Attachment 1 - Questions and Answers on Solicitation Number 19BA3026R0001.docx
DOCX document 25 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 19BA3026R0001
- Issued by
-
Department of State
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document for Solicitation Number 19BA3026R0001, addressing inquiries from potential offerors regarding health insurance services for locally employed staff at the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain. The solicitation covers health insurance for approximately 103 Embassy staff and 4 ORE staff members, with potential new hires of 2-3 employees expected before the end of 2026. Plan 1 applies to current employees, while Plan 2 applies to employees hired after May 1, 2026. The document confirms that bidders may submit premium rates without total premium amounts for Plan 2, with rates to be applied upon hire. Claims history data spanning 2022-23 through January 2026 is provided, showing annual claims ranging from BHD 160,873 to BHD 252,694, with loss ratios varying from 59% to 92%. Out-of-country medical treatment coverage is available worldwide with no restrictions on duration of stay outside Bahrain.
The Q&A document clarifies several compliance and operational requirements for offerors. Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance is applicable to the contract and must be obtained directly from Department of Labor-approved providers. A W-14 form must be submitted with proposals to address the 2% Zadroga excise tax, calculated on the net amount exclusive of VAT. SAM registration is not required, but offerors must possess a valid CAGE/N-CAGE code for verification. The document indicates that section L of the solicitation addresses legal entity registration requirements in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The submission deadline was updated to March 25, 2026, at 4:00 PM Bahrain local time. The contracting agency is the Department of State, and no broker has been appointed by the U.S. Embassy for this solicitation. The maximum contract amount is to be determined following receipt and evaluation of offers.
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| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment 2 Census Data.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Amendment 0001 - Questioons and Answers.doc | DOC document |
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Text version
Questions and answers on Solicitation Number 19BA3026R0001 – LE Staff Health Insurance
| Questions |
| Answers |
| Member list with DOB, gender, marital status, relation (staff/dependent) |
| See Attachment 2 |
(Sheet 1 – Embassy Personnel; Sheet 2 – ORE Staff)
| Detailed claims experience of current running policy if possible | |
| YEAR | |
| TOTAL CLAIMS PAID |
(BHD)
| 2022-23 |
| 160,873 |
| 2023-24 |
| 245,918 |
| 2024-25 |
| 252,694 |
| 2025-26 (until January 2026) |
| 198,646 |
| Table of benefits |
| Refer to Solicitation: (Page 15 to 27) |
Section C.1. HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICES -PLAN 1
Section C.2 HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICES -PLAN 2 (Employees Hired After May 1, 2026)
| Current Hospital Network List |
| The Network List is managed directly by the vendor and covers all major hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in Bahrain. |
| Current Table of Benefits |
| Refer to Solicitation: (Page 15 to 20) |
Section C.1. HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICES -PLAN 1
Plan 2 – Completion of Forms (Pages 8–13) Employee projections missing Currently, we are not tracking any hires through May 2026. However, we may see 2 to 3 hires before the end of 2026.
Can bidders indicate premium rates only (without total premium amounts) in these tables?
Bidders can provide premium rates without total amounts. These rates will be applied when a new employee is hired under Plan 2
Zadroga (9/11 VICTIMS ) – 2% Excise Tax Notice (26 U.S.C. 5000C)
Please attach W-14 with your proposal. Form W-14 is completed by foreign contracting parties and is used to claim an exemption from withholding, in whole or part, from the 2% tax imposed by section 5000C. Link for W-14: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw14.pdf Link for Instructions: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw14
Confirm the withholding base/formula (excl. VAT vs incl. VAT):
Please confirm the exact basis for calculating 2%:
If withheld, the 2% amount will be calculated on the net amount (exclusive of VAT)
Request for current in-force claims: The claims amount shared so far covers fully expired policy years. Please also share claims experience from the current in-force policy period, so proposals reflect the most recent risk experience
| YEAR |
| TOTAL CLAIMS PAID |
(BHD)
| 2022-23 |
| 160,873 |
| 2023-24 |
| 245,918 |
| 2024-25 |
| 252,694 |
| 2025-26 (until January 2026) |
| 198,646 |
We noticed that the 2025-2026 (half year) Claims Information has not been disclosed or shared in the document that would give more clarity to the bidder to understand the claims situation
Equal information to all bidders: Please confirm that the in-force claims data (and any related clarifications) will be issued to all bidders, to ensure equal and complete information for evaluation.
All available information will be shared to all bidders
Please clarify the Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance for more clarity on Risk exposure and coverage plan will be part of Health Insurance program.
Please share more details on DBA insurance.
DBA is applicable to this Contract - Please see Section L The offeror shall obtain DBA insurance directly from any Department of Labor approved providers at the DOL website at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm
With reference to the solicitation document, and specifically the section titled “Minimum and Maximum Amounts” (page 7), we noted that the contract maximum amount is currently stated as TBD.
The maximum amount will be determined after receiving offers and will be included when the contract is awarded
| Claims History / Loss Ratio | |
| Profit and Loss Ratio |
| 2022-2023 |
| 77% |
| 2023-2024 |
| 92% |
| 2024-2025 |
| 86% |
| 2025-2026* |
| 59% |
* 2025-2026 numbers are through January 2026.
| Opening and closing population for the current year and the previous year |
| Current Year: Embassy Staff: 103; ORE Staff: 4 |
Previous Year: Embassy Staff: 108; ORE Staff: 5
Most recent claims experience for the current year, on a monthly basis
| YEAR |
| TOTAL CLAIMS PAID |
(BHD)
| 2025-26 (until January) |
| 198,646 |
Run-off claims experience for the previous year, on a monthly basis
| With regard to: C.1.1.17 Out-of-Country Medical Treatment: Medical expenses incurred out-of-country will be covered at the same benefit levels and subject to the same total maximum annual limit as for medical expenses incurred in-country) - Can you please confirm if the area of cover is extended to worldwide including US and whether such extension outside Bahrain is limited to specific duration of stay outside Bahrain? |
| Yes - the Out-of-Country Medical Treatment coverage is worldwide, and there is no restriction on the length of stay outside Bahrain. |
| Refer to B.1.1, we understand the ORE staffs are included under this contract only as a rider, however, does their claims history provided under Exhibit C includes ORE? |
| Yes – the Claims History includes ORE Staff on the Rider Contract. |
Please clarify if there is a broker involved in this tender.
U.S. Embassy has not appointed any brokers to solicit the proposal
| SAM Registration Required? |
| SAM registration is not required; however, qualified offerors must have a valid |
CAGE/N-CAGE code for verification, see Section K for details
Kindly confirm whether it is mandatory for offerors to partner with, or operate through, an insurance company that is officially registered in the Kingdom of Bahrain in order to establish a proper legal arrangement for contract performance.
See Section L2 of the Solicitation
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