Exhibit_19_-_Service_Level_Agreements.docx

EXHIBIT 19 – SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS (SLA)

purpose This Service Level Agreement (SLA) Exhibit defines performance standards, measurement methodologies, reporting requirements, and remedies applicable to Supplier services supporting the State’s Exchange operating model. The State is implementing an EDE-first + consumer-facing portal model, under which consumers may access eligibility determinations, plan comparisons, enrollment, and account management services directly through a State-operated Consumer Portal, while also supporting EDE partner integrations through the Exchange platform. The State intends to transition to an EDE-only model if and when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) authorizes such a model and the State elects to implement it. SLA obligations designated as “Portal Model SLAs” within this Exhibit are subject to transitional review and potential retirement upon such authorization and State election, in accordance with the EDE-only transition provisions in the SLA Governance section.

The SLA framework is designed to:

· Ensure reliable, high-performing EDE API integrations

· Support the Exchange’s partner-driven ecosystem (OKEPs)

· Maintain strong operational oversight, transparency, and accountability

· Align performance expectations with Federal Marketplace (FFE) standards

· Deliver a high-quality, accessible, and reliable consumer-facing portal experience

· Maintain consumer support service standards commensurate with direct consumer interaction obligations definitions

incident severity levels Severity classifications and required response / resolution targets are as follows:

sla governance reporting, and remedies Measurement & Reporting Supplier shall measure each SLA in accordance with the Measurement column and provide the State with timely access to supporting evidence, including logs, dashboards, and calculation detail necessary to validate compliance.

Supplier shall provide:

A. Real-time monitoring and alerting for critical services B. Monthly SLA performance reporting (weekly during OEP for mission-critical SLAs) C. Trend analysis and incident summaries as applicable.

Attribution and Exclusions Where an SLA includes attribution rules, only Supplier-controlled conditions count toward SLA compliance. Supplier shall maintain attribution logging sufficient to distinguish Supplier-controlled, external dependency, and EDE Partner-induced conditions.

Remedy Application Principles To reduce administrative burden and avoid an overly complex remedies structure, the following principles apply unless expressly stated otherwise in the SLA table:

· No stacking: The State will not apply duplicative remedies for the same underlying event across multiple SLAs (e.g., availability impacts counted once for the impacted component).

· Progressive enforcement: For first-time or isolated noncompliance outside OEP, the State may elect to require a corrective action plan (CAP) in lieu of immediate financial remedies.

· Monthly aggregation: Where practical, remedies are applied on an aggregated basis for the reporting period rather than per individual metric fluctuation.

· Caps: Where caps are stated, they apply to the reporting period. Where caps are not stated, the State may apply a reasonable cap during final exhibit refinement to support Supplier responsiveness and manageability.

· State discretion: The State may apply service credits instead of liquidated damages where permitted by the Contract structure.

· OEP escalation: During OEP (particularly the final two weeks), liquidated damages may be doubled (2x multiplier) for sustained breaches of mission-critical SLAs.

SLA Review Cadence and Continuous Improvement The State and Supplier will review SLA performance at least monthly and may adjust measurement methods, thresholds, or reporting formats by mutual written agreement in accordance with Contract change control provisions.

EDE-Only Transition The State intends to transition to an EDE-only operating model if and when CMS provides regulatory authorization. The following provisions govern that transition as it related to SLA obligations under this Exhibit:

· Suspension or retirement of Portal Model SLAs: Upon CMS authorization of an EDE-only operating model and written State election to transition, all SLAs or provisions designated as “Portal Model SLAs” shall be suspended, modified, or retired effective the date specified in the State’s written notice.

· Advance Notice: The State shall provide no fewer than ninety (90) calendar days’ written notice of its intent to exercise a Portal Model SLA transition.

· Continued performance through transition: Supplier shall continue to meet all Portal Model SLA obligations through the effective date of transition, without reduction in performance standards.

· Negotiation of replacement SLAs: Both parties shall negotiate in good faith any replacement SLAs applicable under the EDE-only model within sixty (60) days of the State’s written notice, in accordance with Contract change control provisions.

The State reserves the right to modify, expand, or introduce additional SLAs, operational metrics, support requirements, and reporting obligations associated with future implementation of optional capabilities, including but not limited to call center technologies, customer support platforms, or other operational components integrated into the Exchange ecosystem.

2 | Page service level agreements

SLA Category 1: EDE API Performance & Integration This section defines service levels governing performance, availability, and reliability of all EDE APIs and integrations supporting consumer enrollment transactions and partner interactions.

SLA 1.1: EDE API Availability SLA 1.1: EDE API Availability

· Availability shall be calculated solely on Supplier-controlled components and shall explicitly exclude outages attributable to external dependencies (including but not limited to CMS systems, Federal Data Services Hub (FDSH), and state network infrastructure) or failures caused by EDE partner systems, invalid requests, or partner-side configuration errors.

· Supplier shall maintain comprehensive monitoring, logging, and attribution documentation sufficient to substantiate the root cause and classification of all outages exceeding fifteen (15) minutes.

· Weekly during OEP

· Monthly during SEP

Calculation Method:

· Uptime % = (Total Minutes in Period – Unplanned Outage Minutes) / Total Minutes in Period x 100

Outage Threshold:

· Only outages exceeding 15 consecutive minutes are counted toward SLA calculations.

Data Source:

· Supplier-provided system monitoring logs, validated against State-approved monitoring tools.

· Supplier shall provide detailed incident logs including: timestamp of outage detection, root cause classification, affected components, and resolution timestamp.

Attribution Validation:

· Supplier bears the burden of providing contemporaneous logs and evidence supporting exclusion of non-Supplier-controlled conditions. Absence of documented evidence results in the outage being counted as Supplier-controlled.

Liquidated damages apply as follows:

· $10,000 per hour or partial hour during OEP

· $5,000 per hour during SEP

· Subject to a cumulative cap of $250,000 per month

For Minor Deviations (outside OEP):

· The State may apply a service credit of 2-3% of monthly fee in lieu of hourly damages.

Escalation:

· If availability falls below 99.5% for two consecutive reporting periods, Supplier shall provide a corrective action plan within 5 business days.

SLA 1.2: API Response Time – Critical Transactions SLA 1.2: API Response Time – Critical Transactions

· Response times shall be measured from the point of ingress at the API gateway to the point of egress from Supplier-controlled application layers.

· Measurements shall exclude external network latency, third-party system response times, and delays incurred within EDE partner environments.

· Supplier shall maintain detailed observability and logging to identify latency sources and

· Response time is measured from API gateway ingress to egress within Supplier-controlled systems and support SLA validation.

· 95th percentile less than 3.5 seconds

· 99th percentile less than 5.0 seconds

· Daily during final two weeks of OEP

· Weekly during OEP

· Monthly during SEP

Methodology:

· Calculated as weighted average across defined critical APIs (Create Application, Update Application, Submit Application, Submit Enrollment). Response time measured from API gateway ingress to egress within Supplier-controlled systems.

· Service credit of 2-3% of applicable monthly fee for affected API services.

For Moderate Degradation (0.5-1.0 sec above target):

· Service credit of 4-5% of applicable monthly fee AND corrective action plan required.

For Material Degradation (>1.0 sec above target):

· Monthly liquidated damages of $10,000-$25,000 AND corrective action plan required.

OEP Peak Period Escalation:

· 2x multiplier applies during final two weeks of OEP for sustained degradation (>1 reporting period).

Monthly Cap:

· $50,000 per month for response time damages.

SLA 1.3: API Response Time – Supporting Transactions SLA 1.3: API Response Time – Supporting Transactions

· Response time is measured from API gateway ingress to egress within Supplier-controlled processing and excludes EDE partner delays.

· Supplier shall maintain full observability and attribution logging and must distinguish latency sources and error classifications as Supplier-controlled, External dependency, or EDE partner-induced.

· Notice Retrieval / Status Reads: 95th percentile < 0.8 seconds

· Individual API Ceiling: no API exceeds 1.5 seconds at the 95th percentile

· Weekly during OEP

· Monthly during SEP

Methodology:

· Composite metric across Document Upload, Notice Retrieval, DMI / SVI Status Reads, and similar supporting APIs.

· Measured end—to-end from API gateway ingress to egress.

· Service credit of 1-2% of applicable monthly fee for affected supporting API services.

For Moderate Misses (0.2-0.4 sec. above target):

· Service credit of 2-3% of applicable monthly fee.

For Persistent Degradation (2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $5,000 - $10,000 per month.

· $30,000 per month for supporting API response time damages.

SLA 1.4: API Error Rate SLA 1.4: API Error Rate

· Error rate includes Supplier-controlled HTTP 5xx errors or application-level errors preventing successful transaction completion and excludes errors caused by EDE partner data validation features, invalid credentials, or malformed requests.

· Supplier shall maintain full observability and attribution logging to distinguish:

A. Supplier system features B. External dependency failures C. EDE partner input errors

· Critical transaction error rate: 0.5% (APIs in SLA 1.2)

· Supporting transaction error rate: <1.5% (APIs in SLA 1.3)

· Daily during OEP

· Weekly during SEP

Methodology:

· Requires error attribution logging to distinguish Supplier vs. EDE partner issues.

· Errors are counted as Supplier-controlled only if they result from Supplier code, configuration, or operational procedures.

· Service credit of 2-3% of applicable monthly fee WITH required root cause analysis.

For Moderate Exceedances (0.2-0.5% above target):

· Service credit of 4-5% of applicable monthly fee AND corrective action plan required.

For Severe or Sustained Exceedances (>0.5% above target OR 2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Monthly liquidated damages of $15,000-$35,000.

OEP Escalation:

· 2x multiplier applies for sustained breaches during peak OEP.

· $75,000 per month for error rate damages.

SLA 1.5: Peak Load Performance (OEP Surge Capacity) SLA 1.5: Peak Load Performance (OEP Surge Capacity)

· Supplier shall execute and document pre-OEP load testing and provide evidence that capacity and performance targets are met.

· Supplier shall provide daily monitoring outputs to the State during the peak OEP period as specified.

· Actual performance during final week of OEP meets all API SLAs (1.2, 1.3, 1.4)

· Standard capacity: 100 TPS (transactions per second)

· Peak capacity: 1,000 TPS sustained

· Burst capacity: 2,000 TPS for 15 minutes

· Conducted 30 days prior to OEP start

· Results delivered within 5 business days.

Actual Performance:

· Monitored daily during final 2 weeks of OEP with daily reports to State.

Validation:

· State may conduct independent load testing to validate results.

· Liquidated damages of $25,000-$50,000

For OEP Performance Degradation (SLA 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 thresholds not maintained):

· Liquidated damages of $10,000 per day during final two weeks of OEP.

For Inadequate Load Testing Documentation:

· Service credit of 5% of monthly fee.

For Minor Nonconformities (outside OEP):

· Service credits may be applied at State’s discretion.

· $100,000 per month for peak load performance damages.

SLA Category 2: Data Exchange, Document Processing, & Communication Operations This section defines service levels governing inbound and outbound data exchange, document and file processing, notice generation, and print and mail operations supporting enrollment and regulatory communication requirements.

SLA 2.1: Inbound File Processing (Carrier / Partner Files)

SLA 2.1: Inbound File Processing (Carrier / Partner Files)

· Processing includes: (1) file receipt, (2) format validation (file structure, encoding, required fields), (3) data validation (business rule checks, referential integrity), (4) ingestion into Supplier systems, and (5) completion of automated control checks required for the file to be usable for downstream processing (eligibility determination, enrollment reporting).

· Processing is complete when the file has passed all validation checks and is available for downstream systems to consume.

· Supplier shall maintain file receipt logs, processing timestamps, validation results, and error logs to validate compliance.

· Files that fail validation shall be reported to the partner with specific error details within 2 business hours of detection.

· Monthly

Methodology:

· File Processing Compliance % = (Files Processed Within 1 Business Day / Total Files Received) x 100.

· One business day = 24 hours from file receipt timestamp to completion of all validation and ingestion steps.

Data Source:

· Supplier-provided file processing logs including: file name, receipt timestamp, processing start timestamp, validation completion timestamp, and processing status (success / failure).

Reporting:

Monthly report due by 5th business day of following month, including: total files received, files processed on time, files delayed, reasons for delays, and remediation actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee for affected file-processing service.

For Moderate Delays (5-10% of files delayed OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor delays):

· Service credit of 2-3% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 5 business days.

For Material Delays (>10% of files delayed OR sustained delays across 2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500 - $5,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan. If delays persist beyond 2 weeks, damages increase to $5,000-$10,000 per month.

OEP Escalation:

· During OEP, if >5% of files are delayed, damages are doubled (2x multiplier).

Monthly Cap:

· $25,000 per month for inbound file processing damages.

Exclusions:

· Partner-provided files with invalid format or data (documented through validation error logs), external dependency failures (FDSH, CMS integration delays), state network issues (documented through network monitoring).

Governance:

· If Supplier disputes measurement, written notice must be provided within 5 business days, including file-level logs and validation details.

· State will conduct good-faith review; if unresolved, State’s determination is final.

SLA 2.2: Outbound File Processing (Enrollment Transactions) SLA 2.2: Outbound File Processing (Enrollment Transactions)

· The measurement window starts when the outbound file is triggered / created within Supplier-controlled processing (e.g., enrollment submitted, eligibility determination completed, renewal processed) and ends when transmission is completed and logged in Supplier systems with confirmation of receipt by the receiving system.

· Supplier shall identify and notify the State of any outbound file delays that may impact federal reporting deadlines.

· Supplier shall maintain outbound file logs, transmission timestamps, and delivery confirmation records to validate compliance.

· Monthly

Methodology:

· Outbound File Compliance % = (Files Transmitted Within 1 Business Day / Total Files Generated) x 100.

· One business day = 24 hours from trigger event timestamp to transmission completion and delivery confirmation.

Data Source:

· Supplier-provided outbound file logs including: file name, trigger event timestamp, file generation timestamp, transmission timestamp, delivery confirmation timestamp, and transmission status (success / failure).

Delivery Confirmation:

· Supplier must obtain and document confirmation of receipt from receiving system.

Reporting:

· Monthly report due by 5th business day of following month, including: total files generated, files transmitted on-time, files delayed, reasons for delays, federal deadline impacts, and remediation actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee for affected file-processing service.

For Moderate Delays (5-10% of files delayed OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor delays):

· Service credit of 2-3% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 5 business days.

For Federal Deadline Impact (any file delay that materially impacts federal reporting deadlines):

· Liquidated damages of $5,000-$10,000 per affected deadline AND mandatory corrective action plan.

· If federal deadline is missed, damages increase to $10,000-$25,000 per deadline.

· State may assess additional damages for federal compliance penalties incurred.

For Sustained Delays (>10% of files delayed OR sustained delays across 2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $10,000-$25,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan.

· If delays persist beyond 2 weeks, damages increase to $25,000-$50,000 per month.

OEP Escalation:

· During OEP, if any federal deadline is missed, damages are doubled (2x multiplier).

Monthly Cap:

· $50,000 per month for outbound file processing damages (excluding federal deadline impact damages).

Exclusions:

· Receiving system unavailability documented through logs, partner-provided invalid data preventing transmission (documented through validation error logs), state network issues (documented through network monitoring).

Governance:

· If Supplier disputes measurement, written notice must be provided within 5 business days, including file-level transmission logs and delivery confirmation.

SLA 2.3: Batch Job Completion & Failed Job Resolution SLA 2.3: Daily Batch Job Completion & Failed Job Resolution

· Batch jobs include all scheduled jobs necessary to support enrollment operations, reporting, and downstream integrations, including but not limited to: eligibility determination batch processing, enrollment file generation, issuer data synchronization, federal reporting file creation, and system maintenance routines.

· Supplier shall ensure all batch jobs complete by the designated time of 6:00 am CT.

· For any jobs that fail or do not complete by the designated time, Supplier shall initiate resolution and re-run the job within defined timeframes based on criticality classification.

· Critical jobs are those that materially impact enrollment operations, eligibility processing, or time-sensitive reporting (e.g., enrollment file generation, carrier data synchronization, federal reporting).

· Standard jobs are those that support operational functions but do not have immediate business impact (e.g., system maintenance routines, non-critical reporting).

· Supplier shall maintain batch execution, failure detection, resolution, and rerun logs sufficient to validate compliance, including job start time, completion time, failure timestamp, resolution timestamp, and rerun status.

· Supplier shall provide automated alerting:

· For any batch job that fails or does not complete by the designated time

· Within 15 minutes of failure detection

· Critical failed jobs resolved and re-run within 4 hours

· Standard failed jobs resolved and re-run within 1 business day

· Monthly

Methodology:

· Batch Job Completion % = (Jobs Completed by 6:00 AM CT / Total Scheduled Jobs) x 100.

· Job Resolution Compliance % = (Jobs Resolved Within Target Timeframe / Total Failed Jobs) x 100.

· Completion is defined as successful execution with all processing steps completed and required outputs generated.

Data Source:

· Supplier-provided logs including: job name, scheduled start time, actual start time, completion time, status (success / failure / timeout), failure detection timestamp, resolution timestamp, rerun timestamp, and resolution outcome.

Criticality Classification:

· Supplier shall maintain and provide to State a documented classification of all batch jobs by criticality level, with State approval required for classification changes.

Reporting:

· Monthly report due by 5th business day of following month, including: total jobs scheduled, jobs completed on-time, jobs delayed / failed, failures resolved within target timeframes, failures exceeding target timeframes, reasons for failures and resolution delays, impact on downstream operations, and remediation actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee.

For Moderate Performance Issues (2-5% of jobs fail OR 5-10% exceed resolution timeframes OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor issues):

· Service credit of 2-3% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 5 business days.

For Material Performance Failures (>5% of jobs fail OR 10% exceed resolution timeframes OR failures materially impact enrollment operations):

· Liquidated damages of $5,000-$15,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan.

· If failures persist beyond 1 week, damages increase to $15,000-$25,000 per month.

For Critical Job Resolution Failures (any critical job exceeds 4-hour resolution target):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500 per critical job per day until resolved.

OEP Escalation:

· During OEP:

· If failures materially impact enrollment operations (e.g., prevent enrollment processing, delay issuer file transmission), liquidated damages of $10,000 per day for each day operations are impacted.

· If critical job resolution exceeds 2 hours, liquidated damages of $5,000 per job per day until resolved.

Monthly Cap:

· $50,000 per month for batch job completion and resolution damages.

Exclusion:

· External dependency failures documented through logs, scheduled maintenance windows (approved in advance per SLA 5.1), infrastructure failures outside Supplier control (documented through infrastructure monitoring).

Governance:

· If Supplier disputes batch job measurement, written notice must be provided within 5 business days, including job-level execution logs and failure analysis.

SLA 2.4: Federal Data Services Hub (FDSH) Integration SLA 2.4: FDSH Integration

· Supplier shall measure and report Supplier-controlled transmission success rate and Supplier-controlled processing performance, distinguishing between Supplier system issues and external dependency failures.

· Supplier shall log and notify the State within 30 minutes of any known external dependency outages (CMS / FDSH unavailability) and provide estimated resolution timeframes.

· Supplier shall maintain comprehensive transaction logs including request / response data, timestamps, error codes, and attribution classification (Supplier-controlled vs. external dependency) to support SLA validation and dispute resolution.

· Response time <5 seconds for 95% of verification requests (Supplier-controlled)

· Weekly during OEP

· Monthly during SEP

Methodology:

· FDSH Success Rate % = (Successful Supplier-Controlled Transmissions / Total Transmission Attempts) x 100.

· Response time measured from Supplier system request initiation to receipt of FDSH response, excluding FDSH processing time.

Data Source:

· Supplier-provided FDSH integration logs including: transaction ID, request timestamp, response timestamp, response time, transmission status (success / failure), error classification (Supplier / External), and supporting evidence for attribution.

Attribution Requirements:

· Supplier must provide real-time classification of all transmission failures as either Supplier-controlled (system errors, configuration issues, network problems within Supplier control) or External Dependency (FDSH unavailability, CMS system issues, federal network problems).

Reporting:

· Weekly reports during OEP and monthly reports during SEP due by 5th business day of following period, including: total transmission attempts, successful transmissions, failed transmissions by classification, response time metrics, external dependency outage notifications, and remediation actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee.

For Moderate Supplier-Controlled Failures (transmission rate 98.5-98.9% OR response time 7-10 seconds for 95th percentile OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor failures):

· Service credit of 2-3% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 5 business days.

For Material Supplier-Controlled Failures (transmission rate <98.5% OR response time >10 seconds for 95th percentile OR sustained failures across 2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $10,000-$25,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan.

· If failures persist beyond 1 week, damages increase to $25,000-$50,000 per month.

OEP Escalation:

· During OEP, if FDSH integration failures prevent eligibility determinations, liquidated damages of $15,000 per day for each day operations are materially impacted.

Monthly Cap:

· $100,000 per month for FDSH integration damages.

Exclusions:

· External dependency outages (CMS / FDSH unavailability) documented through logs and real-time notification to State, federal network issues outside Supplier control (documented through network monitoring), FDSH processing delays or errors (documented through FDSH response codes and timestamps).

Governance:

· Supplier remains responsible for logging, notification, and escalation per incident procedures regardless of attribution.

· If Supplier disputes FDSH measurement or attribution, written notice must be provided within 5 business days, including transaction-level logs and attribution evidence.

SLA 2.5: Print Processing & Outbound Mail Operations SLA 2.5: Print Processing & Outbound Mail Operations

· The request date is identified as the day the print files are made available to the Supplier or the day the print request is generated within Supplier systems.

· Processing includes (1) PDF receipt and validation, (2) print queue processing, (3) physical printing, (4) mail preparation and sorting, and (5) handoff to mail carrier service.

· Supplier shall maintain print processing logs, timestamps, and mail tracking information to validate compliance.

· Deviations from this standard may be permitted for known exceptional volumes (e.g., annual renewals, open enrollment notices) but performance targets must be agreed in advance in writing with State approval.

· Publications shall be printed and sent through mail services to the addressee within 2 business days of the request date, identified as the day the PDFs are made available to the Supplier. Deviations from this standard may be permitted for known exceptional volumes (e.g., renewals) but performance targets must be agreed in advance.

· Monthly

Methodology:

· Print Processing Compliance % = (Documents Mailed Within 2 Business Days / Total Documents Requested) x 100.

· Two business days = 48 hours from print request timestamp to mail carrier handoff confirmation.

Date Source:

· Supplier-provided print processing logs including: document ID, request timestamp, print file receipt timestamp, print completion timestamp, mail carrier handoff timestamp, and processing status (success / failure).

Mail Tracking:

· Supplier must obtain and document confirmation of handoff to mail carrier service with tracking numbers where applicable.

Reporting:

· Monthly report due by 5th business day of following month, including: total documents requested, documents processed on-time, documents delayed, reasons for delays, exceptional volume impacts, and remediation actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee for affected print processing service.

For Moderate Delays (80-84% compliance OR 5-10% of documents delayed OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor delays):

· Service credit of 2-3% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 5 business days.

For Material Delays (<80% compliance OR >10% of documents delayed OR sustained delays across 2+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500-$5,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan.

· If delays persist beyond 1 week, damages increase to $5,000-$10,000 per month.

For Critical Notice Delays (enrollment confirmations, termination notices, or other time-sensitive consumer communications delayed beyond 3 business days):

· Additional liquidated damages of $500 per delayed critical notice.

OEP Escalation:

· During OEP, if print delays impact critical notices (e.g., Eligibility Notice), liquidated damages are doubled (2x multiplier).

Monthly Cap:

· $25,000 per month for print processing damages.

Exceptional Volume Provisions:

· For pre-approved exceptional volumes (annual renewals, OEP notices), alternative performance targets may be established in writing with State approval. Supplier must provide 10 business days advance notice of anticipated exceptional volumes with proposed alternative targets.

Exclusions:

· Mail carrier service delays beyond Supplier handoff (documented through carrier tracking), force majeure events affecting print facilities (documented through incident reports), State-requested changes to print specifications requiring reprinting (documented through change requests).

Governance:

· If Supplier disputes print processing measurement, written notice must be provided within 5 business days, including document-level processing logs and mail carrier handoff confirmations. State will conduct good-faith review; if unresolved, State’s determination is final.

SLA Category 3: EDE Partner Support & Relationship Management This section defines service levels governing technical support, onboarding, communication, and ongoing relationship management for EDE partners interacting with the Exchange ecosystem.

SLA 3.1: EDE Partner Technical Support – Critical Issues SLA 3.1: EDE Partner Technical Support – Critical Issues

· Critical issues are defined as Severity 1 incidents that materially impact partner ability to submit applications or access core enrollment functions.

· Response times apply to initial acknowledgement and engagement by qualified Supplier support personnel, with mandatory escalation within one (1) hour when unresolved.

· Supplier shall maintain comprehensive ticketing system with timestamp records, issue classification, resolution tracking, and escalation documentation to validate performance.

· Support coverage includes dedicated escalation path during OEP and enhanced monitoring during peak enrollment periods.

· Initial response within 30 minutes outside business hours

· Escalation within 1 hour if unresolved issue resolution or workaround provided within 4 hours for critical issues

· Weekly during OEP

· Monthly during SEP

· Methodology:

· Response Time Compliance % = (Tickets Acknowledged Within Target / Total Tier 1 Tickets) x 100.

· Escalation Compliance % = (Tickets Escalated Within 1 Hour When Unresolved / Total Unresolved Tickets) x 100.

Data Source

· Supplier ticketing system with timestamps for: ticket creation, first response, escalation (if applicable), and resolution.

Reporting:

· Weekly reports during OEP include: total critical tickets, response time performance, escalation performance, resolution times, and partner impact assessment.

· Monthly reports during SEP include trend analysis and corrective actions.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee.

For Moderate Response Delays (85-89% compliance OR pattern of missed targets):

· Service credit of 2% of monthly M&O fee AND mandatory corrective action plan due within 3 business days.

For Material Response Failures (<85% compliance OR systemic failures impacting multiple partners):

· Liquidated damages of $5,000 per month AND mandatory corrective action plan.

For Escalation Failures (failure to escalate unresolved tickets within 1 hour):

· Additional liquidated damages of $1,000 per missed escalation.

· $25,000 per month for critical issues support damages.

SLA 3.2: EDE Partner Technical Support – Standard Issues SLA 3.2: EDE Partner Technical Support – Standard Issues

· Standard issues include configuration questions, documentation requests, non-blocking defects, and general technical guidance.

· Acknowledgement is defined as confirmation of receipt, assignment to appropriate support resource, and initial assessment of issue complexity.

· Resolution or escalation must be documented within the ticketing system with clear status updates and next steps communicated to the requesting partner.

· Supplier shall maintain knowledge base and FAQ resources to support efficient resolution of common issues.

· 75% of tickets resolved or escalated within 1 business day

· 95% of tickets resolved within 3 business days

· Acknowledgement Compliance % = (Tickets Acknowledged Within 2 Hours / Total Tickets) x 100.

· Resolution Compliance % = (Tickets Resolved Within Target / Total Resolvable Tickets) x 100.

Data Source

· Supplier ticketing system.

Reporting:

· Monthly reports include: total standard tickets, acknowledgement performance, resolution performance, escalation rates, and common issue categories.

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee.

For Moderate KPI Misses (80-84% compliance OR two consecutive reporting periods with minor misses):

· Service credit of 2% of monthly M&O fee AND corrective action plan due required within 5 business days.

For Material KPI Failures (<80% compliance OR sustained poor performance across 3+ consecutive reporting periods):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500 per month AND mandatory process improvement plan.

For Escalation Failures (failure to escalate unresolved tickets within 1 hour):

· Additional liquidated damages of $1,000 per missed escalation.

· $15,000 per month for standard issue support damages.

SLA 3.3: EDE Partner Satisfaction SLA 3.3: EDE Partner Satisfaction

· Supplier shall administer surveys using standardized methodology, ensure adequate response rates (minimum 70% of active partners), and provide detailed analysis of results including trend identification and improvement recommendations.

· If satisfaction thresholds are not met, Supplier shall provide comprehensive corrective action plan within 10 business days, including root cause analysis, specific improvement measures, timeline for implementation, and success metrics. Supplier shall also conduct follow-up surveys or partner interview to validate improvement effectiveness.

· 85% of EDE partners rate API reliability >4 (5-point scale)

· 80% of EDE partners rate documentation quality >4 (5-point scale)

· Minimum 70% survey response rate from active EDE partners

· Overall partnership satisfaction >4.2 (5-point scale)

· Surveys administered to all active EDE partners using standardized questionnaire.

· Results calculated as percentage of respondents rating each category at target level or above.

Data Source

· Supplier-administered partner satisfaction surveys with anonymous response option.

Reporting:

· Quarterly satisfaction reports due within 10 business days of survey completion, including: detailed results by category, trend analysis vs. prior quarters, verbatim feedback summary, improvement recommendations, and action plan for areas below threshold.

· Corrective action plan required within 10 business days; no financial penalty for first occurrence.

For Moderate Satisfaction Issues (3+ categories below threshold OR overall satisfaction 3.5-3.7 OR two consecutive quarters with minor shortfalls):

· Service credit of 2% of quarterly M&O fee AND comprehensive improvement plan with monthly progress reports.

For Material Satisfaction Failures (overall satisfaction <3.5 or sustained poor performance across 3+ consecutive quarters):

· Liquidated damages of $10,000 per quarter AND mandatory partner relationship review with State participation.

For Response Rate Failures (<70% response rate for 2 consecutive quarters):

· Additional service credit of 1% of quarterly M&O fee AND enhanced partner engagement requirements.

Quarterly Cap:

· $20,000 per quarter for satisfaction-related damages

SLA 3.4 EDE Partner Onboarding & Training SLA 3.4: EDE Partner Onboarding & Training

· Onboarding materials must be current, complete, and tailored to partner technical capabilities.

· Sandbox environment must mirror production configuration and provide realistic testing scenarios.

· Training sessions must be conducted by qualified technical staff and include both group orientation and individualized technical consultation.

· Supplier shall track onboarding milestones per partner, maintain completion records, and provide evidence of successful onboarding including sandbox testing results and parter readiness confirmation.

· Sandbox environment access provided within 3 business days

· Technical training session scheduled within 10 business days

· Partner readiness confirmation within 20 business days

· 95% of partners successfully complete onboarding within 30 business days

· Per partner (tracked monthly in aggregate)

Methodology:

· Milestone tracking for each new partner from approval date through readiness confirmation.

· Success rate calculated monthly across all onboarding partners.

Data Source:

· Supplier onboarding tracking system with timestamps for each milestone and partner feedback on onboarding experience.

Reporting:

· Monthly onboarding reports include: new partners in process, milestone completion rates, average time to readiness, common delays / issues, and partner feedback summary.

· Service credit of 0.5% of monthly M&O fee per missed milestone, capped at 2% per partner.

For Pattern of Onboarding Delays (success rate 85-94% OR average time to readiness >25 days):

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee AND corrective action plan required within 5 business days.

For Systematic Onboarding Failures (success rate <85% OR average time to readiness >30 days OR 2+ consecutive months with pattern delays):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500 per month AND comprehensive onboarding process review with State participation.

For Critical Partner Impacts (delays preventing partner from participating in OEP):

· Additional liquidated damages of $5,000 per affected partner.

· $10,000 per month for onboarding-related damages.

SLA 3.5: EDE Partner Communication – System Changes SLA 3.5: EDE Partner Communication – System Changes

· Communication must include detailed change descriptions, potential impact assessment, testing recommendations, and implementation timeline.

· Supplier shall document all change notices, distribute release notes and technical specifications where applicable, and maintain evidence of notice timing and delivery confirmation.

· Emergency maintenance notifications must be provided as soon as possible with follow-up detailed communication.

· Supplier shall also provide post-implementation status updates and be available for partner questions during change implementation periods.

· Minor changes (configuration updates, minor enhancements): 10 calendar days advance notice

· Emergency maintenance: 24 hours advance notice when possible, immediate notification when not possible

· 100% of active partners receive change notifications

· Post-implementation status updates within 24 hours of change completion

· Monthly (tracking all change notifications)

Methodology:

· Notice compliance measured from change implementation date back to notification date.

· Partner delivery confirmation tracked through email delivery receipts and partner acknowledgement.

Data Source:

· Supplier change management system with notification logs, delivery confirmations, and implementation tracking.

Reporting:

· Monthly change communication reports include: all changes implemented, notice timing compliance, partner delivery confirmation rates, partner feedback on change communications, and any change-related issues reported by partners.

· Service credit of 0.5% of monthly M&O fee.

For Moderate Notice Failures (3-5 day shortfall OR <90% partner delivery confirmation OR pattern of minor failures):

· Service credit of 1% of monthly M&O fee AND improved communication process required

For Material Notice Failures (>5 day shortfall OR <85% partner delivery confirmation OR no notice provided):

· Liquidated damages of $2,500 per change event.

For Partner-Impacting Failures (inadequate notice results in partner system failures, integration issues, or operational disruption):

· Additional liquidated damages of $5,000 per affected partner AND immediate remediation required.

For Emergency Notice Failures (no notice provided when 24+ hours advance notice was possible):

· Liquidated damages of $10,000 per incident.

· $25,000 per month for change…