RFP 24-037 Addendum 1 Questions & Answers (22).pdf

SALEM AREA MASS TRANSIT DISTRICT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 24-037

HEALTHCARE BROKERAGE SERVICES

ADDENDUM #1

Salem Area Mass Transit District is providing information as an Addendum to RFP 24-037.

The following changes, clarifications and SAMTD responses to questions posed to date are hereby provided to all proposers:

Q.1 Do contract deviations need to be submitted by the 10th along with any questions?

A. 1 Yes

Q.2 Are all of your benefits on a renewal cycle of July 1?

A.2 Yes

Q.3 Which benefits are self-insured?

A.3 SAMTD doesn’t have self-insured benefits. SAMTD will provide the information on the addendum.

Q.4 Can you elaborate more on expectations on patient advocacy, and if you have a model now - please explain it.

A.4 There's no formal model currently in place, but our patients do currently have an advocacy support avenue. In the event that issues arise, we will need someone to work with both the patients and collaborate with the carrier. A strong team will be critical for handling claim escalations.

Q.5 Do you currently have a HRA VEBA in place?

A.5 Yes

Q.6 When does your union contract expire?

A.6 The contract is still current, with the goal of negotiating in the near future, with an anticipated effective date of July 1, 2025.

Q.7 You mentioned wellness build out. Can you elaborate on that and expectations around wellness?

A.7 Providing funding for the Wellness Committee or including a wellness program in the new plan would be a great perk. We’re seeking a partner who can thoughtfully help us build this out with the new carriers, ideally someone experienced in wellness advocacy.

Q.8 What are the expectations around how many meetings to attend annually, both virtual and face to face? (e.g., Board of Directors, Union, and Benefit Communication meetings)?

A.8 No exact number, but estimate around 6 to 12, likely not exceeding 12. For meetings with HR and the benefits team, whether virtual or in-person, Cherriots regularly communicates with our brokers, ensuring a continued partnership regardless of the broker.

Q.9 Are the 6-12 meetings face-to-face each year?

A.9 Yes, these do not include the many standing calls and ad-hoc communications that also take place.

Q.10 Can you describe your current patient advocacy program, including program details and expectations? Is this service provided by your current broker/consultant or a contracted third party? If it is a third party, please disclose the firm.

A.10 See A. 4

Q.11 What is the frequency and duration of Board of Director, Union, and Benefit

Committee meetings? Is attendance expected to be in person or virtual? Please specify the expectations and percentage of time for each.

A.11 See A. 8

Q.12 Can you provide details about your current wellness program, including incentives and expectations of broker/consultant? Is your wellness program considered immature or mature?

A.12 See A.7

Q.13 Please describe your current communications and expectations of broker/consultant regarding communications, especially during open enrollment. Is the broker/consultant expected to provide these communications at no charge?

A.13 We expect the broker to be fully engaged, as a partner (extension of staff) during the open enrollment period as part of this contract cost.

Q.14 What is your benefit plan year, fiscal year and open enrollment period?

A.14 Benefit year start July 1 and ends June 30, Fiscal year starts July 1 and ends June 30, Open enrollment is usually mid to late May through June 15.

Q.15 Please describe your current web-based portal and functionality for members.

A.15 We currently use Ignite as our portal and it has been tested as a pilot with our administrative staff. It is allowing employees to verify information, make changes, and participate in open enrollment in one convenient spot. They are also able to access forms and documents related to their benefit plans.

Q.16 Are there any concerns with the current level of service SAMTD is receiving from the current broker/consultant?

A.16 No.

Q.17 What are the top three challenges or concerns regarding your benefits at present?

A.17 Cost is our primary concern.

Q.18 What HRIS does SAMTD use?

A.18 Tyler Munis.

Q.19 Does SAMTD use the HRIS system for enrolling employees or use another platform?

A.19 We currently enroll manually and are piloting the Ignite portal for greater efficiency, Q.20 How many staff currently working in HR and how many people/departments/entities will the broker/consultant be working with?

A.20 Approximately 7 FTE in HR. About 3-4 major internal customers for the broker to work with.

Q.21 Could you please share your current consulting fees and outline what is included in those fees? For example, does your current consulting fees include Paid Leave

Oregon, which was implemented last year? We want to ensure that the fees we quote can be directly aligned to what is and isn’t included in your current contract.

A.21 The current contract is $32,000 annually and includes everything we are already soliciting in the SOW except for the dedicated patient advocacy program and the wellness plan build out. Our consulting fee do not include the costs of Paid Leave Oregon (which is billed directly to us from the carrier) but our current broker does manage our PLO contract/relationship with the carrier.

Q.22 Which vendor do you currently use for your web-based portal? If the fees for this service are not included in your current consultant contract, do you pay any separate fees to the vendor for the portal or for electronic data feeds to the carriers? If so, how much are those fees?

A.22 Ignite – at no additional cost.

All other specifications and terms and conditions remain unchanged.

By: Charleen McCurdy

Procurement & Contracts Analyst

Salem Area Mass Transit District

555 Court Street NE, Suite 5230

Salem, Oregon 97301

October 15, 2024