IPERS Disability & Claims Services

The Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) is seeking a qualified vendor to provide comprehensive disability management and claims services through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on January 2, 2025, with proposals due by January 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Central time. The selected vendor will be responsible for processing approximately 160 annual disability applications, including initial claim intake, medical and vocational analysis, scheduling medical board appointments, adjudicating disability status, and managing ongoing cases for the 5,076 current disability benefit recipients. Vendors must have a minimum of five years of experience providing similar services, preferably for public pension systems, with at least one team member having five years of project-specific experience. The RFP will be evaluated using four key criteria: Project Team (20%), Services and Availability (30%), Firm Experience (30%), and Pricing (20%). The initial contract term is three years, with options for three additional one-year extensions, and finalist interviews are scheduled for February 2025 with an anticipated contract start date of March 1, 2025.

The RFP does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must maintain strict HIPAA compliance and implement robust data security measures when handling sensitive medical and employment information. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the IPERS website (www.ipers.org) and the state of Iowa website (www.iowa.gov), with vendors required to submit separate technical and cost proposals. The solicitation is classified under commodity code 95337 for Disability Insurance services, and vendors requesting confidential treatment of proposal information must complete Form 22 and submit a redacted public copy. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the complexity of managing disability claims for a statewide public employees' retirement system suggests a significant contract value. Interested vendors can contact Justin Alliss at justin.alliss@ipers.org or +1 515-281-0090 for additional information about the procurement opportunity.