RP026-22 Ad1

August 16, 2022 Addendum #1

RP026-22

Provision of Employee Assistance and Work Life Services (EAP and Work Life Services) on an Annual Contract

Please see the below summation of revisions, questions and answers for the above solicitation.

Questions Q1. Will the County consider a due date in September to give submitters more time?

A1. Not at this time.

Q2. Is a bid bond required for this request for proposal? If so, please confirm it will be required upon finalist selection.

A2. Bonds are not required.

Q3. Please define “unbounded” request. Is this solely not a spiral bound< Would a 3 ring binder, binder clipped or rubber banded would be acceptable?

A3. Binder clipped or rubber banded is acceptable.

Q4. Who is the current onsite EAP provider? Are they open to recruitment by bidding carriers if not currently in carrier existing EAP network?

A4. The current onsite EAP provider wants to remain with the County so re-badging is required.

Q5. Please provide utilization data for the last 24-36 months.

A5. This information was provided along with the original request for proposal.

Q6. Can Crisis, Seminars and manager trainings utilization data be provided?

A6. All available utilization was provided with the original request for proposal.

Q7. With regards to the signature forms, we plan to obtain original signatures but if we need to use an electronic signature on any form, please confirm the Adobe Acrobat (Stamp tool) would be acceptable.

A7. Yes. Per the request for proposal: In light of ongoing challenges related to COVID-19, if original signatures are not possible, Gwinnett will accept an electronic signature through DocuSign or a similar program.

Proposers submitting electronically signed documents must also submit a letter on company letterhead stating that, due to COVID-19, original signatures cannot be provided. This exception applies only to signatures; Gwinnett cannot accept an electronic version only in lieu of the required hard copies as specified in the proposal.

Q8. With regards to the requirement noted on Page 8 around using electronic signatures, please advise whether this can be included in the cover letter or must be a separate letter within the bid package.

A8. Either is acceptable.

Q9. Does this proposal only for service providers that have already secured similar contract services before?

A9. This request for proposal requests information on each service provider’s service history and client profile. These facts will be scored in the Technical Proposal. Having managed an EAP for a large, complex client will score higher than having no experience in this space or for a large client.

Q10. Will a service provider be given time to identify subcontractors in the process of review/approval or does it need to be in place for the proposal submission?

A10. All subcontractors need to be in place for proposal submission.

Q11. Will there be an issue if subcontractors are changed during the course of the contract?

A11. The County recognizes subcontractors may change during the course of a contract. If there is a change in a subcontractor, the County will complete a Change Order to ensure all parties are outlined and disclosed.

Addendum 1

Q12. On the questionnaire, can a service provider simply put the word "agree" for the questions asking for agreement to terms?

A12. Yes.

Q13. Can a redacted version of the proposal documents be submitted for open records request filing?

A13. Yes. Please include a hard copy as well as a digital copy that has been redacted.

Q14. Provide the utilization of the EAP over the last 3 years including the total number of authorizations for face-to-face sessions, total counseling sessions used and total utilization including phone inquiries.

A14. This information was provided along with the original request for proposal.

Q15. What are the current rates?

A15. $1.94 PEPM.

Q16. Onsite Resource – Does the County prefer an hourly rate or pricing for a fulltime employee?

A16. The County prefers an hourly rate.

Q17. What is the current onsite resource paid?

A17. The current hourly rate is $110.

Q18. Would the County prefer service providers respond to the following question in terms of an hourly rate that would increase costs if hours are increased. “I the service provider willing to modify the schedule or number of hours based on the needs of the Gwinnett County with no additional cost?”

A18. The County prefers an hourly rate.

Q19. Does the County want 128 training hours included in the per employee per month (PEPM). Do free webinars count towards the 128?

A19. A defined number of training hours (at least 128) should be included in the PEPM. How those hours are priced is at the service provider’s discretion.

Q20. Who is the current EAP provider and how long have they been providing services to the County?

A20. Humana EAP, 7 years.

Q21. Will questions from all service providers be available, or only those we submit? Also, will they be posted to a site or emailed out?

A21. Responses to all questions have been included in this addendum.

Q22. Please confirm the pricing should be based on 5,000 employees and that the 2,300 retirees are to receive services at no fee. If a service provider is unable to comply, and must charge for retirees, would that disqualify that provider?

A22. The pricing should include EAP services for 5,000 active employees and 2,300 retirees. How the service provider structures the pricing is at each’s discretion.

Q23. Please provide the current rate and a rate history throughout the contract term for the EAP.

A23. The PEPM has been $1.94 since 1/1/2020.

Q24. Is there a budget cap or a not to exceed amount for EAP Services?

A24. There is approved funding for this project. The County expects each service provider to propose a competitive price. Award will be made to the highest scoring service provider.

Q25. What are the County’s top 3 priorities in an EAP?

A25. Onsite services (one-on-one counseling and departmental support), modern technology solutions, access to local providers.

Q26. Can the County provide a copy of the current contract for EAP services?

A26. To obtain a copy of the current contract, please submit an open records request through the County website at www.gwinnettcounty.com.

Q27. If a service provider only provides referrals for fitness for duty/return to work and the employer is then responsible for payment of fees and further coordination, is this acceptable to the County?

A27. Yes.

Q28. How many hours of the following services are included within the current EAP contract per year?

a. If any of these services are on a fee for service basis, please indicate that fee.

• Onsite training/orientation/educational seminars

• Onsite health fair/event participation

• Webinar training

• DOT SAP Evaluations (# of cases)

• Fitness for duty cases

A28. The only service priced separately is DOT Evaluations at $750/case. 128 Hours were included for onsite training, seminars, and event participation. Hours for webinars were not defined but many were completed during the course of the contract. Fitness for duty cases were included in the base fee except if a forensic psychiatrist was engaged. Costs for a forensic psychiatrist were quoted at $2,000 - $5,500 per case.

Q29. How many total hours of the following services were utilized in each of the last two (2) years?

• Onsite training/orientation/educational seminars

• Onsite health fair/event participation

• Webinar training

• DOT SAP Evaluations (# of cases)

• Fitness for duty cases

A29. The County does not have this information. Please move forward with standard utilization assumptions.

Q30. Please provide insight into the condition of the workforce. Are there specific issues facing the County workforce (i.e., stress, morale, etc.) and HR? Have there been any major events in the last year (i.e., reductions in force, critical incidents, etc.)?

A30. The County’s Public Safety departments (Police, Fire, 911, etc.) are under a great deal of stress and need more support during critical incidents or particularly disturbing investigations. The remainder of the employees are feeling a level of underlying stress due to the ongoing pandemic and the fact that the employees never left jobs.

Q31. In the utilization reports provided, can the County confirm that the first line under Total Services, titled EAP

Services, is the true number of individuals who received counseling services? (for example, in 2021, 518 members received some number of EAP sessions).

A31. Correct.

Q32. Who is the County health plan provider and is the plan self-funded?

A32. The County has two health plan providers: Aetna and Kaiser. Aetna is self-funded, and Kaiser is fully insured.

Q33. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, how would the County rate the current service provider?

A33. The County’s current service provider is no longer offering EAP services so rating the service provider is not necessary.

Q34. Under Right to Audit, line 4 states: As applicable, the service provider will fund a post-implementation audit in the amount of $22,000. Fees for this assessment will be paid directly to Aon and/or a 3rd party of Gwinnett's choosing.

a. Is this fee applicable to this contract? If so, when must this fee be paid

b. What would be the applicability standard for this fee?

A34. The County requests the right to audit the plan post-implementation. This audit will ensure the benefits and programs are set up correctly and that the plan is operating according to County intent.

Q35. Under Service Provider Reports it states: Data must be reported as requested by the client.

a. Can the County provide details on what data is to be reported?

http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/

A35. The County will want reporting on all aspects of the plan: utilization, referrals, onsite counseling, onsite support, local provider access, reasons for outreach, etc. The County may also ask for ad hoc reporting from time to time. Service provider and the County will come to mutual agreement on ad hoc reporting during the course of the contract.

Q36. The information provided indicated that the County would like to have referrals for counseling made to providers who are currently part of their insurance provider. Is this a mandatory requirement?

A36. This is not mandatory but highly encouraged. Referrals to out of network providers increases costs for members and The County.

Q37. Does the County have a sense for the quantity needed for mass mailing vs electronic communication for members?

A37. The County expects two mass mailings annually and quarterly electronic communications.

Q38. Can the County please clarify the request for self-bill?

A38. The County will report the number of active employees and pay the selected provider based on that number.

Q39. Is the County open to creative funding options?

A39. Yes.

Q40. Can the County please clarify the request for ASO payments to be paid in arrears?

A40. The County cannot pre-fund any fees or payments. All payment is done in arrears, or retroactively.

Q41. Can the County please confirm if the County is looking for 2 or 3 flash drives for technical and financial?

A41. 3 flash drives for technical and 2 flash drives for financial.

Q42. Can the provide an example of how the County is currently using the 128 hours?

A42. The County does not have this information. Please move forward with standard utilization assumptions.

Q43. Is the County looking to keep the existing on-site EAP counselor or replace with the new service provider’s resources and add an additional full time onsite counselor?

A43. See A4.

Q44. Please clarify "confirm retirees are eligible for services with no PEPM alignment."

A44. The retirees are eligible for EAP services. How the services provider prices the plan to include those people is at the service provider’s discretion.

Q45. Is the geo access report required?

A45. The County does not need a “Geo Access” branded report, but the County does need information on local provider access and how members will engage with those providers.

Preproposal Conference Attendees

• Aetna

• All One Health

• Cigna

• Evernorth

• Magellan

• Pearling

Acknowledge receipt of this addendum on Page 11 of the proposal document.

Sincerely, Dana Garland, CPPB, NIGP-CPP Purchasing Division