Request for Proposals (RFP) Brokerage Services for Health Insurance and Employee Benefits

City of DeBary

16 Colomba Rd.

DeBary, Florida 32713

(386) 668-2040

RFP # 07-17

Submission Deadline:

September 15, 2017 – 5:00 p.m.

Refer all inquiries and proposals to:

Linda Kent, Director of Human Resources

16 Colomba Rd.

DeBary, Florida 32713

LKent@DeBary.org mailto:LKent@DeBary.org

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BID NOTICE

Request for Proposals (RFP) #07-17

Brokerage Services for Health Insurance and Employee Benefits

The City of DeBary, 16 Colomba Road, DeBary, Florida 32713 will receive sealed proposals no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15, 2017 from respondents experienced in providing brokerage services for health insurance benefits. All proposals must conform to the instructions in the RFP. Deadline to submit RFPs is 5:00 p.m.

September 15, 2017.

A copy of the complete RFP may be obtained at DeBary City Hall, 16 Colomba Road, DeBary, FL 32713 and http://www.debary.org/Pages/DeBaryFL_Finance/DeBaryFL_Bids/

Individuals covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in need of accommodations to attend public bid openings or meetings should contact the City Clerk at (386) 668-2040 at least five (5) days prior to the date.

The City of DeBary reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any formality or technicality in any proposal in the interest of the City of DeBary.

Publish: Daytona News Journal – September 2, 2017

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Section I - General Information & Conditions

City Overview The City of DeBary is located on the St. Johns River near Lake Monroe in the western region of Volusia County. With a population of 20,200 residents, DeBary is known for its small town atmosphere, numerous parks, multi-use trail system, and SunRail station.

The City employs approximately 38 full-time employees, including administrative, professional and field staff. The City provides medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance to employees and subsidizes a portion of the cost. The City also provides Health Savings Accounts and supplemental policies.

Invitation The City of DeBary is requesting Requests for Proposals (RFP) from interested prospective firms to provide comprehensive Brokerage Services for Health Insurance and Employee Benefits. This invitation is extended to all firms and organizations that can provide the requirements specified herein. The requirements presented in this solicitation represent the City’s anticipated needs.

Schedule Advertise ............................................................................ Week of August 28, 2017 RFP Package Available from City of DeBary...................... August 30, 2017 All inquiries, clarifications and/or corrections due ............... September 11, 2017 All responses from City of DeBary issued by...................... September 13, 2017 Deadline for response submittal to City of DeBary ............. September 15, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

Proposal Opening .............................................................. September 18, 2017 at 9:00 a.m.

Selection Committee Review Meeting ................................ September 20, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.

Oral presentations (if requested) ........................................ Week of September 25, 2017 City of DeBary Council meeting to approve selection ......... October 4, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Point of Contact Inquiries may be directed in writing through the USPS or by email to:

Linda Kent, Human Resources Director City of DeBary 16 Colomba Rd.

DeBary, Florida 32713 lkent@debary.org.

The City will not accept any verbal inquiries.

Standard Terms & Conditions

Point of Contact and Timetable for Inquiries Respondents shall contact the Human Resources Director, identified on the cover page of this solicitation, for all inquiries relating to this solicitation. All respondents’ technical inquiries shall be confirmed in writing either through the mail, via facsimile transmission or electronic mail.

Public Entity Crimes/Discriminatory Vendor List Any respondent, or any of its suppliers, subcontractors or consultants who shall perform work which is intended to benefit the City, shall not be a convicted vendor or included on the mailto:lkent@debary.org

City of DeBary RFP Brokerage Services 2017 Page 4 of 12 discriminatory vendor list. If the respondent or any affiliate of the respondent has been convicted of a public entity crime or has been placed on the discriminatory vendor list, a period longer than 36 months must have passed since that person was placed on the convicted vendor or discriminatory vendor list. The respondent further understands and accepts that any agreement issued as a result of this solicitation shall be either voidable or subject to immediate termination by the City, in the event there is any misrepresentation or lack of compliance with the mandates of section 287.133 or Section 287.134, respectively, Florida Statutes. The City, in the event of such termination, shall not incur any liability to the respondent for any work or materials furnished.

Addenda If any solicitation revisions become necessary (other than changes to the deadline for response submission), the City will post written addenda on the City’s web site (www.debary.org) at least seven (7) calendar days before the date scheduled for opening the responses. The City may revise the deadline for response submission at any time prior to the date and time scheduled for opening the responses. It is the responsibility of all respondents to ascertain whether any addenda have been issued before the solicitation deadline by either calling or checking the City’s website.

Cancellation of the Solicitation The City reserves the right to cancel this solicitation and/or re-advertise and re-solicit the requirement at any time if determined to be in the best interest of the City.

Tax Exempt Status The City is exempt from Florida Sales and Federal Excise taxes on direct purchase of tangible property.

Response Submission and Opening All responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope by the deadline indicated in the RFP schedule. The response shall identify the solicitation number and title specified on the cover page of this solicitation. This reference information shall also be marked on the outside of the sealed envelope, including the respondent’s return address. The City assumes no responsibility for responses not properly marked.

The City cautions respondents to assure actual delivery of responses either hand delivered or mailed via U.S. mail or overnight courier prior to the deadline set for opening responses.

The City will not accept responses delivered after the established deadline. If the response is delivered after the established deadline, a respondent shall be deemed non-responsive to the solicitation requirements.

Withdrawal of Response Respondents shall withdraw their submitted response by notifying the City in writing through an authorized representative at any time prior to the submission deadline. Individuals making the withdrawal shall provide evidence of serving as an authorized representative of the respondent.

Responses, once received, become the property of the City, and will not be returned to respondents even when they are withdrawn from consideration. Responses, once opened, shall not be withdrawn or modified except to the extent agreed to by the City during subsequent agreement negotiation.

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Public Records and Exemptions Upon receipt, responses become “public records” and shall be subject to public disclosure consistent with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Respondents shall invoke the exemptions to disclosure provided by law, in the response to the solicitation, by providing the specific statutory authority for the claimed exemption, identifying the data or other materials to be protected, and stating the reasons why such exclusion from public disclosure is necessary. Responses will be made available for public inspection at the time the City posts notice of its decision or intended decision concerning agreement awards, or ten (10) days after the response opening, whichever is earlier.

Rejection of Responses The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals for reasons including, but not limited to, the following: (1) when such rejection is in the interests of the City; (2) if such proposal is deemed non-responsive; (3) if the respondent is deemed non-responsive; of (4) if the proposal contains any material irregularities. Minor irregularities contained in the response will be waived by the City. A minor irregularity is a variation from the solicitation that does not affect the price of the agreement nor does it give a respondent an advantage or benefit not enjoyed by other respondents and does not adversely impact the City.

Written Proposal Evaluation and Oral Presentations The selection committee members will score the written proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria included in Section IV of this solicitation. At this time, there is no expectation that any interviews will have to take place prior to selection. Should more than one proposal be deemed adequate, and the Selection Committee is unable to select one over another based on submitted materials following the selection criteria outlined above, contact may be made with Proposers to arrange an interview.

City Council Approval The Selection Committee will present the final rankings of the responding consultant firms to the DeBary City Council at a regularly scheduled board meeting (refer to RFP schedule).

Formal Notice of Intent to Award Following formal approval of the final results by the City Council and in compliance with Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, the final Notice of Intent to Award will be posted on the City website and at the City offices at 16 Colomba Road, DeBary, Florida 32713. The notice will remain posted for a period of 72 hours (excluding weekends and City observed holidays).

If a respondent intends to protest the City’s official notice, the notice of intent to protest shall be filed in writing within 72 hours after the Notice to Proceed is posted, and a formal written protest shall be filed within 10 days after filing the notice of intent to protest. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Rule 40E-7.302 Florida Administrative Code and Section 120.54(5), Florida Statutes, shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Agreement Award Award shall be generally made to the firm that demonstrates technical capability while most closely meeting the City’s needs according to the evaluation criteria and factors designated in the solicitation.

The successful bidder shall enter into a two-party agreement that shall be acceptable to the City in form and content. If the awarded agreement is terminated, the City reserves the right to go to the next responsive and responsible firm with the balance of the agreement.

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The respondent understands that this solicitation or the response shall not constitute a agreement with the City. No agreement is binding or official until responses are reviewed and accepted by appointed City staff and an official agreement is duly executed by both parties.

The respondent to whom the award is made shall, within thirty (30) calendar days after notice of award has been given, provide evidence of any required insurance, bonds and schedule of subcontractors (if applicable) and sign the necessary agreement. Failure to execute the agreement and/or to provide applicable bonds and evidence of any required insurance coverage shall be just cause for the annulment of the award and if applicable, forfeiture of the bond to the City. Award may then be made to the next most responsible and responsive respondent or the work may be re-advertised as the City may decide.

Insurance Requirements Evidence of appropriate insurance coverage shall be provided as an attachment to the response. Respondents may fulfill this requirement by having their insurance agent either (1) complete and sign the Certificate of Insurance, or (2) issue a letter on the insurance agency’s stationary stating that the respondent qualified for the required insurance coverage levels and that the Certificate of Insurance will be submitted before final execution of issuance of the agreement. All insurers must be qualified to lawfully conduct business in the State of Florida.

Failure of the City to notify the respondent that the certificate of insurance provided does not meet the agreement requirements shall not constitute a waiver of the respondent’s responsibility to meet the stated requirements.

Non-Discrimination The City recognizes fair and open competition as a basic tenet of public procurement.

Respondents doing business with the City will comply with all federal and state requirements concerning fair employment and will not discriminate by reason of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, sex or handicap.

Section II – Scope of Services and Deliverables

General Information The City of DeBary is requesting proposals from qualified firms for Brokerage Services for Health Insurance and Employee Benefits to provide comprehensive assistance regarding benefits offered to City employees and retirees. The firm selected will serve as the City’s Broker of Record to consult and negotiate group insurance benefits including, but not limited to health, dental, vision, life, disability and flexible spending account benefits. The selected firm will also provide employee communication services.

The City employs approximately 38 full-time employees, including administrative, professional and field staff. The City provides health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance to employees and subsidizes a portion of the cost. The City also provides Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, as well as various supplemental policies.

At this time, the City is fully-insured with Brown and Brown as its agent/broker of record. The City’s current coverages and providers are: Florida Hospital Care Advantage Health Insurance, Principal Dental Insurance, Standard Vision, Short and Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance, and Conexis COBRA Administration.

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Services to be provided include, but are not limited to, those described in the Scope of Services. The selected firm will be required to enter into a two-year agreement with three (3) one-year renewal options.

The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to select among the respondents of this RFP or through other bidding procedures, other consulting firms to handle component parts of benefit services if it is determined to be in the best interest of the City.

Scope of Services The successful respondent will represent the City and provide services to include, not limited to the following:

Consulting Services:

Review the City’s health benefits (i.e. health, dental, vision, prescription drug, etc.) and assess opportunities for improvements in cost savings and services provided.

Provide the City with unbiased professional guidance regarding the most advantageous information concerning insurance markets from the standpoint of cost, service and coverage.

Provide technical assistance to reduce the overall cost of providing these benefits through a variety of means including developing effective negotiations strategies to expeditiously reduce the absolute cost of health insurance benefits.

Provide assistance and make recommendations in the selection and implementation of new programs and/or changes to existing programs.

Act as a resource to advise the City in the areas of COBRA, HIPPA, Cafeteria Plan Section 125, ERISA, EEO, FMLA, Health Care Reform laws and other areas in the insurance field where expertise and guidance may be requested.

Provide e-seminars and/or e-mail notifications to keep City management and benefit coordinator apprised of upcoming compliance issues or other issues pertaining to health benefits.

Provide preliminary renewal figures during the budget process.

Assistance with maintaining up-to-date policies and procedures to insure compliance with federal and state standards and regulations.

Conduct analysis of insurance programs within other local governments to compare best practices.

Coordinate quarterly meetings with the Human Resources Director to discuss claims, regulatory changes and general administrative matters.

Provide access to senior level consulting services on a 24/7 basis.

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Negotiating Services

Solicit and negotiate annual renewal of existing coverage including soliciting multiple or alternative proposal coverage.

Provide comprehensive summary of responsive quotes from insurance carriers.

Employee Services

Provide full services regarding open enrollment, new employee orientation, and support services.

Develop and print annual enrollment materials and guidelines.

Respond to all employee issues and questions in a timely manner regarding their benefits.

Provide a client call center/help desk to assist employees with resolving any plan participants’ health insurance related issues.

Provide an online website to assist employees with resolving any plan participants’ health insurance related issues.

Provide assistance in creating and/or educating employees about available wellness programs.

Provide communications such as brochures, posters and other communications regarding health benefits and wellness programs.

Attend City events to discuss insurance and employee benefits including any wellness or health fairs, City Council meetings to discuss insurance and employee benefits, and employee open enrollment meetings.

Assist the City in evaluating and negotiating employee grievances related to health benefits issues.

Qualified firms wishing to respond to this RFP must provide all services described in this document, whether directly or through sub-consultants. The City reserves the right to approve or disapprove of any sub-consultants.

The successful firm will appoint one of their employees as the key contact for approval by City management.

Section III – Proposal Requirements and Format

Proposal Requirements The proposal submitted by respondents must meet or exceed the professional, administrative and financial qualifications set forth in the Section and shall incorporate the information requested below.

In addition to the information required as described below, respondents may submit supplemental information that it feels may be useful in evaluating its proposal.

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All responses must be submitted in a sealed envelope by September 15, 2017.

Proposal Format For the response to be considered complete and timely, respondents must submit one (1) original marked “original” and three (3) copies marked “copy” of the proposal. The narrative portion of the proposal shall be on 81/2 x 11 white paper. The entire proposal must be adequately bound using the respondent’s method of choice.

Respondents must include the following information in their proposal:

Title Page: Title page shall show the RFP subject, title and proposal number; the firm’s name;

the name, address and telephone number of the contact person; and date of proposal.

Cover Letter: The response shall contain a cover letter signed by a person who is authorized to commit the respondents offers to perform the work included in the RFP and should identify all materials and enclosures being forwarded in response to the RFP.

Executive Summary: The Executive Summary section of the proposal shall be limited to five (5) typewritten paragraphs. The purpose of the Executive Summary is to provide a high-level description of the respondent’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFP and approach to the project.

Completed Questionnaire: Respondents should provide answers and information related to all inquiries listed in the Questionnaire (Attachment A). For each item, provide information regarding the firm’s experience, ability, and qualifications to meet the criteria.

Supplemental Information: In addition to the information required as described above, respondents may submit supplemental information that it feels may be useful in evaluating its proposal.

Section IV – Proposal Evaluation

Evaluation Criteria All proposals will be subject to a review and evaluation process. It is the intent of the City that all responses that meet the requirements will be ranked in accordance with the following evaluation criteria.

Responsiveness of Submittal

Demonstration of a method of approach that fully meets all terms and conditions to the RFP and Scope of Services

Submittal of completed proposal which includes all required documents, signature and information

Expertise and Reliability

Years of experience, stability and unique capabilities of firm

Depth of broker team experience and qualifications

Submission of references

Experience and history with providing services to local governments

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Services Factors

The depth of services the respondent proposes to deliver

Assistance with plan design changes including usefulness of communication tools to evaluate plan options/changes

Availability of staff to attend City meetings/events

Access to staff in terms of hours and days available, ease of contact and response times

Awareness and ability to provide timely, accurate communication of emerging trends, opportunities, legislative/regulatory updates.

Usefulness and quality of employee communication tools and materials for benefits plans, open enrollment and wellness programs

Usefulness and quality of benchmarking data

Innovative ideas for health cost containment

Other distinguishing factors and added services

Fee Proposal

Submission of options for form(s) of compensation

Submission of rates or charges for additional services, if applicable

Evaluation Procedure

Submitted responses to this RFP will be reviewed and ranked by a Selection Committee according to the established criteria. The Committee will determine and summarize final rankings of the responding consulting firms and present the final recommendation to the DeBary City Council for approval.

The City Council has the right to accept, reject, or modify the recommendation as it deems in the best interests of the City. The City Council will render, at its sole and absolute discretion, the final decision on the ranking received from the Selection Committee and the award of any and all contracts under this RFP. The City Council’s decision shall constitute the final decision of the City regarding this RFP.

Meetings of the Selection Committee to discuss final rankings of the responding consultant firms’ submittals will be conducted in accordance with Florida Sunshine Laws and will be open to the public.

Oral Presentations In general, the City desires to avoid the expense to the City and to Respondents of unnecessary oral presentations. Therefore, the City will make every reasonable effort to achieve the ranking using written submittals alone. If a single top-ranked firm cannot be clearly identified by review of the written submittals alone, then the Selection Committee shall schedule one or more of the top-ranked firm(s) for presentations.

Section V - Attachments

Attachment A: Questionnaire

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Attachment “A” Brokerage Services for Health Insurance and Employee Benefits Questionnaire

General Information

Briefly describe your firm’s background and history.

Describe the services your firm can provide.

Have there been any changes in the past three years in the ownership or structure of your firm? Do you anticipate any significant changes in the near future?

Identify any services within this proposal that you cannot provide.

Consulting Team

Describe your firm’s experience with similar work performed for other local governments.

Explain the qualifications of your broker team and years of experience

What is the average response time to client requests?

Provide a list of government clients for which your firm provides services. Describe the resources your firm has that specifically address the needs of local government clients.

Strategic Planning/Vendor Selection

Describe your firm’s approach to meeting required renewal and approval deadlines.

How can your firm assist with plan design changes with rebids and renewals?

Describe benchmarking data your firm can provide.

Cost Projections/Ongoing Review

Provide examples of employee benefit projects and products that your firm/staff have designed and/or implemented for clients that may have saved money, improved the quality of benefits, enhanced benefits, or increased efficiency.

Plan Administration and Legislative Compliance

How does your firm stay abreast of legislative changes?

How will your firm notify the City of changes in federal and/or local laws that would affect us?

Wellness Programs

Describe any wellness services offered by your firm.

What tools can your firm provide the City to help implement/continue a wellness program?

Provide examples of low-cost wellness tools that you have helped to implement with other local governments.

HR and Communication Tools

How can you assist in facilitating employee meetings and annual open enrollment meetings?

Does your firm provide any customized open enrollment materials?

Do you have internet-based employee communication tools?

Describe how you keep your clients abreast of employment laws in a timely manner.

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References

Please provide three current client references for which similar services to this RFP have been provided. Please include name, address and phone number, contact person and length of time associated with your firm.

Please list public sector clients who have terminated your firm’s services during the past three (3) years and their reasons for doing so. Please include their names, titles and telephone numbers.

Other Qualifications

Describe how your firm’s credentials, experience and project approach distinguish your firm from competitors.

Describe any services provided by your firm that may not be offered by competitors.

Describe any other facets of your firm and your firm’s experience that are relevant to this proposal which have not been previously described that warrant consideration.

Fees

Describe your proposed form of compensation (i.e., commission, annual retainer). If you are proposing a fee, please include your fee schedule/hourly rates.

If you charge fees for consulting and employee communication, please indicate the basis of your charge (hourly, by project, etc.) and what typical charges might be.