request for proposal - brazeau county · request for proposal – independent benefits broker...
TRANSCRIPT
Request for Proposal
Employee Benefits Plan – Broker/Consulting
Issued: July 19, 2017
Closing: 4 p.m. MST Friday, August 4, 2017
Reference No. HR17 001
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORM
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: July 19, 2017
PROJECT: Employee Benefits Plan – Broker/Consulting
CLOSING: Friday, August 4, 2017 at 4 p.m. MST
I/WE hereby, submit my/our proposal for the Consulting Services for Employee Group Benefits Plan
as described within the Request for Proposal document for the above, named services.
I/WE have carefully examined the documents and have a clear and comprehensive knowledge of the requirements and have submitted all relevant data.
I/WE agree, if selected, to provide services to the County in accordance with the terms,
conditions and specifications contained in the proposal document.
I/WE agree that the undersigned is/are authorized and empowered to sign and submit this proposal.
THE HIGHEST SCORING RESPONDEDNT, OR ANY PROPOSAL, MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE
ACCEPTED AND THE COUNTY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO AWARD ANY PORTION THEREOF.
STATE TERMS FOR PROMPT PAYMENT IF OTHER THAN NET 30 DAYS
Respondent Legal Name
Street Address City/Town Postal Code
Print Name & Title of Person Signing for Firm
E‐mail address Phone No. Fax No.
Signed at this day of , 2017
Signature of Person Signing for Firm
THIS FORM SHALL BEAR AN ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN SIGNATURE IN INK, BY AN OFFICER WITH
AUTHORITY TO BIND THE COMPANY AND BE SUBMITTED TO BE A VALID
Page 2 of 18
Request for Proposal – Independent Benefits Broker
Brazeau County (“County”) is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors (“Proponents”) to provide
independent benefits brokering and consulting services for our employee group benefits plans. The
objective is to choose a provider for a fixed term contract, to provide excellent service while working
with and advising the County on: benefits plans, options, designs, trends, performance and renewals,
and to broker the contracts with the benefits providers and financial institutions.
In order to receive consideration, the Proponent must meet the requirements outlined in this
document.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Interested parties are requested to submit responses electronically in PDF format to
[email protected] with the subject line “RFP Independent Benefits Broker”. Proposals via
facsimile will not be accepted. Please note that the County will not be held responsible for any
transmission problems or other errors that could occur.
Closing date: 4:00 p.m. MST on Friday, August 4, 2017
The County accepts no responsibility for any expenses incurred by the Proponent in the preparation and
presentation of a response to this request; such expenses are to be borne exclusively by the Proponent.
There will be no public opening for this RFP.
PROJECT MANAGER
Direct inquiries regarding this Request for Proposal to:
Brenda Christie
Director of Corporate Services
Brazeau County
Phone: 780‐542‐7777
Email: [email protected]
Page 3 of 18
Background
Brazeau County values people as its greatest asset and implements a variety of policies and practices to
manage, maximize, compensate and reward the contributions of the workforce, and to provide the most
optimal working environment suitable to our culture, values and operations.
The County employs a mix of non‐unionized and unionized staff. We employ up to 120 employees with
employee volumes that fluctuate both seasonally and operationally, and with various employee types,
including elected officials, full‐time, part‐time and seasonal. These variations in employee types, as well
as non‐union vs. union employee, means our plan requires variety in benefits entitlements. Additionally,
our employee demographics indicate a multi‐generational workforce with varying benefit needs and
financial concerns.
The County seeks to provide comprehensive employee benefits plans and services that are aligned with
our culture, values, and business strategies, and that ensure the County remains competitive in the
attraction and retention of the talented and dedicated people who successfully serve our community.
As such, Brazeau County requests proposal from qualified benefit consulting/brokerage firms for the
provision of consulting services for its employee group benefits plan.
The contract is a three‐year period from November 1, 2017 to October 31, 2020 with the option for a
two‐year extension at the discretion of the County.
Brazeau County has approximately 90 employees in receipt of benefits. Benefit coverage includes:
extended health, dental, life insurance, long term disability and accidental death and dismemberment
(AD & D). Details of our current plan are outlined in Schedule A.
Current Benefits Plans & Providers
Brazeau County currently provide benefits as outlined in the attached “Benefits‐at‐a‐Glance” documents
in Appendix C.
Plan providers are as follows:
RRP – Manulife (non‐union staff)
Group Life Insurance, Dependent Life Insurance, AD&D, Healthcare Spending Account, Extended
Healthcare, Dental, Long‐Term Disability, Global Medical Assistance, Optional Life Insurance,
Voluntary AD&D – Great West Life
Short‐Term Disability – self administered
Wellness Spending Account – self administered
Page 4 of 18
Current Plan Sizes
The number of employees enrolled in each plan is as follows:
Full Time Permanent Plan Members – 77
Seasonal Plan Members – 6
Elected Official Plan Members – 7
Terms and Conditions
Scope of Project
The County’s Independent Employee Benefits Plan Broker will focus on services to: provide support,
guidance and service to the County’s on‐staff plan administrators; provide insights into current and
future benefits trends, including consideration of a multi‐generational workforce; review the current
benefits plan; advise on overall costs and services of a comprehensive employee benefits program that
supports and meets the needs of our specific employee group; solicit industry quotes as required and
when authorized. All services and advice must be aimed at meeting the needs of the County over the
next decade, which may require both short and long term adjustments and strategies. The County is
required to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act in Alberta. All
information collected and stored with regards to our employees, our business, our finances and our
benefits plans must comply with the FOIP Act.
In addition, the successful proponent will be required to meet the following service expectations of the
County:
Day to Day
Respond to voicemail and email requests within one business day. The response will
include an acknowledgement of the request with a resolution or an action plan to
resolve the request.
Single point of contact for all benefit and insurance issues.
Personalized service offered to staff and plan administrators.
Monitor Group Policies and ensure amendments are accurate and appropriate.
Quarterly
Mid‐year and third quarter experience reports to assist with budgeting.
Report on emerging trends, legislative updates and new products or services.
Page 5 of 18
Annually
On‐site visits to discuss the plan and strategize for the future.
Comprehensive renewal reporting delivered at least 30 days in advance.
Staff meeting to explain the plan to employees and answer their questions.
Member communications (new and existing staff)
Benefit Satisfaction Survey (online or paper‐based)
Negotiate Group Program insurance renewals with the Insurer, which includes extended
health, dental, life insurance, long‐term disability and AD&D.
Ad Hoc
Triennial (or more often if needed) tendering of the benefits plan to the insurance
market to ensure competitiveness of cost structure.
Relative Value Index to determine the value of Brazeau’s benefits plan compared to
peer group.
Funding recommendations – insured, refund accounting, administrative services only.
Brochures, communications and benefit booklets for distribution.
Proposal Submission Format and Checklist
1. Qualifications and Experience
Please complete and append
1.1 A description of the Proponent’s relevant experience and qualifications in delivering services
similar to those required in the Scope of Project.
1.2 A description of municipal and/or related public sector experience, including a description of
any specialized or unique skills, knowledge, services and/or programs the Proponent may offer.
1.3 A list of the benefits/insurance providers with which you currently broker employee group
benefit plans.
1.4 An overview of qualifications, licenses and memberships.
Page 6 of 18
2. Company Direction & Innovation
Please complete and append
2.1 Proponents are to provide a description of their five‐year roadmap for any planned changes to
service delivery, identifying any features, services, philosophies, strategies and functionalities
that will be added, modified and/or removed.
3. Proposal Requirements
Please limit responses to a maximum of 30 pages and 20MB in size. Responses are to consist of:
3.1 Cover page identifying:
3.1.1 Unique quotation number (HR17‐001)
3.1.2 Date issued
3.2 The completed Proposal Submission Form (failure to complete this form will disqualify proposal)
3.3 Cover letter indicating name, phone number and email address of primary Proponent contact
for the proposal
3.4 Detailed proposal addressing the Scope of Project in Section 1
3.5 Proponent’s Statement of Qualifications and Experience
3.6 Proponent’s Company Direction and Innovation
3.7 The completed Appendix A – Benefits Broker Service Proposal
3.8 The completed Appendix B – Benefits Broker Reference Form
4. Proposal Evaluation
4.1 Compliance
Proposals must be received prior to the closing time and date. Proposals will first be reviewed
for compliance with the criteria of this RFP; any Proposal not complying with the criteria may be
considered non‐compliant and not receive further consideration.
4.2 Evaluation Matrix
Proposals will be evaluated in terms of the response to the requirements of this Request for
Proposal using the following weighting:
Criteria Weight
Demonstrated expertise in performing the services outlined in the Scope of Work and Service Proposal
40
Cost 25
References 10
Qualifications and Experience 15
Value‐Added Services 10
Page 7 of 18
On‐site interviews may be conducted with short‐listed Proponents.
5. Planned Schedule
Please note that this schedule may be subject to change. Every effort will be made to notify all
involved parties of any changes to the schedule by written addendum.
RFP issued July 19, 2017
Final date for Question submittal July 31, 2017
Closing date for Submissions August 4, 2017
Proposal Selection & Award September 8, 2017
6. Submissions
6.1 Statutory Requirements
The Proponent acknowledges that any information or documents provided by it to Brazeau
County may be released pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act. This acknowledgement shall not be construed as a waiver of any right
to object to the release of any information or documents.
The proponent should familiarize themselves with all provincial legislation and regulations,
County bylaws and policies or such other matters that may affect their proposal. All Brazeau
County bylaws and policies are available to view through our website at www.brazeau.ab.ca.
6.2 Questions
All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to the project manager only, at least four
working days prior to the closing date (see Section 5 – Schedule). Enquires will be recorded and
may, at the County’s discretion, be distributed to all known Consultants participating in the RFP.
Proponents have the responsibility to notify the project manager of any ambiguity, error,
omission, oversight, contradiction or any item open to interpretation in this RFP, as discovered,
and to request instruction, a decision, or direction required in preparing their quotation. If
required, the County’s reply will be in the form of an addendum, a copy of which will be
provided to all known Proponents prior to the deadline for quotation submission.
6.3 Addenda
Addenda may be issued by the County up to four days prior to the stated deadline for
submissions. All addenda become part of the Request for Proposal and must be acknowledged
in the proponent’s response.
6.4 Proposal Amendments
Proponents may amend or withdraw their proposal prior to the closing date by submitting
written notice to the project manager. All proposals become irrevocable after the closing date.
The onus is on the Proponent to ensure timely receipt by the County of any modifications to
what has already been quoted.
Page 8 of 18
6.5 Closing Date Extension
The County may extend, by written addendum, the time for receiving responses.
6.6 Confidentiality of Evaluation
All aspects of each proposal will be kept strictly confidential. Proposals will be evaluated by
employees of the County only, and no detail of any proposal or evaluation will be disclosed
without the express written consent of the Proponent. Evaluation scores and rankings are
confidential and, apart from identifying the top‐ranked Proponent, no details of the proposal or
score or ranking of any Proponent will be released to any other Proponent.
6.7 RFP Acceptance and Rejection
Proposals received after the specified time on the closing date will be rejected. Responses that
do not meet a minimum level of quality against the above criteria will not be considered. The
County may disqualify responses that are incomplete. The lowest cost proposal will not
necessarily be the winning proposal.
The County reserves the right to:
Award the RFP, in part or in whole, to one or more proponents;
Accept or reject any or all proposals, and waive irregularities and informalities at its
discretion; and,
Withdraw the request for proposals.
By submitting a proposal, the Proponent waives any right to contest in any legal proceeding or
action the right of the County to award the project to whomever it chooses, in its sole
discretion, and for whatever reasons the County deems appropriate.
Page 9 of 18
Appendix A – Service Proposal
Proponents are required to complete this appendix and include it with their submission.
The Service Proposal Matrix below is organized into categories of functionality. The County will use
Proponent’s responses in this matrix to determine suitability of the solution proposed.
The Matrix consists of four columns; from left to right these are:
1. Item # – For reference purposes
2. Service Feature – Description of the service required by the Town
3. Response – Proponent’s response to the question, to be limited to one of the following four
single letter items in the Response column of the table below:
Response Meaning Definition
Y Yes This service is provided and included for the County at no
additional fee.
P Pending This service is not a current service feature provided by our
firm, but is something we can provide at no additional charge.
E Extra
This service can be provided at an additional cost. Please
provide an explanation in the “Explanation/Clarification”
column along with the number of hours and cost for the
modification. These costs are also to be included in the Pricing
Form
N No This service is not supported and/or is not provided as part of
this proposal.
4. Explanation/Clarification – Use this column to describe how you will meet this service. Please
include examples of your presentation materials, strategies, or documents where appropriate
and number the examples with the corresponding Item number. If you need to add any
comments to further clarify your response, please do so in this column. This column is also to be
used for requested information that may not fall into the “yes, pending, extra, or no” criteria.
Page 10 of 18
Service Proposal Item Service Feature Response
(Y/P/E/N) Explanation/Clarification and samples of work where applicable
1.
Describe the intervals and process for plan reviews and any costs to the County associated with those reviews. Include a description of your process to complete a comparative benefits survey.
2.
Describe your process for the strategic review of the benefit plan including what you would recommend considering and what analysis you would complete.
3.
Describe the reports and analytics that will be provided to our organization on a regular ongoing basis and any fees or costs associated with them.
4.
Describe your process for and any costs to the County associated with the solicitation of industry quotes.
5.
Describe the ideal intervals and costs to the County for meetings with the County’s benefits administrators.
6.
Describe any actual and potential costs to the County for assistance with annual budgeting activities.
7.
Outline the level of research, professional advice and guidance you can provide for specific topics as required throughout the year.
8.
Outline your process for plan member engagement and any costs to the County for this service.
9. Describe any limits that may exist for the number and
Page 11 of 18
frequency of onsite meetings, and the pricing (if any) for additional meetings above the limits.
10.
Describe your plan member education services and any costs associated with those services.
11.
Describe plan member communications provided and any pricing associated with those communications.
12.
Describe how you communicate changes with the HR team and/or plan members.
13. Describe your process for resolution of issues and errors with employee claims.
14.
Describe the details of your fee structure. Please include details on fee for service or commission including the rates and what period they are guaranteed for.
15. What information do you provide for the annual renewal process?
16. What is your firm’s renewal philosophy?
17. How are annual renewal negotiations handled?
18.
Explain your firm’s ability to monitor regulatory and legislative developments that impact Brazeau County’s benefit plans.
19. Where do you feel our organization is most exposed to risk and why?
20. What additional services does your firm provide that your competitors may not?
21. What can you tell us about your firm and its culture?
22. What steps is your firm taking to be a market leader?
Page 12 of 18
23. What advantages will Brazeau County have by working with your firm?
24.
Describe the key characteristics of your firm that distinguishes it from the marketplace.
Page 13 of 18
RFP Employee Benefits Plan Broker
Appendix B – Reference Form
Proponents are required to complete this form, providing at least three (3) references from municipal
government clients who currently use the services of your brokerage firm. If you do not have 3
municipal government clients, references should be from clients with the most similar organization type
(e.g., other levels of government, not‐for‐profits, etc.) and plans similar to ours.
Reference 1:
Organization Name:
Address:
Contact Name:
Contact phone number:
Contact email:
Date service agreement began:
Description or scope of services provided (e.g., RRSP, Extended Health Care, LTD, etc.):
Reference 2:
Organization Name:
Address:
Contact Name:
Contact phone number:
Contact email:
Date service agreement began:
Description or scope of services provided (e.g., RRSP, Extended Health Care, LTD, etc.):
Page 14 of 18
RFP Employee Benefits Plan Broker
Reference 3:
Organization Name:
Address:
Contact Name:
Contact phone number:
Contact email:
Date service agreement began:
Description or scope of services provided (e.g., RRSP, Extended Health Care, LTD, etc.):
Reference 4 (Optional):
Organization Name:
Address:
Contact Name:
Contact phone number:
Contact email:
Date service agreement began:
Description or scope of services provided (e.g., RRSP, Extended Health Care, LTD, etc.):
Page 15 of 18
Appendix C ‐ Full Time Benefits At‐A‐Glance
Extended Health Care Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% Employer‐paid; no annual deductible
Prescription drugs 100%reimbursement; drug card
All other expenses 100% coverage, unless otherwise specified
Out‐of‐country emergency medical Unlimited
Out‐of‐country non‐emergency $3,000/calendar year
Hospital Semi‐private room
Private day nursing $5,000/calendar year
Paramedicals $500/practitioner/year (massage therapist, chiropractor, naturopath, osteopath, speech therapist/podiatrist)
Psychologist/social worker $1,000/calendar year
Physiotherapy Included
Hearing Aids $700/60 months
Orthotic appliances (inserts) $500/calendar year
Survivor benefit 24 months
Termination Last day of employment
Dental Care Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employer‐paid; no annual deductible
Basic 100% coverage
Major 50% coverage
Maximum $3,500/calendar year for basic and major combined
Orthodontic 50%; lifetime maximum for child/adult $3,500
Recall frequency Once every 6 months
Fee guide Current Provincial General Practitioner
Survivor benefit 24 months
Termination Last day of employment
Vision Care Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employer‐paid; no annual deductible
Eye examinations Adult ‐1 every 24 months/Child – 1 every 12 months
Glasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery $500 every 24 months
Page 16 of 18
The above is intended as a summary only, please refer to the Group Benefits Program booklet or Personnel Policy (PER‐1) for specific information. If there are discrepancies between this document and the booklet/policy, the booklet, policy will apply.
Health Care Spending Account (HAS)/Wellness Account (WA) Provider: Great West Life/BC
HSA benefit amount $500/year (prorated to $250 in first year when eligibility occurs between July and December
HSA eligible expenses Any health and dental expenses eligible under the Income Tax Act Account is non‐taxable
WA eligible expenses $300/calendar year – self administered This account is taxable
Life Insurance and AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employer‐paid
Benefit amount 250% of base annual salary
Maximum $250,000
Waiver of premium 124 days
Reduction 50% at age 65
Conversion privilege Yes within 31 days
Termination Age 70 or last day of employment
Dependent Life Insurance Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employer‐paid
Benefit amount $20,000 spouse; $10,000 child
Eligibility Birth to age 21; 25 if full‐time student
Optional Life Insurance Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employee‐paid
Benefit amount Units of $10,000
Maximum $500,000
Medical questionnaire May be required
Termination Age 65
AD&D (Employee) Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% Employer‐paid
Benefits amount 250% of base annual salary
Maximum $250,000
Medical questionnaire Not required
Long Term Disability Provider: Great West Life
Premium 100% employer‐paid
Benefit amount 70% of first $5,715 monthly earnings, 50% of remainder
Maximum $10,000/month
Definition Payable for first 24 months after waiting period
Benefits commence After 124 days
Page 17 of 18
The above is intended as a summary only, please refer to the Group Benefits Program booklet or Personnel Policy (PER‐1) for specific information. If there are discrepancies between this document and the booklet/policy, the booklet, policy will apply.
Benefit period To age 65
Tax status Taxable
Termination Age 65, or last day of employment
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Provider: Great West Life
Description Confidential support services for employees and their immediate family members
Accessibility 24/7/365 Telephone consultation Online Services
Best Doctors Service Provider: Great West Life
Description Service allowing employee and dependents to access specialists, resources, information and clinical guidance if diagnosed with a serious medical condition
Accessibility Toll free number provided and a member advocate is assigned to assist with the process
Registered Retirement Plan (RRP) – non‐union staff Provider: Manulife
Employee contribution Equal to LAPP up to max CRA allowable
Brazeau County contribution 10.22% of base annual salary
Tax Free Savings Account Provider: Manulife
Employer contribution Based on RPP contributions/Maximum
Employee contribution Based on RPP contributions/Maximum
Page 18 of 18