Short_Term_Long_Term_Disability_&_Long_Term_Disability_Only_Services.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-065-PR

SHORT TERM/LONG TERM DISABILITY & LONG TERM DISABILITY

ONLY SERVICES

County of Dane

City-County Building, Room 425, 53703

Madison, WI 53703

RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: October 23, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: November 6, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

County of Dane

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Short Term/Long Term Disability & Long Term Disability Only Services

I. Introduction II. RFP Guidelines and Overview

III. Contract Term IV. Project Overview & Scope of Work V. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

VI. Pricing Proposal VII. Vendor Questionnaire

VIII. Standard Terms and Conditions

Attachments:

A - Highlight Sheet - LTD Only

B - Highlight Sheet - LTD Combo

C - Highlight Sheet - STD Combo

D - Census - Dane County 9.16.26

E - Census - CARPC - Disability

F - Claims - Dane County - Thru 8.2026 - LTD

G - Incurred & Paid - Dane County - STD

H - Policy Document - LTD_A_Amendment_1

I - Policy Document - LTD_A_Amendment_2

J - Policy Document - LTD_A_Amendment_3 CARPC grandfather

K - Policy Document - LTD_A_Amendment_4 member def

L - Policy Document - LTD_A_Amendment_5 OE

M - Policy Document - LTD_A_Certificate

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-065-PR Title: Short Term/Long Term Disability & Long Term Disability Only Services

N - Policy Document - LTD_A_Certificate_Cl 1 CARPC w STD

O - Policy Document - LTD_A_Certificate_Cl 2 Dane Co w STD

P - Policy Document - LTD_A_Certificate_Cl 3 CARPC no STD

Q - Policy Document - LTD_A_Certificate_Cl 4 Dane Co no STD

R - Policy Document - LTD_A_Notice_3 CARPC grandfather

S - Policy Document - LTD_A_Performance Guarantee

T - Policy Document - LTD_A_Policy

U - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_1 Def of Dis

V - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_2 DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT

W - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_3 When Ins Becomes Eff

X - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_4 Salary Continuation

Y - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_5 member def

Z - Policy Document - STD_B_Amendment_6 OE

AA - Policy Document - STD_B_Certificate

BB - Policy Document - STD_B_Performance Guarantee

CC - Policy Document - STD_B_Policy

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal according to the specifications set forth within this document.

The County intends to use the results of this process to award a contract or issue a purchase order for the product(s) and/or service(s) stated Short Term/Long Term Disability & Long Term Disability Only

Services.

The Dane County Purchasing Division is the sole point of contact for questions and issues that may arise during the RFP process.

1.2. Contact Information

Pete Patten

Purchasing Manager

Email: patten.peter@countyofdane.com

Phone: (608) 267-3523

Department:

Employee Relations

1.3. Timeline

Release Project Date September 23, 2026

Question Submission Deadline October 23, 2026, 4:00pm

Question Response Deadline October 30, 2026, 4:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline November 6, 2026, 2:00pm

Insurance Advisory Committee Meeting

Presentation (Top 2 Vendors)

December 2, 2026

Contract Phase January 2027 - February 2027

Contract Start Date May 1, 2027 mailto:patten.peter@countyofdane.com tel:(608)267-3523

2. RFP Guidelines and Overview

2.1. GENERAL SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

1. The County will provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a vendor conference or site visit, contact the Purchasing Officer listed or call WI Relay 711 for TDD Services.

2. VENDOR REGISTRATION

1. Interested vendors are required to register at the County's eProcurement Portal. Registration is free and will ensure that you receive notifications of solicitations that match your profile and category codes as well as providing the County with up-to-date company contact information.

2. Once registered, please double check to make sure your vendor information including commodity codes is up-to-date by signing into your account at the County's eProcurement

Portal.

3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1. Specific and estimated dates and times of actions related to this solicitation are listed in the timeline in the Introduction Section. The actions with specific dates must be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the County. In the event that the County finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates and times in the calendar of events listed below, it will do so by issuing an addendum to this RFP and posting such addendum on the Dane

County eProcurement Portal.

4. CLARIFICATION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS / QUESTIONS

1. All inquiries concerning this solicitation must be submitted via the County's eProcurement

Portal.

2. Questions must be submitted before 4:00 pm on Friday, October 23, 2026.

1. Requests submitted after that time frame will not be considered.

3. Proposers are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the solicitation at this point in the process. If a proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this solicitation, the proposer should immediately notify the contact person of such error and request modification or clarification to the solicitation document.

4. Proposers are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of Dane County, except as described herein. No County employee or representative other than those individuals https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane listed as County contacts on this solicitation is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this solicitation.

5. ADDENDA & REVISIONS

1. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this bid, addenda and/or supplements will be posted via the

County's eProcurement Portal. Bidders are responsible to regularly monitor the web site for any such postings. It is recommended to check the eProcurement Portal for addenda prior to submitting a proposal. Bidders must acknowledge the receipt/review of any addenda via the eProcurement Portal.

2. The Purchasing Division has the sole authority for modifications to specifications and/or the solicitation document.

6. INSPECTION OF PREMISES/VENDOR SITE VISIT - when applicable

1. When applicable, bidder’s may inspect site(s) prior to submitting bids to determine all requirements associated with the project by contacting Pete Patten. Failure to do so will in no way relieve the successful bidder from the necessity of providing, without additional cost to the

County, all necessary services that may be required to carry out the intent of the resulting contract.

2.2. BID / PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Dane County strongly encourages all vendors to submit proposals well in advance of the solicitation deadline. By doing so, if there are any technical difficulties, there is time to attempt to resolve the situation before the deadline. Late bids will not be accepted.

If there are technical difficulties while trying to submit, first, contact OpenGov Support by clicking into the small blue circle on the bottom, right side of your screen while logged into the OpenGov system.

1. SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dane County reserves the right to accept any part of this bid deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County also retains the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

2. Proposals must be submitted via the County's eProcurement Portal before 2:00 pm on Friday, November 6, 2026. Late, faxed, mailed, hand-delivered, or incomplete proposals will be rejected unless otherwise specified. Dane County is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this solicitation.

3. To Submit a Proposal:

1. Register at the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

2. Click on the green "+Subscribe" button on the left side of the screen and proceed to create an account or sign in if an account already exists.

3. Once registered, click on the "draft" button to draft your proposal.

4. Provide company information

5. Complete the entire Vendor Questionnaire

6. Where indicated, upload the required documents.

7. The file upload status can be seen for each document uploaded.

8. Confirm all files have been uploaded

9. Review your work and click on "submit" proposal

10. Acknowledge any addenda

2. MULTIPLE PROPOSALS & ACCEPTANCE

1. Multiple proposals from a vendor will be permissible; however, the proposer must create separate accounts with separate log-in sequences, emails, and passwords on the

County’s eProcurement Portal. Each such proposal must be submitted separately and labeled as

Proposal #1, Proposal #2, etc.

2. Please message procurementsupport@opengov.com with any questions regarding set up.

3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING COST PROPOSALS

1. The Cost Proposal section of this solicitation will either be incorporated into the system as a

Pricing Table or as a separate Cost Proposal Attachment that must be downloaded, completed, saved, and uploaded to the Vendor Questionnaire section.

2. Price(s) quoted shall include all labor, materials, equipment, shipping and other costs and conditions outlined within the bid. Pricing shall remain fixed.

4. RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS & NEGOTIATE CONTRACT TERMS

1. The County reserves the right to accept any part of a submission deemed to be in the best interest of the County and to reject any and all proposals and to negotiate the terms of the contract, including the award amount, with the selected proposer prior to entering into a contract. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring proposer, the County may negotiate a contract with the next highest scoring proposer.

2.3. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE DEFINITIONS

1. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

mailto:procurementsupport@opengov.com

1. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(11)(c-e), a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally

Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor may be invited to match the low bid if the low bid is offered by a vendor that is not identified as a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor according to Dane County Ordinance requirements. Local Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

Locally Based and Owned Vendors:

1. When bids are reviewed, the County will determine if a Locally Based and Owned Vendor responding to the bid is the low bidder. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is the low bidder, they will be awarded the bid.

2. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is not the low bidder but is within 15% of the low bid, the

County will contact the Locally Based and Owned Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

3. If no Locally Based and Owned Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Based and Owned Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Locally

Operated Vendor has responded to the bid.

Locally Operated Vendors:

4. If a Locally Operated Vendor is within 10% of the low bid, the County will contact the Locally

Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

5. If no Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Operated

Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Non-Locally Operated

Vendor has responded to the bid.

Non-Locally Operated Vendors:

6. If a Non-Locally Operated Vendor is within 5% of the low bid, the County will contact the Non-

Locally Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

7. If no Non-Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Non-Locally

Operated Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will award the bid to the low bidder without regard to the location of the vendor.

2. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFPs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

1. Under County ordinances, a Local Vendor is defined as a supplier or provider of equipment, materials, supplies or services that has an established place of business within the County of

Dane. An established place of business means a physical office, plant or other facility. A post office box address does not qualify a vendor as a Local Vendor.

1. County ordinance provides that a local vendor (within Dane County) automatically receive five points toward the evaluation score.

2. County ordinance provides that vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County

(Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk) automatically receive two points toward the evaluation score.

3. LOCAL CONTENT VENDOR PREFERENCE - generally only applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO

PUBLIC WORKS BIDS

1. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(4)(f-j), bidders offering goods made in Dane County, its surrounding counties, or the State of Wisconsin receive a price preference on sealed bid solicitations. Bids are first evaluated to determine if any bidders are offering products that qualify as Dane County-Made Goods, Regionally-Made Goods, or Wisconsin-Made Goods. Local

Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

2. A bidder offering Dane County-Made Goods will be considered the successful bidder if their price is up to 15% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Dane County-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Regionally-

Made Goods. If so, then such a bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 12.5% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Regionally-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Wisconsin-Made Goods. If so, that bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 10% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Wisconsin-Made Goods. If no vendors are offering Dane County-Made, Regionally-Made, or Wisconsin-Made Goods, then the County will evaluate the low bid without regard to the content of the goods.

4. FAIR LABOR PRACTICES CERTIFICATION

1. Dane County Ord. 25.09 (1) is as follows:

1. (28) BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY. (a) Any bid, application or proposal for any contract with the county, including public works contracts regulated under chapter 40, shall include a certification indicating whether the bidder has been found by the National Labor Relations

Board (NLRB) or the Wisconsin Employment Relations Committee (WERC) to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations within the last seven years.

The purchasing manager shall investigate any such finding and make a recommendation to the committee, which shall determine whether the conduct resulting in the finding affects the bidder’s responsibility to perform the contract.

2. If a company indicates that they have been found by the NLRB or WERC to have such a violation in the Vendor Questionnaire section, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation with is required to be uploaded with the bid submission.

3. Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:

www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

5. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

1. Participating in cooperative purchasing gives vendors the opportunity for additional sales without additional bidding. Municipalities and state agencies use cooperative purchasing to expedite purchases. A “municipality” is defined as any county, city, village, town, school district, https://www.nlrb.gov/ http://werc.wi.gov/ board of school directors, sewer district, drainage district, vocational, technical and adult education district, or any other public body having authority to award public contracts (s.

16.70(8), Wis. Stats.). Federally recognized Indian tribes and bands in this state may participate in cooperative purchasing with the state or any municipality under ss. 66.0301(1) and (20, Wis.

Stats.

2. In the Vendor Questionnaire section, you will have the opportunity to participate in allowing municipalities and state agencies to piggyback this bid. Participation is not mandatory. A vendor’s decision on participating in this service has no effect on awarding the bid.

3. Dane County is not a party to these purchases or any dispute arising from these purchases and is not liable for delivery or payment of any of these purchases.

6. DESIGNATION OF CONFIDENTIAL & PROPRIETY INFORMATION - generally only applicable to RFPs

1. RFP responses are public records under Wisconsin Law. Dane County may be required to release your RFP response if someone makes a public records request. There are few exceptions to disclosure under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

2. All proposed restrictions on the use of data contained within a proposal and all confidential information must be clearly stated on the Vendor Information Attachment under the

“Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information” section.

3. Proprietary information submitted in a proposal, or in response to the RFP, will be handled in accordance with the applicable Wisconsin State Statute(s) to determine whether such information must be disclosed. Dane County shall not provide advance notice prior to release of any requested record.

4. Submitted pricing will always become public information when proposals are opened and therefore cannot be designated as confidential. Designating the RFP response or proposal in its entirety as confidential is never warranted and will result in its release.

5. One exception under the Wisconsin Open Records Law is if information constitutes a “trade secret.” Trade secret is defined in Sect. 134.90 (1)(c)) of the WisconsinStatutes, as follows:

"Trade secret" means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method technique or process to which all of the following apply:

1. The information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.

2. The information is the subject of efforts to maintain its secrecy that are reasonable under the circumstances.

County cannot guarantee that such information will be treated as a trade secret or confidential.

6. To the extent permitted by law, it is the intention of Dane County to withhold the contents of the proposal from public view until such times as competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require non-disclosure, in the opinion of Dane County. At that time, all proposals will be available for review in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Records Law.

7. In the event the Designation of Confidentiality of this information is challenged, undersigned agrees to provide legal counsel or other necessary assistance to defend the Designation of

Confidentiality and to hold Dane County harmless for any costs or damages arising out of Dane

County withholding the materials. .

8. Failure to designate confidential and proprietary information within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment may mean that all information provided as part of the proposal response will be open to examination or copying. The County considers other markings of confidential in the proposal document to be insufficient. The undersigned agrees to hold the County harmless for any damages arising out of the release of any material unless they are specifically identified within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment.

2.4. EVALUATION

1. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

1. The proposals will first be reviewed to determine if all applicable requirements are met. Failure to meet mandatory requirements may result in the proposal being rejected. In the event that all vendors do not meet one or more of the mandatory requirements, the County reserves the right to continue the evaluation of the proposals and to select the proposal which most closely meets the requirements specified in the solicitation.

2. PROPOSAL SCORING - applicable to RFPs

1. Accepted proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation team and scored against the stated criteria in the evaluation section of the RFP posting. This scoring will determine the ranking of vendors based upon their written proposals. If the team determines that it is in the best interest of the County to require a Phase 2 Evaluation which may include oral presentations, the highest-ranking vendors will be invited to make such presentations. Those vendors that participate in the interview process will then be scored, and the final ranking will be made based upon those scores.RFP Cost Proposal's will be scored using a standard quantitative calculation where the most cost criteria points will be awarded to the proposal with the lowest cost.

3. ORAL PRESENTATIONS/INTERVIEW - applicable to RFPs

1. Top ranked selected proposers may be required to make oral interview presentations and/or site visits to supplement their proposals, if requested by the County. The County will make every reasonable attempt to schedule each presentation at a time and location that is agreeable to the proposer. Failure of a proposer to conduct a presentation to the County on the date scheduled may result in rejection of the vendor’s proposal.

2.5. AWARD

1. RFB AWARD

1. The County will award the bid to the most responsive and responsible bidder whose bid is most advantageous to the County. In determining the most advantageous bid, the County may consider criteria such as, but not limited to, cost, bidder’s past performance and/or service reputation, and service capability, quality of the bidder’s staff or services, customer satisfaction, references, the extent to which the bidder’s staff or services meet the County’s needs, bidder’s past relationship with the County, total long term cost to the County, fleet continuity and any other relevant criteria listed in this solicitation.

2. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

2. RFP AWARD

1. An RFP award will typically be granted in one of two ways.

1. The award may be granted to the highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer.

2. Alternatively, the highest scoring proposer or proposers may be requested to submit final and best offers. If final and best offers are requested, they will be evaluated against the stated criteria, scored and ranked. The award will then be granted to the highest scoring proposer.

2. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. PAYMENT TERMS AND INVOICING

1. Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, Dane County will pay properly submitted vendor invoices within thirty (30) days of receipt of goods or services. Payment will not be made until goods or services are delivered, installed (if required), and accepted as specified. Invoices presented for payment shall be submitted to via email to the Department Invoice Email

Address shown on the Bill To section of the PO issued. The Dane County purchase order number must be noted on the submitted invoice.

2. Other incidental or standard industry charges not identified herein, are not allowed under this contract. Miscellaneous service charges used to help the Contractor pay various fluctuating current and future costs are not allowed. These charges include, but are not limited to, costs directly or indirectly related to the environment, energy issues, fuel charges, service and delivery of goods and services.

4. NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO AWARD

1. Upon finalizing the award, a notification email may be sent via the OpenGov system showing the awarded vendor(s).

2. As a courtesy, the County may send a Notice of Intent letter to responding vendors at the time of the award. - applicable to RFPs

3. Written notice of award to a vendor in the form of a purchase order or other document, mailed or emailed to the address shown on the bid will be considered sufficient notice of acceptance of bid.

5. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

1. The successful vendor is required to submit to Dane County a Certificate of Insurance prior to performing any work under this contract. The certificate is required prior to issuance of purchase order. See the Insurance Responsibility section within the Standard Terms &

Conditions.

2. Please contact your insurance representative to issue an Additional Insured Endorsement naming County of Dane, a municipal corporation, its boards, commissions, agencies, officers, employees and representatives listed as an ADDITIONAL INSURED on the General Liability policy.

3. Indicate mailing address as:

o County of Dane

Risk Management

City County Building Room 425

210 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703

4. Please inform your insurance representative that you have agreed to provide us with 30 Days written notice in the event of cancellation for any reason before the expiration date of your policy or policies.

5. Vendor may email Certificates of Insurance to risk.management@danecounty.gov.

6. Call 608-266-4965 with any questions.

6. PERMITS & LICENSES

mailto:risk.management@danecounty.gov

1. The Contractor selected under this bid shall be required to obtain the necessary permits and licenses prior to performing any work under this contract. The Contractor will be required to demonstrate valid possession of appropriate required licenses and will keep them in effect for the term of this contract.

2. Contractor must be financially responsible for obtaining all required permits and licenses to comply with pertinent regulations, municipal, county, State of Wisconsin and Federal laws, and shall assume liability for all applicable taxes.

7. SATISFACTORY WORK

1. Any work found to be in any way defective or unsatisfactory shall be corrected by the

Contractor at its own expense at the order of the County. The County also reserves the right to contract out services not satisfactorily completed and to purchase substitute services elsewhere. The County reserves the right to charge the vendor with any or all costs incurred or retain/deduct the amount of such costs incurred from any monies due or which may become due under this contract.

8. GOVERNMENT STANDARDS

1. All materials, equipment, and supplies provided to the County must fully comply with all safety requirements as set forth by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and all applicable OSHA

Standards. Bidders shall comply with all local, state and federal regulations, directives and laws.

9. DANE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES

1. On October 18, 2012, the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 103, 2012-2013 establishing the following sustainability principles for the county:

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to encroachment upon nature and harm to life-sustaining ecosystems (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forest, soil, ecosystems); and o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to conditions that undermine people’s ability to meet their basic human needs.

2.6. CONTRACTING

1. CONTRACT/PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

1. The County department(s) utilizing the service will be responsible for drafting, coordinating, monitoring and administering the resulting service contract/purchase order. The department shall be responsible for notifying the awarded vendor about contract renewals or extensions.

Any modifications or additions to the contract(s)/purchase order(s) shall be communicated by the department to the Purchasing Division.

2. CONTRACT ASSIGNMENT - SUBCONTRACTORS

1. A resulting contract and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any subcontractor's performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. CONTRACT ADDITIONS

1. The County reserves the right to add new items and locations at a price conforming to other like items on the contract. The procedure for such additions shall be as follows:

1. The County Purchasing Officer will contact the vendor requesting pricing for the item(s) to be added.

2. The vendor, within three working days, should respond in writing and include the bid number, contract period and the price for each item or service to be provided.

3. Upon receipt, the County shall issue a Change Order adding the service or product(s) to the

Contract or Purchase Order.

2. The County reserves the right to accept or reject prices and obtain bids on the open market for these add ons.

3. When applicable, Contractor may be required to sign a Dane County Contract.

4. CONTRACT TERMINATION

1. If for any reason the successful contractor fails to fulfill the requirements of the contract for providing the specified services, the County shall have the right to cancel the contract at any time and negotiate for the services with another contractor.

3. Contract Term

The contract shall be effective on the date indicated on the Dane County Purchase Order or the Dane

County Contract execution date. The initial term length and renewal terms available are estimates only and are subject to change.

If applicable, any optional or renewal terms are not automatic extensions. Renewal terms must be agreed upon mutually by Dane County and Contractor.

Anticipated Terms (Calendar Dates)

Term 1: May 1, 2027 - April 30, 2028

Term 2: May 1, 2028 - April 30, 2029

Term 3: May 1, 2029 - April 30, 2030

Term 4: May 1, 2030 - April 30, 2031

Term 5: May 1, 2031 - April 30, 2032

4. Project Overview & Scope of Work

The following definitions and links are used throughout the RFP.

County: Dane County

County Agency: Department/Division utilizing the service or product.

Dane County Purchasing website: https://www.danepurchasing.com/

Proposer/Vendor/Firm/Contractor: a company submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

4.1. Project Overview

1. The county intends to use the results of this Request for Proposals (RFP) to award a contract for group short term/long term disability and long term disability only for Dane County’s employees.

2. The County wishes to contract with an insurance carrier(s) commencing May 1, 2027 for a guaranteed rate, three (3) year contract with an option to renew annually for up to two (2) years or a five (5) year fixed contract.

3. The contract resulting from this RFP will be administered by Dane County, Department of

Administration, Employee Relations Division.

4. The contract administrator will be Amy Utzig, Human Resources Director. The County agent is

M3 Insurance Solutions Inc. This RFP is issued on behalf of Dane County by the Purchasing

Division, which is the sole point of contact for the County during the procurement process.

5. Covered Group

1. Active employees- The County currently has approximately 2,600 employees, 6 full-time elected officials, a 37 member County Board of Supervisors, and a 13 employee quasi-governmental group who are eligible to enroll in the disability plan.

6. Current Operations

1. The current disability carrier is The Standard.

4.2. Scope of Work

1. Process and pay all STD/LTD and LTD only eligible claims including, but not limited to, investigation, reserving and payment. The county offers two plan options to employees:

1. Group Long-Term Disability (LTD Only)

2. Group Short-Term/Long-Term Disability (STD/LTD)

2. The proposer will handle all claims from ‘cradle to grave’ including but not limited to investigation, adjusting, reserving, denying and payment in conformity with the plan document as adopted, except those receiving benefits from the current provider.

https://www.danepurchasing.com/

3. The provider must be able to offer both the LTD Only and STD/LTD plans as it is the County’s intent to issue one contract to one provider.

4.3. Objectives

1. Dane county seeks a vendor to provide disability insurance for their employees. The proposer will follow the County’s definition of ‘Own Occupation’ as defined as “Own Job” by the county. Please refer to the booklet for length of time the “own job” requirement remains in effect. Further, the ability of an employee to return to work will be based upon the County’s

“Own Job” definition and the specific job requirements an employee must meet. Total disability will be based upon an employee’s ability to perform all the duties of their “own job” for the period of time stated in the current policy/booklets.

2. An example would be a county deputy whose “own job” is patrolling on a daily basis and performing all duties associated with that patrol job. If injured and unable to perform all duties of the patrol job (“own job”), those deputies would be eligible for benefits until they can return to that specific job. In essence, there would not be a “desk job” available while recovering.

4.4. Needs

1. The insurer must provide benefits that duplicate or exceed the two present plans described in the RFP.

2. The insurer must allow for OPEN ENROLLMENT for all active employees, whether or not they are currently enrolled in a county plan, without undergoing any health underwriting at each contract renewal or contract extension

3. New hires can enroll if they apply for the insurance within 30 days of hire.

4.5. Payment of Premiums

1. The County shall provide employees with Disability Insurance. No employee shall be eligible to participate in the disability plan during their first six (6) months of employment. Employees who enroll during an open enrollment will also have a six (6) month waiting period. For part-time employees all of the benefits shall be prorated based on the percent of time worked. For employees choosing to participate in the Disability Insurance Program, premiums shall be paid as follows (used sick hours refers to the prior year):

1.

2. Employees will be given the option of joining a Taxable Disability/Sick Leave Program or a

Nontaxable Disability/Sick Leave Program. The ability to change options will be available to each employee in March or April of each year.

3. Taxable Disability/Sick Leave Program

1. The employee will not be charged FICA expense, the premiums paid by the County will not be taxable and the benefits, which are sixty-five percent (65%) of salary, will be taxed to the extent of any payment of premiums by the County.

2. If the employee pays the entire disability insurance premium, the benefit will not be taxed.

4. Non-taxable Disability/Sick Leave Program

1. The employee will be charged FICA expense (currently 7.65%) on any of the County paid premiums and the premium will be taxable income to the employee. By paying the FICA expense and income tax the employee will receive a tax-free benefit.

5. Wellness Program

1. Employees selecting Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability insurance will be granted sixteen (16) wellness hours in the pay period in which May premiums are withheld.

Employees selecting only LTD insurance will be granted eight (8) wellness hours in the pay period in which May premiums are withheld.

2. Employees who used forty-eight (48) or less hours of sick leave during the preceding payroll year will be granted eight (8) additional wellness hours during the following year.

3. The employee may use the wellness hours with the approval of the employee’s supervisor.

4. Wellness hours may accumulate indefinitely. Employees pay the entire premium for disability insurance.

5. Any disability insurance benefits paid to the employee will be tax-free.

4.6. General Requirements

1. Benefits

1. Benefits must be equal to or exceed the current two benefit plans.

2. You must be able to offer a STD/LTD and a standalone LTD policy.

3. Any error or omission regarding compliance with this equivalency requirement is the sole responsibility of the proposer and to reduce risk of error, each proposer must familiarize itself with each of the existing plans.

4. The successful proposer will be required to hold harmless and indemnify the county and its employees for any errors or omissions as a result of failure to meet the requirements as set forth.

2. Licensure

1. Proposer must be licensed to do business in the State of Wisconsin.

3. Central Point of Contact

1. Vendor must assign a central point of contact for the county and its subscribers.

4. Transition Meetings

1. Group meetings may be required if the County feels it is necessary to explain the transition to your company plan.

5. Self Billing

1. Vendor must accept Dane County’s self-billing.

6. Booklets & Phone Number

1. Vendor must provide employee booklets/plan documents duplicating the present plan in simple language as well as a toll-free number. Vendor must provide necessary forms and instructions for use.

7. Filing Claims

1. The method in which claims are filed must be described. Acceptable methods include online only, telephone or mail in form. If mail in forms are required, such forms are to include appropriate information necessary to file a claim with the mailing address of the primary recipient pre-printed thereon.

8. Subrogation of Worker's Compensation

1. The vendor may not subrogate worker’s compensation claims against the County.

9. Own Job

1. Match and process claims according to the current definition of “own Job” as determined by the county under both the LTD only and STD/LTD policies.

4.7. Reporting Requirements

1. State Reports

1. Vendor must file all reports on a timely basis that are required to be filed with the state.

2. GASB 45

1. Vendor will provide data for compliance with GASB 45 in electronic format within 30 days of the County’s request.

3. Year End Cost Analysis

1. Vendor must provide a year-end cost analysis, including claims data, as well as any retention and administrative fees.

2. Any reserves remaining after one year after termination of the contract must be returned to the County.

4. Form 1099

1. Vendor must provide Form 1099 to employees for their benefits when appropriate.

5. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

1. RFP Response - Proposers shall upload and submit their proposal response document(s) to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

• The RFP Response shall be organized to comply with the section numbers and names as shown below. Each section heading shall be clearly marked.

o If applicable, the Local Vendor Preference section is answered within the Vendor

Questionnaire and doesn't need to be included in the RFP Response document.

• Cover Letter / Cover Page o Provide a Cover Letter or Cover page and at minimum should include:

▪ Contact Person for the RFP process

▪ RFP Title

▪ RFP #

▪ Name of Proposer

• Table of Contents may be included but is not required.

• Graphics may be included but are not required.

2. Cost Proposal Response

• Complete the Pricing Table if there is one located within the RFP Posting.

• If there is no Pricing Table within the RFP Posting:

o Download and complete the Pricing Section document from the Attachment Section of the

RFP Posting.

o Upload the completed Pricing Section document to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

3. Document Formatting - The RFP Response and Cost Proposal (if applicable) documents must be saved in PDF format unless otherwise specified within the RFP document and the file name shall include the

RFP# and name of business submitting proposal.

• Example of how to name the files:

o RFP Response Document: "2026-RFP-065 – Vendor Name" o Cost Proposal Document (if no pricing table): "2026-RFP-065 – Vendor Name - Cost

Proposal"

4. Evaluation Criteria - each section includes the Point Value assigned to it for evaluation purposes.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Organizational Capabilities

1. Provide a narrative description of the company, including the organizational qualifications which make it well qualified to provide services for Dane County’s short/long term and long term only disability plans.

2. Fully describe customer support operations.

Points Based 10 (9.5% of Total)

2. Payment of Premiums

1. Provide a response or written confirmation that you will comply with the way Dane County allows premium payments as described in section 4.5 Payment of Premiums.

Points Based 10 (9.5% of Total)

3. General Requirements

1. Provide a response or written confirmation that section 4.6 General

Requirements and all related sub-sections will be complied with.

Points Based 20 (19% of Total)

4. Reporting Requirements

1. Provide a response or written confirmation that section 4.7

Reporting Requirements and all related sub-sections will be complied with.

Points Based 5 (4.8% of Total)

5. Insurance Questionnaire

1. GENERAL

1. What is the location of your servicing group office?

2. How many employees do you have in the office(s) that will be servicing the county?

3. How many customer service representatives do you have to assist the county employees?

4. What is your toll free number?

5. How many years has your company been providing disability insurance?

6. What is the average amount of time taken to process a disability claim from date of submission to date of payment for STD and LTD? Please provide best case scenario, worst case scenario and average length of time.

7. How soon after the award of the contract by the County will brochures or booklets describing the insurance coverage and claim filing procedure be available to employees?

8. Describe your process or service model explaining proper payment of

STD and LTD claims.

9. Describe your process of correcting claims paid in error.

10. Do you use in-house physician consultants to assist in reviewing claims or do you utilize an external firm for these services? If yes, is this an in-house consultant (on your staff) or an outside consultant?

11. Can you provide a cost management report?

Points Based 25 (23.8% of Total)

12. Describe the procedures you would follow to assist the county in making the transition to your company?

13. At the time of renewal of the initial rate guarantee, will you offer Open

Enrollment to county employees regardless of their current insurance status? How would you handle late enrollees? Explain your policy.

14. Provide a copy of your appeal process that is given to insured’s upon enrollment.

15. Please respond to the following regarding your integrated STD/LTD book of business:

1. Number of integrated STD/LTD customers.

2. Total number of covered lives across your STD/LTD book of business.

3. Number of customers with between 2,000 to 3,000 lives.

4. 2025 and 2026 retention.

16. Provide your current financial ratings for each of the following:

1. A.M. Best

2. Standard's & Poor

3. Moody's

4. Fitch Ratings

2. BENEFIT DESIGN AND COST

1. Explain the service guarantees you will offer the county within your contract.

2. Will you be able to match the exact definition of disability as defined in the current carrier’s SPD?

3. REPORTING CAPABILITIES

1. What standard management reports will you provide to the county? Please provide a copy of your standard reporting package.

1. Confirm that we will be able to receive these reports at least on a monthly basis.

2. Are these reports available electronically?

2. Can these reports be manipulated by the county?

3. Will your company furnish to the county, on a monthly basis, a report of all claims, including but not necessarily limited to such information as listed in the Scope of

Services? (Attach a sample copy.)

4. How soon after the end of a policy year will an annual report be provided to the County?

4. CLAIM ADMINISTRATION

1. Please answer the following in regards to your telephonic claim intake capabilities:

1. Will you provide the county with a dedicated 1-800 intake number at no charge?

2. Does this number service calls relating to both STD and LTD?

3. What are the hours of operation for telephonic intake?

4. How are after hours calls handled?

2. Please provide the following statistics for your intake center. Include your standard/goal for each category as well as actual results for 2024 and

2025.

1. Call abandonment rate;

2. Average speed to answer;

3. Percentage of calls answered within 20 seconds;

4. and CSR turnover rate.

3. Describe the claim filing process and procedure. Include your role, the county’s role, information required, etc.

4. Upon receipt of a claim, how is the claim assigned to a claim analyst (or nurse case manager if applicable)? Specifically,

1. Is claim assignment automated

(i.e., system assigned) or does an individual assign claims to the appropriate claim examiner?

2. What criteria are used to determine who will be assigned a specific claim?

5. Please provide statistics for the following:

1. Average time from receipt of claim to first claim activity.

2. Average time from the notification/receipt of a claim

(not receipt of all information) to the time of a pay or deny notification (do not provide average time to pay, deny or pend).

6. From what office(s) would routine administration and claims be handled?

5. CLINICAL RESOURCES

1. How many nurses are located in the claim office that will administer the county's claims?

2. In what situations are nurses utilized and who determines the need for this involvement?

3. For what percentage of cases are nurses utilized for both STD and LTD?

4. For what percentage of cases are physicians utilized for both STD and

LTD?

5. Describe how psychiatric claims, including claims for substance abuse and chemical dependency, are managed. Please include any specialized resources and/or protocols available.

6. In what situations are Independent

Medical Examinations (IME) and/or

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) used? What are your referral protocols?

7. Provide statistics regarding IME/FCE utilization for both STD and LTD.

6. TRANSITION TO LTD

1. Does the claims analyst who handles the STD claim also manage the LTD claim?

2. If a nurse was involved in the STD claim management, is the same nurse involved in LTD claim management?

3. Briefly describe your transition process from STD to LTD. Include steps performed to ensure a smooth transition and additional information that may be required of The County.

7. VOCATIONAL REHABILIATION & RETURN TO

WORK

1. How many internal vocational rehabilitation consultants are located within the claims office that would be administering the county's claims?

2. In what situations are external vocational/rehabilitation vendors or consultants utilized? Describe and provide credentials for any external resources that your company may use.

8. SOCIAL SECURITY ADVOCACY

1. Please describe internal resources available to assist employees with their application and appeals.

2. What external resources do you utilize for SSDI feasibility assessments and/or employee assistance?

3. Please provide your SSDI approval statistics for your fully-insured block of business.

4. While an employee is collecting benefits, at what point do you start working with that employee to begin the SSDI process?

9. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

1. What other additional benefits do you provide with the disability benefits (ie. Employee assistance program, travel assistance)?

6. Cost Points Based 30 (28.6% of Total)

7. Local Vendor Preference Points Based 5 (4.8% of Total)

6. Pricing Proposal

RATES

Line Item Description Unit of Measure Rate

Term 1 - 3 Guaranteed Rate (May 1, 2027 - April 30, 2030)

1 Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability Per $10 of

Weekly Benefit

2 Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability Per $100 of

Covered Payroll

3 Long Term Disability Only Per $100 of

Covered Payroll

FUTURE PRICING - RATE % INCREASE (NOT TO EXCEED)

Line Item Description Unit of Measure Percentage

Term 4 (May 1, 2030 - April 30, 2031)

4 Short Term Disability Not to Exceed %

Increase

5 Long Term Disability/Short Term Disability Not to Exceed %

6 Long Term Disability Only Not to Exceed %

Term 5 (May 1, 2031 - April 30, 2032)

7 Short Term Disability Not to Exceed %

8 Long Term Disability/Short Term Disability Not to Exceed %

9 Long Term Disability Only Not to Exceed %

7. Vendor Questionnaire

7.1. RFP DOCUMENT UPLOADS

7.1.1. Single Proposal Submission*

Only 1 proposal is allowed to be submitted per Vendor Account. This means if you are submitting multiple proposals, you must follow the instructions set forth within the Section 2.2 RFP Guidelines and

Overview - Multiple Proposals & Acceptance.

It is understood that if multiple proposals are uploaded using 1 vendor account, the entire submission will be subject to disqualification.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.1.2. RFP Response Document - Upload your Proposal*

Please DO NOT include Cost information in this section.

*Response required

7.1.3. RFP Response - Supplemental Document Upload

Upload any…