Answers to Questions about RFP.pdf

This is a Question and Answer document addressing inquiries about the City of Philadelphia's Request for Proposal (RFP) for voluntary pet wellness and pet insurance benefits covering approximately 6,400 active employees. The RFP solicits proposals from qualified applicants to provide both standalone wellness plans and comprehensive medical insurance coverage effective January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, with City options to extend for up to four additional one-year terms. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for September 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM via Zoom, with applicant questions due September 11, 2026, interviews and presentations on September 29, 2026, and proposals due September 18, 2026. Award selection is anticipated the week of October 5, 2026, with contract execution following in November 2026. The City will not contract with more than one pet wellness or pet insurance provider.

Key clarifications from the Q&A include confirmation that benefits will be offered through payroll deduction rather than direct billing, that claims utilization breakouts by the City's group structure are not applicable to this RFP, and that the City is seeking a new provider to better understand insurance setup and provider logistics and systems. Applicants unable to offer standalone wellness plans will not be automatically excluded from consideration, and the City will consider proposals offering plans both with and without standalone wellness options. Applicants must provide multi-year pricing for five consecutive years net of commissions with full disclosure of any commission arrangements, meet a combined 13% Small Business Enterprise and Local Business Entity participation goal, demonstrate substantial experience servicing large complex clients with excess of 12,000 enrolled lives, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability, and Cyber Liability of $1,000,000 each.