signed and acknowledged by any stated deadline in the amendment and also included in the final submission.

In the final submission, Amendment Acknowledgements must be included behind the Attachment I cover sheet. Vendors who fail to submit all Amendment Acknowledgements may be deemed non-responsive.

SHAREPOINT ACCESS

Bidders will only have access to their company’s specific folder within SharePoint.

Upload a test document titled, “Test Document”.

Email procurement@medicaid.ms.gov for confirmation of receipt of test documents in SharePoint.

Each vendor should confirm SharePoint access, at a minimum, two days prior to submission deadline. Issues with SharePoint access should be directed to: Sally.Harrison@medicaid.ms.gov and copy the procurement team.

Please do NOT remove the Test Documents from your SharePoint file.

mailto:Sally.Harrison@medicaid.ms.gov

BID SUBMISSION

REQUIREMENTS

You'll find a Bidder's Response checklist in the procurement documents. This checklist is a guide to help avoid any missing information. Required forms should not be modified. Incomplete submissions may be rejected.

All submissions must be in a single searchable Adobe Acrobat PDF file and must not be password protected.

Each Attachment is required to have a cover sheet and every page should be numbered with page number centered in the footer.

IFB #

Bidder’s Name

Attachment A -Bid Cover Sheet

Attachment B - Addendum 1: Minimum Qualifications (1.12.2(1)) Bidder Experience Requirement

Provide your narrative to the requested information under Bidder Experience Requirement.

END OF RESPONSE

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION FORM

Attachment F Each vendor must make a selection on this form stating if you are providing both an unredacted and redacted submission or just an unredacted submission.

If your bid submission contains no proprietary information, select the unredacted submission option. The entire document will then be released publicly along with the procurement file and posted on our website.

If you have proprietary information that will be redacted, select the redacted submission option and provide two copies of your bid submission – one unredacted and one redacted that shall be marked “Public Copy.” This “Public Copy” will be released along with the procurement files and posted on our website.

Each page containing redaction of confidential commercial / financial information should be marked in the upper right-hand corner as “Confidential.” Please redact the information in accordance with the Mississippi Public Records Act under Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-61-9, 75-26-1 - 75-26-19, and/or 79-23-1.

It is the responsibility of the bidder for any errors made in redaction of documents.

Although references are listed as a requirement under Minimum Qualifications, Addendum 1, you will NOT provide references in a narrative format. Bidders should provide references using Attachment G provided in the IFB.

Bidders must include ALL business clients for the last 5 years that are listed in your Bidder Experience projects list.

The Procurement Team will contact your references randomly until two individuals can be reached within 3 business days from bid due date.

REQUIRED

DOCUMENTS

Please ensure all documents that require signatures are signed and all applicable form fields are completed.

Submit your bid as a single searchable PDF format and do not include embedded web links.

Only upload the bid in SharePoint. Do not email a copy of the bid to the Procurement Team.

You may email Procurement to verify receipt in SharePoint at:

procurement@medicaid.ms.gov

The Procurement Team will not open your bid submission at that time.

Procurement will only verify that the document has been uploaded and visible in SharePoint.

Procurement will email vendor that Submission has been received.

BID REVIEW PROCESS

The Procurement Team will review the Bid Submissions to ensure that all required documents have been provided in accordance with the Bid Response Checklist. Bidders not submitting all the documents may be deemed non-responsive.

The Procurement Team will review the Bid Submissions to ensure that documents or narratives have been provided in accordance with the Minimum Qualifications section. Bidders not submitting all of the requested information may be deemed non-responsible.

After the responsive and responsible bidder(s) have been determined, the award will be made to the bidder with the lowest cost on the Bid Form (Attachment B). Remember, required forms, including the Bid Form, CANNOT be modified.

After review has been completed and an award is made, the Notice of Intent to Award will be emailed directly to all vendors who submitted bids. The Notice of Intent to Award will also be posted on DOM’s website, in the MS Procurement Portal and in MAGIC.

CLOSING