Leave_of_Absence_Services_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

For more information, please visit our online supplier portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/indy

City of Indianapolis and Marion County

Request for Qualifications

LEAVE OF ABSENCE SERVICES

RFQUAL-11EAL-211

Request For Qualification #RFQual-11EAL-211 2

Title: Leave of Absence Services

Table Of Contents

1. General Information

2. Anticipated Scope of Work

3. Submission Requirements

4. Vendor Questionnaire

Attachments:

A - Sample Agreement

Request For Qualification #RFQual-11EAL-211 3

1. General Information

1.1. Introduction

Questions pertaining to the Request for Qualifications content may be directed through the

Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/indy, no later than Wednesday, April

22, 2026 by 12:00 pm Eastern Time.

NOTE: Any related addenda to this Request for Qualifications, including written answers to questions, will be posted on the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/indy. Vendors will be responsible for periodically checking the Procurement Portal for any related addenda up to and including the due date.

Vendors must acknowledge addenda with their submittal. Failure to acknowledge the addenda may cause a submittal to be determined as non- responsive for review purposes.

1.2. Timeline

Estimated Release Date: April 9, 2026

Question Submission Deadline: April 22, 2026, 12:00pm

Submittal Deadline: April 30, 2026, 12:00pm

1.3. Summary

The City of Indianapolis and Marion County by and through the Office of Finance and Management

Department is seeking Request for Qualifications for Leave of Absence Services. Submittals are due not later than 12:00 pm on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

2. Anticipated Scope of Work

2.1. Anticipated Scope of Work Requirements

A. Family Medical Leave Administration

The Contractor and its subsidiaries shall provide fair and consistent administration of the Family Medical

Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) in compliance with federal and state requirements. Accurate time tracking and reporting of absences will be provided by Contractor. For FMLA, leave will be tracked in

Contractor's system based on any 12-month period specified by City and in any increments of time compatible with City's payroll system. Upon intake, the Contractor determines initial eligibility under the

FMLA as well as any state-mandated leave requirements. On behalf of City, Contractor shall notify the employee and the City within two (2) business days of the initial leave notification that he or she may qualify for FMLA leave. Included in the initial written notification is information regarding the employee's rights/responsibilities and City's leave policies as well as the required healthcare certification form to be completed within 15 days of the initial leave request.

The Contractor shall document any follow up with the employee to ensure timely return of the required healthcare certification form. Once the information is received, a determination is made for approval or denial of the FMLA leave and the amount of leave. The leave determination is communicated via email

Request For Qualification #RFQual-11EAL-211 4 notification to the City and in writing to the employee. Contractor shall consult with City prior to notifying any employee that the employee's leave request is to be denied. City shall have the right to authorize any leave requested.

Ongoing FMLA leave is managed concurrently and coordinated with any approved disability or workers' compensation benefits. Follow up tasks are set to ensure proactive management of the employee's leave throughout the certification period. The Contractor manages any re-certification periods necessary under the FMLA leave. The Contractor will assist the employee with return-to-work coordination and fitness for duty upon expiration of their disability/FMLA leave period.

Prior to the employee's exhaustion of FMLA benefit hours within City's 12-month leave period, the

Contractor notifies the employee in writing of the leave status. Should the employee not return to work prior to the exhaustion of his or her benefit hours, the Contractor sends written notification of leave exhaustion to the employee. The contractor will also notify the City by email once an employee has exhausted 75% and 100% of the leave period. Close coordination with City occurs prior to the exhaustion of leave to ensure that internal policies are followed.

All FMLA certified leave requests, including intermittent leave, are tracked by Contractor, and reported to the City. The Contractor provides timely communication, claim status updates, and hour usage reports for all employees on leave. The Contractor ensures that any communications, including reports, comply with HIPAA requirements for protected health information and any other confidentiality requirements.

B. Short-Term Disability Administration

To determine eligibility for Short Term Disability (STD) leave benefits for those employees who are not eligible for FMLA leave, the Contractor works with the City to ensure all benefit parameters are customized in Contractor's system, according to the City's specifications. For any new claim reported, the Contractor provides all required information concerning benefits to the employee on behalf of the

City. The Contractor initiates requests for additional medical information as necessary to determine benefits eligibility.

Once completed information is received, the Contractor notifies the employee in writing of certification or non-certification of STD leave benefits. After conferring with the City, determinations are made within five (5) business days. For approved STD claims, the expected disability period and return to work date is provided to the employee and the leave determination is emailed to the City. For claims tentatively denied for STD benefits, a denial reason is provided with the advice and consent of the City.

The Contractor proactively manages the STD claim through system logs and ongoing communication with the employee and the City.

C. Web-Based Claim Access, Data Integration, and Outcomes Reporting

The Contractor provides web-based claim access for all claims. Claim history, benefit usage/balance, claim status, medical review status, and case notes can be viewed through the Contractors' web-based claim access system. Claim access can be customized by location and certain claim data can be restricted based on customer preferences. In addition, standard reports can be run and customized by company location, department, and job classification.

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Performance Standards Basis of Measurement Evaluation Method Evaluation Period

Average Speed to Answer: Network

Level

Answer: based on all calls

Calls will be answered received in order.

Calls will be answered in 30 seconds or less, based on an annual average and book of business. Intake Center based on an annual during the term of average and book of business.

Network Level based on all call received in the Intake Center during the term of the agreement.

n/a Contract Term

Abandonment Rate:

Abandonment Rate will be 3.5% or less

(based on an annual average)

Network Level based on all calls received in the Intake Center during the term of the agreement.

Abandonment rate reflects those callers that disconnect their call prior to being connected to a representative.

Contract Term

STD Decision Time For all STD claims received for the City during the term of the agreement, initial decisions will be rendered within the following standards:

• 50%within 5 business days of receipt of claim.

• 80% within 10 business days of receipt of claim.

Customer Specific is based on a report of all claims processed for the

City during the term of the agreement.

Decision time will be measured as time from the date of initial submission of claim (telephone call, paper form, fax or e-mail), to the date of approval/ denial of claim.

Contract Term

STD Coding Accuracy

For all STD claims received in the Field

Claim Office servicing the City during the term of the agreement, coding will be

95% correct.

Based on random audit of all STD files processed in the claim office during the term.

Will be calculated by dividing the total correct coding items by the total number of coding items audited.

Contract Term

Timeliness of Leave Request Notice

Notice of leave will be provided to the employee and the City within three business days of the leave request or when Contractor learns that the employee's leave may be for an FMLA qualifying reason, absent extenuating circumstances.

Customer

Specific based on a report of all leave administered during the term of the agreement.

Time will be measured from date the leave is requested to date that notice of leave is sent

Contract Term

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Timeliness of

Leave Determination:

Leave determination will be provided to the employee and the City within three

(3) business days of receiving of all required information, absent extenuating circumstances.

Customer

Specific based on a report of all leave administered during the term of the agreement

Time will be measured from the receipt date of all required information to the date that the leave determination letter is sent.

Contract Term

FMLA Coding

Accuracy:

95% of all leaves will be coded accurately by the leave team during the term of the agreement.

Based on random audit of all leaves administered during the term of the agreement.

Will be calculated by dividing the total correct coding items by the total number of coding items audited.

Contract Term

4. Initial Set-Up

FMLA & STD Tail Claim take-over

Set-up includes:

• Weekly meetings (virtual or in person) for program implementation and workflow set-up.

• Account management services.

• Web-based claim access (for up to 10 users).

• Tri-folds and worksite posters.

• Load.

• Web-based training for all locations.

5. FMLA & STD Administration

• PEPM fee includes:

• 24/7 reporting.

• Clinical review and case management.

• Claim Administration.

• Return to work coordination.

• Standard Reporting.

• Consulting from contractor on monthly/quarterly reporting, education, benchmarking, and strategic planning.

• And any other service described in or contemplated by this Agreement.

6. Agreed Services to be performed by the Contractor

• Coordinate activities relating to the City's leave of absence program.

• Communicate with the City's human resources or benefits team regarding program issues.

• Review and implementation of complete cost containment procedures where applicable.

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• Meetings with the City's management or benefits team, as requested and at agreed upon regular intervals.

• Periodic review of market trends to ensure plan compliance.

• Custom employee communications.

• Response to general inquiries from the City.

• Provide resources for legislative questions (e.g. COBRA, HIPM, Health Care Reform, etc.).

• Provide resources for provider questions or issues.

• Ensure implementation of policy changes with carrier(s).

• Request contract renewals with follow-up.

• Review renewal contracts for accuracy.

• Act as a resource for difficult claim situations.

• Ongoing compliance assistance with state and federal mandates.

• Educate benefits team.

3. Submission Requirements

All submittals must include the following:

3.1. Cover Letter

Organization name, contact name, address, phone number, and email address.

3.2. Qualifications Criteria

Leave of Absence Criteria

• Ability to handle paid and unpaid leaves of absence.

• An employee and Employer portal would be required.

1. Expertise in Employment Laws and Compliance

Vendors must track and maintain awareness of ongoing changes in market applicable laws and promptly communicate relevant updates to our team. Vendors must have in-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations to ensure compliance, including:

• Federal Laws: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), and Health Information Portability and Accountability

Act (HIPAA).

• State/Local Laws: Detailed understanding of Indiana state paid family and medical leave laws.

• Compliance Experience: Ability to handle complex cases, such as intermittent leaves and reasonable accommodations.

2. Experience and Credentials

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• Industry Experience: 15-20+ years of direct, in-house experience managing leaves of absence, or equivalent consulting/carrier experience. Vendor will be required to act as a resource for difficult claim situations.

3. Technical and Analytical Skills

• Technology Proficiency: Expertise with Oracle PeopleSoft, must have the ability to support

Secure File Transport Protocol (SFTP) and Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption.

• Analytical Skills: Ability to conduct Total Cost of Absence (TCOA) analysis, benchmark performance against peers, and provide ROI analysis on program enhancements.

• Data Management: Ability to provide real-time, consolidated reporting on case statuses, regular monthly or bi-weekly reports on current cases as needed.

• System Access: Provide limited access to vendor’s database for up to 5 people and super-user access for up to 3 people.

4. Functional Capabilities

• End-to-End Case Management: Ability to handle the entire leave process, from initial notification to return-to-work.

• Customization: Capability to tailor communications, policies, and procedures to match the employer's specific company culture (i.e. through email, two-way text, phone calls).

• Communication Skills: Strong, empathetic verbal and written skills to interact professionally with employees, HR, and legal teams. Support available in multiple languages (Spanish, Haitian Creole, etc.)

5. Preferred Qualifications for Firms

• Scalability: Ability to handle high volumes of leave requests, particularly during peak times.

(Workforce of 4-5,000)

• Integration: Ability to integrate with existing payroll or HRIS platforms via Application

Programming Interfaces (API). (Oracle Peoplesoft)

• Proactive Reporting: Offering 24/7 access to reports and tracking.

3.3. Relevant Organizational Experience

• Provide a description of the organization’s experience servicing Leave of Absence Services.

• Document the organization’s capacity and intent to proceed without delay if selected for this work.

• Provide a detailed description of the Organization’s ability to implement the Anticipated Scope of Work.

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• An outline of qualifications and experience in performing similar services for each service your firm wishes to provide. List any educational degrees, active licenses/certifications and relative work experience. NOTE: A statement of interest is not required for each service.

• Three (3) business references; preference will be given to references where similarly requested services were performed. Do not include references that are currently employed by

City. References should be formatted as follows:

o Name:

o Title:

o Address:

o Phone Number:

o Email Address:

o Brief description of the services performed:

• If applicable, please provide a list of lawsuits that your company has been a party to as related to the types of services provided in this RFQUAL. For each lawsuit, please provide a brief description of the facts at issue as well as the resulting outcome.

3.4. MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE (“XBE”) participation form or waiver

It is the policy of the City that Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises

(WBEs), Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs), and Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs) shall have the maximum feasible opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts. Consequently, the City, through Article IV, Section 202-401 of the revised municipal code

& The Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE Business

Utilization Plan in Indianapolis, has established MBE participation goals of 15%, WBE participation goals of 8%, VBE participation goals of 3%, and DOBE participation goals of 1% for its dollars spent on public works, goods, and services.

In order to help accomplish this goal, the City is requesting that you include with your submittal information regarding your status as an MBE, WBE, VBE, or DOBE. Additionally, please include contact information for any MBE, WBE, VBE, or DOBE owned Vendors directly participating in your business operations. The City also requests contact information for any MBE, WBE, VBE, or DOBE sub-contractors that you might use in the course of doing business with the City. Some examples of this kind of service include, but are not limited to: office suppliers, courier services, shipping services, etc. These services can occur at the local, state, or national level. Please include an estimated percentage or dollar amount that you anticipate using.

Be advised that the information provided on MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE participation will be included as part of the scoring criteria for this RFP. Accordingly, it is imperative that you do everything possible to obtain the information above and supply it as part of the submittal.

In order to be recognized by the City of Indianapolis/Marion County as an MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE participant, your company must be certified with the Office of Minority &Women Business

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Development (OMWBD). The City will recognize only City of Indianapolis certified firms regardless of any other state or national affiliation.

If you should need assistance in obtaining information or certification for possible participation in a contract, please contact the OMWBD on the Internet at www.indy.gov/omwbd or by phone at (317)

327-5262.

Respondents can view a list of City OMWBD approved MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE vendors by going to this web page: https://www.indy.gov/activity/find-omwbd-contractor and selecting the appropriate monthly “Vendor Listing” spreadsheet.

3.5. Compensation / Cost

Since this is a Request for Qualifications only, any Vendor submission of compensation / costs will cause your submittal to be rejected. After the City selects a short list of candidates, negotiations will begin with each Vendor and the City will encourage, only at that time, innovative responses regarding compensation / costs for representing the City in providing consulting services.

3.6. Submission Instructions

Submissions must be received before 12:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Late submissions will not be accepted or considered.

Please send your submission via the Procurement Portal.

Submissions must be signed by a representative of the respondent organization authorized to submit and establish fees on behalf of the respondent organization and bind the respondent organization to the terms and conditions of this RFQUAL.

4. Vendor Questionnaire

1. Exception Sheet*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Exception_Sheet.pdf

*Response required http://www.indy.gov/omwbd https://www.indy.gov/activity/find-omwbd-contractor https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/183801/36e4f674-a710-4146-ad9d-6e7dd44cc26f_Exception_Sheet.pdf