Board of County Commissioners County Administrator

Sara Baxter, Mayor Joseph Abruzzo Marci Woodward, Vice Mayor Maria G. Marino Gregg K. Weiss Joel Flores Maria Sachs Procurement Department Bobby Powell, Jr. www.pbcgov.org/purchasing

ENVELOPE MUST BE IDENTIFIED WITH THE

DEADLINE DATE FOR THE RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS

AND THE RFP NUMBER.

C A U T I O N In order to do business with Palm Beach County vendors are required to create a Vendor Registration Account OR activate an existing Vendor Registration Account through the Procurement Department’s Vendor Self Service (VSS) system which can be accessed at https://pbcvssp.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webapp/vssp/AltSelfService. If proposer intends to use subcontractors, proposer must also ensure that all subcontractors are registered as vendors in VSS. All subcontractor agreements must include a contractual provision requiring that the subcontractor register in VSS. County will not finalize a contract award until a contractor has verified that the contractor and all of its subcontractors are registered in VSS. As they are issued, all Amendments to solicitations will be posted under the applicable solicitation on our VSS system.

Palm Beach County shall not be responsible for the completeness of any Request for Proposal package not downloaded from our VSS system or obtained directly from Palm Beach County Procurement Department.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF ADA, THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE

REQUESTED IN AN ALTERNATE FORMAT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. 26-001/DJ

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and

Fire Rescue Department are seeking Proposals for:

EMERGENCY TRANSPORT THIRD PARTY BILLING

Date issued/available for distribution: April 8, 2026

Proposer shall submit one (1) unbound original, six (6) bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy in pdf (CD or flash drive) of the complete proposal to be received in the Offices of the Procurement Department no later than May 27, 2026, 4:00 p.m. local time. See Section 1.9 of the RFP for Mailing Instructions.

http://www.pbcgov.org/purchasing https://pbcvssp.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webapp/vssp/AltSelfService i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

SECTION 1 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 ISSUING OFFICE

1.2 INTRODUCTION

1.3 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.4 HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

1.5 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

1.6 PERIOD OF CONTRACT

1.7 QUALIFICATION OF PROPOSERS

1.8 TIMETABLE

1.9 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

1.10 CONTACT PERSON

1.11 CONE OF SILENCE

1.12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/AMENDMENT(S)

SECTION 2 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.1 PROPOSAL GUARANTEE

2.2 MODIFIED PROPOSALS

2.3 WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

2.4 LATE PROPOSALS, LATE MODIFIED PROPOSALS

2.5 RFP POSTPONEMENT/CANCELLATION

2.6 COSTS INCURRED BY PROPOSERS

2.7 PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

2.8 NEGOTIATIONS

2.9 RIGHT TO PROTEST

2.10 SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES(SBE) / SBD REQUIREMENTS

2.11 PALM BEACH COUNTY OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

AUDIT REQUIREMENTS

2.12 RULES; REGULATIONS; LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

2.13 CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECK

2.14 REVIEW OF PROPOSALS

2.15 WAIVER OF MINOR IRREGULARITY

2.16 EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP

2.17 SELECTION PROCESS

2.18 EVALUATION CRITERIA

2.19 AWARD OF CONTRACT

2.20 DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP INTERESTS

2.21 STANDARD CONTRACT PROVISIONS (ATTACHMENT 1)

2.22 COMMENCEMENT OF WORK

2.23 CONTRACT CLOSEOUT PERIOD

2.24 FINAL INVOICE

2.25 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

2.26 DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

2.27 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

SECTION PAGE

2.28 PERFORMANCE BOND/LETTER OF CREDIT

2.29 HIPAA REQUIREMENT

2.30 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR

IDEOLOGICAL INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING -- F.S.

287.05701

2.31 DISCLOSURE OF FOREIGN GIFTS AND CONTRACTS WITH FOREIGN

COUNTRIES OF CONCERN

SECTION 3 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATION / BACKGROUND / REFERENCES

INFORMATION

3.2 PROJECT APPROACH / UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION

3.3 KEY PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS INFORMATION

3.4 BUSINESS LOCATION / LOCAL PREFERENCE

3.5 COMMERCIAL NON-DISCRIMINATION

3.6 PRICE PROPOSAL INFORMATION

3.7 BUSINESS INFORMATION

3.8 AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

3.9 HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFIDAVIT

3.10 ADDITIONAL APPENDICES- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

3.11 LITIGATION HISTORY

3.12 RELATED ENTITIES

SECTION 4 SCOPE OF WORK/SERVICES

ATTACHMENT A – TO SCOPE OF WORK/SERVICES

SECTION 5 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1 - SAMPLE STANDARD CONTRACT

EXHIBIT A – SCOPE OF WORK/ SERVICES

EXHIBIT B – CONTRACTOR PROPOSAL

EXHIBIT C – AFFIRMATIVE PROCUREMENT INITIATIVES (“API”) .. 62

EXHIBIT D – BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT E – HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFIDAVIT

SECTION 6 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A - PRICE PROPOSAL PAGES

APPENDIX B - BUSINESS INFORMATION

APPENDIX C - OSBD SCHEDULES 1, 2, 3(A), 4

APPENDIX D - CERTIFICATION OF BUSINESS LOCATION

iii

APPENDIX E - DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX F - DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP INTERESTS

SECTION 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 ISSUING OFFICE

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued for the County of Palm Beach, hereinafter referred to as “County”, by the Procurement Department for the benefit of the Fire Rescue Department. The Procurement Department is the SOLE point of contact concerning this RFP. All communications regarding this RFP must be done through the Procurement Department. See Section 1.10, Contact Person.

1.2 INTRODUCTION

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provides emergency transport services to the residents and visitors of Palm Beach County. As authorized by County Ordinance 2013-033, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue charges a fee for this transport service.

1.3 GENERAL INFORMATION

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provides emergency transports to twenty (20) area hospitals (see Attachment A to Scope of Work/Services) for approximately 84,000 patients annually, with gross billings and collections of $69 million and $36 million, respectively. The current rates for transport range from $730 to $890 as follows:

Basic Life Support (BLS) $730.00 Advanced Life Support (ALS) $730.00 Advanced Life Support 2 (ALS2) $890.00 Mileage $15 per mile

1.4 HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

In March 1995, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue began providing emergency transport services. Prior to this, patients were transported by private ambulance with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel accompanying the patient in the ambulance when necessary. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue transports Advance Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) patients. However, because of the emergency nature of the business, that is not always possible. The County’s Fire Rescue will attempt to provide the successful Contractor with billing information that is as accurate as possible, but it is ultimately the Contractor’s responsibility to secure accurate insurance information, patient information, etc.

The County currently contracts with Digitech Computer, LLC, for comprehensive billing and collections services. This contract began on April 1, 2021, and is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2026.

1.5 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

Palm Beach County is seeking proposals from qualified Contractors possessing strong qualifications/expertise to provide the service of comprehensive emergency transport billing. The selected Contractor must demonstrate their expertise in the area of insurance, Medicare and Medicaid billing, and at a reasonable cost.

1.6 PERIOD OF CONTRACT

The proposed effective date of this Contract is October 1, 2026. The selected proposer(s) will provide services for a three (3) year period ending September 30, 2029. Two (2) one

(1) year renewal option(s) offered by the County, at the County’s sole discretion, may be included.

1.7 QUALIFICATION OF PROPOSERS

All proposers to this RFP shall have demonstrated experience in supplying such services and shall meet all criteria/requirements identified in this RFP.

1.8 TIMETABLE

The anticipated schedule and deadline for the RFP and Contract approval are as follows:

Activity Date Time Location

RFP available for Procurement Department Download from 50 S. Military Trail, Ste. 110 Procurement Dept. VSS: W. P. B., FL 33415 https://pbcvssp.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webapp/vssp/AltSelfService

Deadline for receipt of 4/29/2026 5:00 p.m. Procurement Department questions or comments 50 S. Military Trail, Ste.110

W. P. B., FL 33415

Deadline for receipt 5/27/2026 4:00 p.m. Procurement Department of proposals 50 S. Military Trail, Ste. 110

W. P. B., FL 33415

Selection Committee 6/16/2026 10:00 a.m. Procurement Department Meeting 50 S. Military Trail Room 1N-142 North/South

W.P.B., FL 33415

Selection Committee 6/23/2026 10:00 a.m Procurement Department Meeting (if required) 50 S. Military Trail Room 1N-142 North/South

4/8/2026 http://www.pbcgov.com/purchasing

W.P.B., FL 33415

Posting Date of Notice 6/25/2026 Procurement Department of Intent to Award 50 S. Military Trail, Ste. 110

W.P.B., FL 33415

www.pbcgov.com/purchasing

BCC Award Date TBD Governmental Center 301 N. Olive Avenue, 6th Floor

W.P.B., FL 33401

Anticipated Contract Start Date October 1, 2026

NOTE: County reserves the right to alter the above activities and/or times at the

County’s sole discretion.

1.9 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

All proposals must be submitted on 8 ½” x 11” paper.

One (1) unbound original, six (6) bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy in pdf (CD or flash drive) of the complete proposal must be received in the Procurement Department by May 27, 2026, 4:00 p.m. local time. The original and all copies must be submitted in a sealed envelope or container. The proposer’s complete return address must be included on the outer envelope or wrapper enclosing any materials submitted in response to this RFP. The outer envelope or wrapper should be addressed as follows:

Proposer Name Address Phone No.

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Department 50 South Military Trail, Suite 110 West Palm Beach, Florida 33415 ATTENTION: David Juhe, Senior Buyer RFP No. 26-001/DJ

Title: EMERGENCY TRANSPORT THIRD PARTY BILLING Due Date: May 27, 2026, 4:00 p.m. local time.

The Procurement Department’s office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays observed by the County.

Proposers are responsible for informing any commercial delivery services, if used, of all delivery requirements and for insuring that the required address information appears on the outer wrapper or envelope used by such service.

The Price Proposal Page(s) (Appendix A) must be signed by an officer of the company who is legally authorized to enter into a contractual relationship in the name of the proposer (“Authorized Person”).

The submission of a signed proposal by a proposer will be considered by the County as constituting a legal offer by the proposer to perform the required services at the proposed pricing identified therein.

1.10 CONTACT PERSON

The contact person for this RFP is David Juhe, Senior Buyer, at (561) 616-6826, e-mail address PUR-Purchteam2@pbc.gov or PUR-Procure-Solicit@pbc.gov in the Procurement Department.

Proposers are advised that from the date of release of this RFP until award of the contract, NO contact with County staff and/or designated Selection Committee members concerning this RFP is permitted, except as authorized by the contact person designated herein.

1.11 CONE OF SILENCE

Proposers are advised that the “Palm Beach County Lobbyist Registration Ordinance” prohibits a proposer or anyone representing the proposer from communicating with any County Commissioner, County Commissioner’s staff, or any County Employee authorized to act on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners to award this contract regarding its proposal, i.e., a “Cone of Silence”.

The “Cone of Silence” is in effect from the date/time of the deadline for submission of the proposal, and terminates at the time that the Board of County Commissioners, or a County Department authorized to act on their behalf, awards or approves a contract, rejects all proposals, or otherwise takes action which ends the solicitation process.

Proposers may, however, contact any County Commissioner, County Commissioner’s Staff, or any County Employee authorized to act on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners to award this contract via written communication, i.e., fax, e-mail, or U.S.

Mail.

Violations of the “Cone of Silence” are punishable by a fine of $250.00 per violation.

mailto:PURteam%20__@pbc.gov mailto:PUR-Procure-Solicit@pbc.gov

1.12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/AMENDMENT(S)

Any questions, comments (i.e., additional information or clarifications) must be made, in writing, e-mail or U.S. Mail, no later than the date specified and to the address listed in the RFP Timetable (Section 1.8) or e-mail address listed for the Contact Person (Section 1.10) above. The request must contain the proposer’s name, address, phone number, facsimile number and e-mail address.

Facsimiles must have a cover sheet which includes, at a minimum, the proposer’s name, address, number of pages transmitted, phone number, facsimile number and e-mail address.

Changes to this RFP, when deemed necessary by the County, will be completed only by written Amendment(s) issued prior to the Deadline for receipt of proposals. Proposers should not rely on any representations, statements or explanation other than those made in the RFP or in any Amendment to this RFP. Where there appears to be a conflict between the RFP and any Amendment issued, the last Amendment issued shall prevail.

As they are issued, all Amendments to solicitations will be posted under the applicable solicitation on the County’s on-line Vendor Self-Service (VSS) system at https://pbcvssp.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webapp/vssp/AltSelfService. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer to routinely check VSS for any Amendments that may have been issued prior to the Deadline for receipt of proposals. The County shall not be responsible for the completeness of any RFP package not downloaded from VSS or obtained directly from the Palm Beach County Procurement Department.

It is the proposer’s sole responsibility to assure receipt of all Amendments. The proposer should verify with the designated Contact Person (see Section 1.10) prior to entering a proposal that all Amendments have been received. Proposers are required to acknowledge the receipt of all Amendments as part of their proposal.

SECTION 2

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.1 PROPOSAL GUARANTEE

Proposer guarantees their commitment, compliance, and adherence to all requirements of the RFP by submission of their proposal.

2.2 MODIFIED PROPOSALS

Proposer may submit a modified proposal to replace all or any portion of a previously submitted proposal until the Deadline for receipt of proposals. The County will only consider the latest proposal submitted.

2.3 WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

A proposal may be withdrawn only by written notification. Letters of withdrawal received after the Deadline for receipt of proposals will not be accepted unless the contract has been awarded to another vendor or no award has been made within ninety (90) days after the Deadline for receipt of proposals.

Unless withdrawn, as provided in this subsection, a proposal shall be irrevocable until the time that a contract is awarded.

2.4 LATE PROPOSALS, LATE MODIFIED PROPOSALS

Proposals and/or modifications to proposals received after the Deadline for receipt of proposals specified in the RFP Timetable (Section 1.8) are late and shall not be considered.

2.5 RFP POSTPONEMENT / CANCELLATION

The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all, proposals; waive any minor irregularities in this RFP or in the proposals received as a result of this RFP; postpone or cancel, at any time, this RFP process; or re-issue this

RFP.

2.6 COSTS INCURRED BY PROPOSERS

All expenses incurred with the preparation and submission of proposals to the County, or any work performed in connection therewith, shall be borne by the proposer. No payment will be made for proposals received, nor for any other effort required of or made by the proposers, prior to commencement of work as defined by a contract approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

2.7 PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Any material submitted in response to this Request for Proposal is considered a public document in accordance with Section 119.07, F.S. This includes material which the responding proposer might consider to be confidential. All submitted information that the responding proposer believes to be confidential and exempt from disclosure (i.e., a trade secret or as provided for in Section 119.07 and Section 812.081, F.S.) must be specifically identified as such. Upon receipt of a public records request for such information, a determination will be made as to whether the identified information is, in fact, confidential.

2.8 NEGOTIATIONS

The County may award a contract on the basis of initial proposals received, without discussions. Therefore, each submitted proposal should contain the proposer’s best price and technical offer.

2.9 RIGHT TO PROTEST

Any proposer may protest any recommendations for contract award by submitting a written protest and protest bond to the Director of Procurement within five (5) business days after posting the Notice of Intent to Award in accordance with Chapter 2, Article II, Section 2-55 of the Palm Beach County Code. Protests must be submitted in writing, addressed to the Director of Procurement, via hand delivery, or mail using the Procurement Department’s address noted in Section 1.9 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION of this RFP

2.10 SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (SBE) / SBD REQUIREMENTS

NOTE: The following provisions apply to the sections of the non-federally funded portions of this solicitation. All Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program forms, including waiver and good faith effort forms and documentation are available on the Office of Small Business Development (OSBD) website:

https://discover.pbcgov.org/HED/osbd/Pages/Documents.aspx

Waiver of API Requirements

In accordance with the SBD Ordinance, the Affirmative Procurement Initiatives (API) have been waived for this project. However, if any proposer intends to utilize any subcontractors/subconsultants as part of their response to this solicitation, the applicable OSBD Schedules must be submitted with their proposal for compliance tracking purposes.

Item 1 – Policy The BCC adopted an Small Business Development Ordinance (SBD Ordinance), codified in Sections 2-80.20 through 2-80.28 (as may be amended) of the Palm Beach County Code, which sets forth the County’s requirements for the SBD Program, and which is incorporated in this solicitation. The provisions of the SBD Ordinance are applicable to https://discover.pbcgov.org/HED/osbd/Pages/Documents.aspx this solicitation, and has precedence over the provisions of this solicitation in the event of a conflict.

Item 2 – Proposal Submission Documentation If any subcontractors/subconsultants are utilized in performing work under the contract, bidders or respondents must complete Schedule 1 and Schedule 2, listing the work to be performed by any subcontractor/subconsultant, including SBE subcontractors/subconsultants.

SBE bidders or respondents submitting as prime contractors or consultants (Primes) are advised that they must complete Schedule 1 and Schedule 2, listing the work to be performed by their own workforce.

Schedules 1 and 2 must be submitted with the bid or proposal prior to the published bid or proposal due date and time.

Schedule 1 – List of Proposed Contractor/Consultant and Subcontractor/Subconsultant Participation A completed Schedule 1 must be submitted by the Prime and list the names of all subcontractors/subconsultants intended to be used in performance of the contract, if awarded, including the total proposed percentage of SBE participation. This schedule must also be used if an SBE Prime is performing all or any portion of the contract with their own workforce.

When a minimum mandatory API goal is applied, an improperly executed Schedule 1 will not count toward the established goal and may result in a determination of non-responsiveness to the solicitation.

Schedule 2 – Letter of Intent A completed and executed Schedule 2 is a binding document between the Prime and subcontractor/subconsultant (any tier) and should be treated as such. Each Schedule 2 must be executed by the Prime and by all proposed subcontractor/subconsultant. If the Prime is an SBE, a Schedule 2 must be submitted to document work to be performed by its own workforce. All SBE(s) must specify, in detail, the type of work they will perform along with the dollar amount they will be compensated and/or percentage of work they will perform. If any subcontractor/subconsultant intends to subcontract any portion of their work, they are required to list the dollar amount and the name of the subcontractor/subconsultant on this Schedule. All named subcontractors/subconsultants on this Schedule must also complete and submit a separate Schedule 2. The Prime may count toward its SBE goal 2nd and 3rd tiered certified SBE(s); provided that the Prime submits a completed and executed Schedule 2 for each SBE.

A detailed scope of work may be attached with an executed Schedule 2.

In the event of a conflict between Schedules 1 and 2 when calculating SBE participation, the information provided on Schedule 2 takes precedence.

In the event of mathematical error(s), the unit price, if available, shall prevail and the bidder or proposer’s total offer shall be corrected accordingly. If the County’s issuance of an alternate or change order on a project results in changes in the scope of work to be performed by a subcontractor/subconsultant listed at the time of bid submission, the Prime must submit a completed and executed Schedule 2 that specifies the revised scope of work to be performed by the subcontractor/subconsultant, along with the modified price and/or percentage.

2.11 PALM BEACH COUNTY OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT

REQUIREMENTS

Pursuant to Palm Beach County Code, Section 2-421 - 2-440, as amended, Palm Beach County’s Office of Inspector General is authorized to review past, present and proposed County contracts, transactions, accounts, and records. The Inspector General’s authority includes, but is not limited to, the power to audit, investigate, monitor, and inspect the activities of entities contracting with the County, or anyone acting on their behalf, in order to ensure compliance with contract requirements and to detect corruption and fraud.

Failure to cooperate with the Inspector General or interfering with or impeding any investigation shall be a violation of Palm Beach County Code, Section 2-421 – 2-440, and punished pursuant to Section 125.69, F.S., in the same manner as a second degree misdemeanor.

2.12 RULES; REGULATIONS; LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

The proposer shall comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to the services contemplated herein, to include those applicable to conflict of interest and collusion. Proposers are presumed to be familiar with all federal, state and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations that may in any way affect the services offered, to include Executive Order No. 11246 entitled “Equal Employment Opportunity” as amended by Executive Order No. 11375, and as supplemented by the Department of Labor Regulations (41 CFR, Part 60).

2.13 CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECK

Pursuant to Palm Beach County Code Section 2-371 – 2-377, the Palm Beach County Criminal History Records Check Ordinance (“Ordinance”), the County will conduct fingerprint based criminal history record checks on all persons not employed by the County who repair, deliver, or provide goods or services for, to, or on behalf of the County.

A fingerprint based criminal history record check shall be conducted on all employees of contractors and subcontractors of contractors, including repair persons and delivery persons, who are unescorted when entering a facility determined to be either a critical facility ("Critical Facilities") or a criminal justice information facility ("CJI Facilities"), which are critical to the public safety and security of the County. County facilities that require this heightened level of security are identified in Resolution R2013-1470, R2015-0572 and R2024-0549, as may be amended. In October 2013, compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s CJI Security Policy was added to the Ordinance, which includes a broad list of disqualifying offenses. The proposer is solely responsible for understanding the financial, schedule, implications, and/or staffing implications of this Ordinance. Further, the proposer acknowledges that its proposal price includes any and all direct or indirect costs associated with compliance of this Ordinance, except for the applicable FDLE/FBI fees that shall be paid by the County.

2.14 REVIEW OF PROPOSALS

Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if the proposal is responsive to the RFP.

Proposals deemed to be non-responsive will be rejected without being evaluated by the Selection Committee. A responsive proposal is one which has been signed, has been submitted by the specified submission time, and has provided the information required to be submitted with the proposal (as stated in Section 3). While poor formatting, poor documentation, and/or incomplete or unclear information may not be cause to reject a proposal without evaluation, such substandard submissions may adversely impact the evaluation of your proposal, especially information relating to establishing financial/business stability. Proposers who fail to comply with all of the required and/or desired elements of this RFP, do so at their own risk.

2.15 WAIVER OF MINOR IRREGULARITY

An irregularity in a proposer’s submitted proposal is deemed minor for purposes of correction when: (1) its waiver would not deprive the County of its assurance that the contract will be entered into, performed and guaranteed according to its specified requirements, and (2) the irregularity is of such a nature that its waiver would not adversely affect competitive proposals by placing a proposer in a position of advantage over other proposers or by otherwise undermining the necessary common standard of competition. Pricing errors are never considered a minor irregularity.

In situations where a proposal has incomplete, missing or unsigned required documents, which are deemed a minor irregularity, the Director of Procurement may allow the Proposer up to five (5) business days to correct said minor irregularity, per Section 2- 54(C)(6)(a)(2), Palm Beach County Code. The decision whether to waive a minor irregularity is within the sole discretion of the Director of Procurement.

2.16 EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP

All exceptions taken must be specific, and the proposer must indicate clearly what alternative is being offered to allow the County a meaningful opportunity to evaluate the proposal. Proposers are cautioned that submitting an alternative proposal does not relieve the proposer from submitting the “Minimum Requirements” as stated in Section 3.

The County is under NO obligation to accept any proposed exceptions or alternatives.

2.17 SELECTION PROCESS

All proposals timely received will be reviewed first by the Procurement Department to determine if each proposer has submitted the required information and met all Proposal Requirements (as stated in Section 3). Those proposals fulfilling the Proposal Requirements shall be referred to the Selection Committee for review and further consideration.

The Selection Committee will evaluate all responses to this RFP that meet the Proposal Requirements and are deemed responsive. The Selection Committee may evaluate all proposals based solely on the information submitted with the proposal. Accordingly, proposers are urged to ensure that their proposal contains all the necessary information for the Selection Committee to fairly and accurately evaluate each of the criteria listed below in Section 2.18. However, an oral presentation, additional written information, internal staff analysis, proposer presentations, outside consultants, and/or any other information may be required, at any time during the selection process, to help the Committee determine the final ranking of proposers. The Selection Committee may determine, as the result of additional information, that the impact of this information is significant and may be considered in the scoring and/or ranking, at the discretion of the Committee.

The Selection Committee shall meet in public session as necessary to score each proposal by reviewing each proposal against the evaluation criteria listed below, see Section 2.18. Upon completion of the Selection Committee’s review and discussion of all the responsive proposals submitted, each Selection Committee Member shall score each proposal and total the scores for each proposal. The proposals shall be assigned a ranking based upon the totals of each Selection Committee Member’s score for each proposal.

After the Selection Committee has developed an overall ranking for each proposer, the committee will then review, discuss, and declare the proposer ranked the highest as its “finalist” and make its recommendation for award of the contract.

2.18 EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Experience / Qualifications Weight 35% (35 pts) Background / References (See Section 3.1)

2. Project Approach / Understanding Weight 30% (30 pts) (See Section 3.2)

3. Key Personnel and Operations Weight 20% (20 pts) (See Section 3.3)

4. Price Proposal Weight 10% (10 pts) (See Section 3.6)

5. Small Business Enterprises Weight 0% ( 0 pts) (See Section 2.10 and Exhibit C “API”s)

*A Waiver of API Requirements has been approved for this RFP.

6. Business Location / Local Preference Weight 5% ( 5 pts) (See Section 3.4)

2.19 AWARD OF CONTRACT

The award, if any, will be made to the responsive, responsible proposer whose proposal is considered to be the most advantageous to the County based on the Selection Committee’s opinion after review of every such proposal including, but not limited to, price.

Upon review and approval of the Selection Committee’s recommendation for award, the Procurement Department will post the award recommendation at the Procurement Department and on the Procurement Department website at www.pbcgov.com/purchasing for a period of five (5) business days for review by interested parties prior to final approval of the award. The apparent successful proposer will be notified of the recommendation for award by mail. The recommended awardee shall provide documentation that demonstrates that the individual(s) executing the Contract has the authority to do so and to legally bind the recommended awardee. A contract must be completed and executed by the successful proposer and the County and, when appropriate, by the Board of County Commissioners before it becomes valid and effective. If these conditions and contract negotiations, if applicable, are not met and/or completed within a reasonable timeframe as determined by the County, the County may elect to cancel the Recommended Award to that proposer and make the award recommendation to the next most advantageous proposer. This process may continue until such time as the County has determined to cancel the procurement in its entirety.

The official posting on the Procurement Department website shall prevail if a discrepancy exists between the referenced listings.

2.20 DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP INTERESTS

Pursuant to a directive by the Board of County Commissioners, the Disclosure of Ownership Interest affidavit (DOIA, Appendix F) must be completed on behalf of any individual or business entity that seeks to do business with the County when applicable.

Disclosure does not apply to nonprofit corporations, government agencies, or to an individual’s or entity’s interest in any entity registered with the Federal Securities Exchange Commission or registered pursuant to Chapter 517, F.S., whose interest is for sale to the general public.

Upon request from the Procurement Department, the recommended awardee shall submit a completed DOIA (Appendix F) within a reasonable time, as requested. If the recommended awardee fails to submit a completed DOIA in a timely manner, the County, at its sole discretion, may elect to cancel the Recommended Award.

2.21 STANDARD CONTRACT PROVISIONS (ATTACHMENT 1)

The selected proposer will be required to execute a contract similar to the attached Sample Standard Contract (Attachment 1). If a proposer has comments related to any of the provisions in this RFP and/or the Sample Standard Contract, comments must be made, in writing, no later than the date specified in the RFP Timetable (see Section 1.8)

The Sample Standard Contract provisions (general and specific) will be incorporated into any contract resulting from this RFP. Should any selected proposer and the County be unable to consummate a written contract, the County may proceed to the next most advantageous proposal as determined by the Selection Committee or issue a new solicitation or cancel the procurement process in its entirety.

2.22 COMMENCEMENT OF WORK

This RFP does not, by itself, obligate the County. The County’s obligation will commence when the contract is approved by the Board of County Commissioners or their designee and upon written notice to the proposer. The County may set a different starting date for the contract. The County will not be responsible for any work done by the proposer, even work done in good faith, if it occurs prior to the contract start date set by the County.

2.23 CONTRACT CLOSEOUT PERIOD

Successful proposer shall submit any pending invoice(s) and/or report(s), along with any required documents, to the County within forty-five (45) business days after the termination or expiration of the contract in order to close-out the contract (“Closeout Period”). These invoice(s) and/or report(s), including but not limited to vendor performance report(s), shall reflect work required and completed during the contract term.

The County shall deem invoices received during and prior to the expiration of the Closeout Period as final billing for goods and services provided under the contract. Proposer’s failure to submit pending invoices during the Closeout Period shall serve as an admission that no pending invoices remain. Nothing herein shall limit the County’s discretion to make the final determination whether payment may be made to successful proposer after the expiration or termination of the contract.

2.24 FINAL INVOICE

In order for both parties herein to close their books and records, the successful proposer will clearly state “final invoice” on the successful proposer’s final/last billing to the COUNTY. This shall constitute the successful proposer’s certification that all services have been properly performed and all charges and costs have been invoiced to the

COUNTY. Any further charges, if not properly included on this final invoice, are waived by the successful proposer.

2.25 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Prior to the effective date of the Contract, it shall be the responsibility of the successful proposer to provide evidence of the minimum amounts of insurance coverage specified in Attachment 1, Article 15, to Palm Beach County through the Contact Person set forth in Section 1.10, until otherwise notified by County.

The successful proposer shall, on a primary basis and at its sole expense, maintain in full force and effect, at all times during the life of this Contract, insurance coverages and limits (including endorsements) as described herein (see Attachment 1, Article 15). Failure to maintain the required insurance shall be considered default of the Contract. The requirements contained herein, as well as the County’s review or acceptance of insurance maintained by the successful proposer, are not intended to and shall not in any manner limit or qualify the liabilities and obligations assumed by the successful proposer under the Contract.

2.26 DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

Proposers should submit, with their proposal, an executed Drug-Free Workplace Certification (Appendix E) indicating that the proposer has implemented a Drug-Free Workplace Program which meets the requirements of Section 287.087, F.S.

2.27 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

The authorized representative signature required on all offers and the Contract must be made by an officer of the company (if applicable).

2.28 PERFORMANCE BOND / LETTER OF CREDIT

The successful proposer shall furnish, to the County, a Performance Bond or Clean Irrevocable Letter of Credit (Letter of Credit) for in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars and no cents ($500,000.00), prior to commencement of work, and shall keep the same in force and effect during the entire term of this Contract.

The successful proposer shall furnish a Performance Bond in a form and format satisfactory to the County as security for the faithful performance of the Contract resulting from the award of RFP No. 26-001/DJ and for the payment of all costs incurred by the County to obtain a replacement contract, in the event the successful proposer fails to perform as required under said Contract. The term "Cost" as used herein shall include all fees, costs, and expenses arising out of the successful proposer's failure to perform the contract whether direct, indirect, actual, consequential, or incidental and shall include attorney's fees and costs, expert witness fees and expenses, and all time incurred by Palm Beach County. In addition, the Performance Bond shall fully comply with the

County’s requirements and format as set forth in Palm Beach County PPM #CW-F-056, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The Performance Bond is to ensure the faithful performance of all the requirements of the Contract (RFP No. 26-001/DJ), and to save, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County from any and all damages, costs, fees, and expenses, either directly or indirectly arising out of any failure to perform the Contract. The Bond shall be issued by a company authorized to do business in the State of Florida and having a currently valid certificate of authority and bonding capacity as issued by the United States Department of Treasury under 31.U.S.C., Sections 9304-9308. Bond Company shall meet all requirements/regulations set forth under the Florida Insurance Commissioner’s Office.

The successful proposer shall verify, prior to execution of the Contract, the acceptability of the surety provided thereunder. The attorney-in-fact who signs the Bond must file, with the Bond, a certificate and effective dated copy of power of attorney. The successful proposer must furnish the executed bond prior to the County's approval of Contract.

A cashier’s check or Letter of Credit from a financial institution with a rating deemed acceptable by the County may be provided in lieu of the Performance Bond, provided that the form, format, and terms of coverage are acceptable to the County. The terms of coverage of a Letter of Credit shall be substantially the same as that required of the Performance Bond, and the Letter of Credit shall be issued by an institution that offers security similar to that of a bonding company. In addition, the Letter of Credit shall fully comply with the County's requirements set forth in Palm Beach County PPM #CW-F-055, and the face of the Letter of Credit shall be in the format described in PPM #CW-F-055, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this RFP and PPM CW-F-055, the latter shall control.

Proposers interested in submitting a Letter of Credit in lieu of the Performance Bond may obtain a copy of PPM #CW-F-055 from David Juhe, Senior Buyer, Palm Beach County Procurement Department, at work email and purchase@pbc.gov.

2.29 HIPAA REQUIREMENT

As a business associate of the County, the Contractor, including its agents, servants, subcontractors and employees, shall carry out its obligations under the Scope of Work provided in this RFP No. 26-001/DJ in compliance with the privacy regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, in order to protect the privacy of all individually identifiable protected health information (PHI) that is created, received, collected, processed or learned as a result of the services provided under the Scope of Work provided in this RFP and any resulting contract. Please refer to Attachment 1, Exhibit D to this RFP.

mailto:purchase@pbc.gov

2.30 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR

IDEOLOGICAL INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING - F.S.

287.05701.

Proposers are hereby notified of the provisions of section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, as amended, that the County will not request documentation of or consider a Proposer’s social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Proposer is a responsible Proposer. Proposers are further notified that the County's governing body may not give preference to a Proposer based on the Proposer’s social, political, or ideological interests.

2.31 DISCLOSURE OF FOREIGN GIFTS AND CONTRACTS WITH FOREIGN

COUNTRIES OF CONCERN

Pursuant to F.S. 286.101, as may be amended, by entering into a Contract or performing any work in furtherance hereof, the Proposer certifies that it has disclosed any current or prior interest of, any contract with, or any grant or gift received from a foreign country of concern where such interest, contract, or grant or gift has a value of $50,000 or more and such interest existed at any time or such contract or grant or gift was received or in force at any time during the previous five (5) years.

SECTION 3

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

Format

Proposer shall submit one (1) unbound original, six (6) bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy in pdf (CD or flash drive) of the complete proposal. Proposals should be typed and submitted on 8 ½” x 11” size paper. Copies should be bound using a single method of fastening (e.g., stapled, binder, etc.). Proposals should include only brief and concise narrative. The enclosure of elaborate or unnecessary verbiage or promotional material is discouraged.

Table of Contents

Proposals should contain a Table of Contents. The Table of Contents outlines, in sequential order, all of the areas of the proposal and it allows for clarity and ease of review of the proposal.

Letter of Transmittal

Proposals should contain a Letter of Transmittal addressed to David Juhe, Senior Buyer, and should, at a minimum, contain the following:

a. Identification of Proposer, including name, address and telephone number.

b. Proposed working relationship between proposer and subcontractors, if applicable.

c. Name, title, address, telephone/fax numbers and e-mail address of contact person during period of proposal evaluation.

d. Signed by a person authorized to bind proposer to the terms of the proposal.

Technical Proposal

Proposals shall contain all of the documents listed below, each fully completed, signed, and notarized as required. Failure of a proposer to provide the required information is considered sufficient cause to deem the proposal non-responsive.

The item(s) marked by an asterisk (*) should be a part of the proposal; however, if these items are omitted, the proposer must submit the item(s) upon request from the County within a time frame specified by the County (normally within two working days of request) or the proposal shall be deemed non-responsive. All other items must be submitted with the proposal or it shall be deemed non-responsive.

Notwithstanding these proposal requirements, the County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive any minor irregularity relating to the proposal. Upon request, it shall be the responsibility of the proposer to address the determined minor irregularity within a time frame specified by the County (normally within two working days of request). Failure of a proposer to provide the required information within the specified time frame is considered sufficient cause to deem the proposal non-responsive.

Each of the following requirements should be addressed in separate sections of the proposal.

3.1 EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATION / BACKGROUND / REFERENCES

INFORMATION

3.1.1 Each proposer shall submit a detailed statement of their experience, qualifications, and background for providing comprehensive emergency transport billing services.

*3.1.2 Each proposer should submit a minimum of three (3) references demonstrating the successful provision of comprehensive emergency transport billing services within the past three (3) years. The references provided in accordance with the preceding sentence must establish that the proposer’s current active contracts total a minimum of 70,000 billable transports, annually.

Each reference should include the following:

• Company name

• Contact name(s)

• Address

• Telephone and fax numbers

• Number of annual patient billings

• Annual gross dollars billed

• Actual percentage of gross billings collected

• Dates of service

• Scope of Work

• Type of services performed

• Number of full-time staff provided

3.2 PROJECT APPROACH / UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION

The proposer shall provide a detailed narrative description of its approach and methodology for implementing a comprehensive emergency transport billing services system including, but not limited to, the following:

3.2.1 Documentation/Sample/Proof that demonstrates the capability of transmitting claims electronically to Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance carriers. Identify capability of direct electronic access to area hospitals. (See Section 4.6.8)

3.2.2 Provide detailed narrative description of the steps and procedures for implementation of all tasks as identified in Section 4, Scope of Work/Services.

3.2.3 Provide any/all steps and timelines for processing billables as identified in the Section 4, Scope of Work/Services.

3.2.4 Provide a detailed plan and steps taken for follow-up billings and procedures to assure maximized collections.

3.2.5 Provide a detailed plan for determining over-payments and assuring refunds to patients or third-party payers. (See Section 4.6.11)

3.2.6 Provide samples of all reports, forms, billings/invoices, re-bill/invoices and documents that will be used to accomplish the tasks as identified in Section 4, Scope of Work/Services.

3.2.7 Provide a narrative description of the proposer’s ability to modify, expand, or change proposed report formats, information, and/or capability to meet specific County needs/requirements.

3.2.8 Provide a detailed plan for managing open accounts from the current

County billing system. Identify which industry standard data format you are currently using.

3.2.9 Provide a detailed outline of the credit card acceptance procedure. (see section 4.7.2)

3.2.10 Provide a detailed explanation on processing Personal Injury Protections

(PIP) insurance claims, including all applicable processes, procedures, and timeframes.

3.2.11 Provide the capabilities to comply with the terms and conditions set forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in reference to the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model pilot program, as well as provide billing & payment services for ET3-like service delivery models agreed upon by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) and payers other than CMS. This will include rules, regulations and billing modifications and adjustments to account for the ET3 Model or ET3-like Services that are provided.

ET3 Model or ET3-like services furnished by PBCFR may include:

a. Patient transport to an alternative destination, such as a primary care office, urgent care clinic, or community mental health center, or

b. Provision of treatment in place services with qualified health care partner (QHCP) either at the scene of the 9-1-1 emergency response or via telehealth.

3.3 KEY PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS INFORMATION

The proposer shall provide:

3.3.1 An Organizational Chart identifying the structure of firm.

3.3.2 A list of the key personnel assigned to the project. Submit complete resumes detailing their experience, education, expertise, qualifications, and direct knowledge of the requirements to facilitate the needs identified in Section 4, Scope of Work/Services.

3.3.3 A description of the role of each staff member who will be responsible for handling and monitoring the Contract.

3.3.4 Identify projects of similar nature in which each key personnel has been involved.

3.3.5 Documentation of Proposer/Key Personnel’s knowledge and ability to comply with all Medicaid, Medicare and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rules and regulations. Submit any/all certifications, training, courses, etc., that identify proof of compliance to aforementioned requirement.

3.4 BUSINESS LOCATION / LOCAL PREFERENCE

Pursuant to Section 2-80.47 of the Palm Beach County Local Preference Code, unless prohibited by federal, state or local law or where prohibited under the conditions of any grant, the location of a business shall be addressed through the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation.

Proposer shall submit at the time of proposal submission the attached “Certification of Business Location” (Appendix D) (the “Certification”) together with a valid Business Tax Receipt issued by the Palm Beach County Tax Collector, unless the proposer is exempt from the Business Tax Receipt requirement by law, which will be used to verify that the proposer had a permanent place of business prior to the issuance of this Notice of Solicitation/Request for Proposal. The Palm Beach County Business Tax Receipt and the Certification are the sole determinant of Business Location/Local Preference points. Errors in the completion of the

Certification or failure to submit the completed Certification will cause the proposer to not receive points for Business Location/Local Preference.

Provided a proposer does not qualify to receive an SBE preference, local proposers who submit the Certification, together with the required Business Tax Receipt at the time of proposal submission, shall receive five (5) points.

3.5 COMMERCIAL NON-DISCRIMINATION

As a condition of submitting a…