R -- Request for Information - Information Comparisons with Insurance Data

PURPOSE The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit information from qualified vendors on implementing recently passed legislation. The legislation grants OCSE the authority to match individuals owing past-due child support with individuals receiving insurance claims, settlements, awards, and payments from insurance agencies or insurers. OCSE is seeking an efficient and cost effective solution to implement the insurance match legislation. The solution should provide flexibility for states and insurers or their agents in submitting and receiving information regarding insurance data. The solution must support web services and electronic transmission of child support case and insurance data. OCSE is interested in exploring the use of vendors (private industry, state Child Support Enforcement agencies, and other federal agencies) to work with OCSE in the design, development and implementation of the insurance match legislation. It is possible that OCSE will use the information acquired from the responses to this RFI to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP). There is no guarantee that an RFP will follow this RFI. PROBLEM STATEMENT Currently, states lack a national insurance match program that would allow them to identify insurance payments, claims and/or settlements payable to individuals owing past-due child support. Recently passed legislation grants OCSE the authority to compare information about delinquent obligors who owe past-due child support with insurance data in order to provide information to state child support enforcement (CSE) agencies responsible for collecting past-due child support. The insurance match legislation is optional for both states and insurers. Therefore, alternatives selected for implementation should require minimal effort from insurers and states and use automation to the maximum extent possible. At this time, less than half of the state CSE agencies are actively engaged in matching with insurers. States currently participating in insurance matching are not reaping all the possible benefits of identifying insurance claims because several of the nation=s largest insurers are not participating in the existing insurance matching programs. SCOPE OF RFI OCSE intends to use the results of the RFI as a basis for determining alternatives for implementing the national insurance match. OCSE acknowledges that implementation will occur at different times for states and insurers, therefore, the alternatives should address a rolling implementation. The RFI should include information about how vendors would: 1. Identify data elements available for exchange. 2. Accomplish the data exchange between OCSE and insurers or their agents. 3. Address data security and confidentiality. 4. Provide outreach to insurers and/or their agents. SECTION 2: RFI CALENDAR OF EVENTS This RFI is being issued based on the calendar below, which OCSE may revise, as necessary. Time is in business days. If there is a change in the timeline, any vendor that has expressed an interest in the RFI should check FedBizzOpps for any amendments that may be posted regarding the timeline or any other parts of the RFI. RFI issued October 19, 2006 Vendor questions and comments due November 2, 2006 Responses to vendor questions November 16, 2006 Responses due December 12, 2006 Invitation for Oral Presentations December 19, 2006 Oral Presentations January 3, 2007 SECTION 3: OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT PROCESS Several states have legal requirements for insurers doing business in their state to compare the claimant=s identifying information to child support lien information maintained by the child support enforcement (CSE) agency to determine whether there is a child support lien prior to issuing a claim, settlement or award. In 1998, under Federal grant, the State of Rhode Island implemented a pilot insurance match program. The program was successful in pilot and Rhode Island obtained an additional Federal grant to expand use of the insurance match and intercept program to all states. Insurers doing business in the states with the child support reporting requirements supported the effort to streamline the insurance match process between insurers and states. Currently, the Child Support Lien Network (CSLN) has 23 member states that submit their delinquent obligors. CSLN matches the delinquent obligor file with the Insurance Service Office (ISO) database, which contains insurance claims information from approximately 96 percent of insurers nationwide. For a majority of states participating in CSLN, the verified claims are returned to the state CSE agencies and the states take the appropriate action to intercept the insurance settlement. For some states, CSLN issues the notice of freeze/seize to the insurer on behalf of the state CSE agency. CSLN provides secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites or secure web site upload/download features for interfacing with state CSE agencies and secure FTP to exchange match information with ISO. SECTION 4: OVERVIEW OF DESIRED FEATURES The partnership between private and public sectors to provide children with the support they deserve continues to grow. Currently, OCSE partners with employers and financial institutions to provide states with information that enables them to collect current and past-due child support. State child support systems are increasingly using web services and electronic means to perform child support enforcement services. The most attractive solutions would include features that allow flexibility for state CSE agencies and insurers and also include options for web services and other secure, electronic data exchange mechanisms. OCSE is seeking vendor solutions that will provide access to insurance claims information by OCSE for matching purposes using an automated data exchange that is cost-effective, efficient, and secure. Cost-effectiveness. Solutions that are economical in terms of the goods or services received for the money spent for insurers, state child support enforcement agencies and OCSE. Solutions that provide discounted pricing due to the social service nature of U.S. child support agencies= business are encouraged. Efficiency. Solutions that allow batch and/or on-line processing of child support case data and insurance claims information using automation. Solutions that leverage existing insurance matching products and institutional agreements are also encouraged. Security and confidentiality. Solutions must preserve the security and confidentiality of personal data exchanged for the national insurance match. SECTION 5: ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS RFI Coordinator Upon release of this RFI, all vendor communications should be directed to the Contract Specialist listed below: Mark O Maley and Shelley Namoski Department of Health and Human Services Program Support Center Division of Acquisition Management, SAS 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 5-101 Rockville, MD 20857 Tel: +1 (555) 000-0000 e-mail: contact@example.gov RFI Questions Vendors are encouraged to submit questions or comments concerning this RFI. Only questions submitted in accordance with the date specified in the RFI Calendar (Section 2) will be accepted. Questions should be submitted, in writing via e-mail to the Contract Specialist at the address listed above. Written responses will be posted on FedBizzOpps to all respondents according to the date specified in the RFI Calendar (Section 2). The names of the vendors will not be included with the written responses. DELIVERY OF RESPONSES Responses should be submitted in electronic form along with 3 paper copies by 3:00 p.m., local prevailing time, on the date specified in the RFI Calendar (Section 2) to the address above. The preferred format for electronic responses submitted is MS Word 97/2000 or Adobe PDF. Responses submitted via FAX will not be accepted. VENDOR DEMONSTRATIONS OCSE may select vendors to make oral presentations based on their response to the RFI. These presentations will be held in accordance to the RFI Calendar (Section 2). Selection of vendors to provide presentations in no way implies preferential treatment of those vendors over others not selected if a U.S. state later decides to issue an RFP. VENDOR TEAMING AND PARTNERING OCSE encourages the vendor community to partner with other vendors to provide the most comprehensive solutions possible. COST OF RESPONSE PREPARATION OCSE will not reimburse vendors for any costs associated with preparing or presenting a response to this RFI. RESPONSES PROPERTY OF OCSE All materials submitted in response to this RFI, except material clearly labeled as proprietary, become the property of OCSE. OCSE reserves the right to use any of the ideas presented in any material offered and to share information with U.S. state CSE agencies and insurers. PROPRIETARY OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Vendor agrees to maintain the confidentiality of any technical material provided in conjunction with the RFI. Any information contained in the response that is proprietary or confidential must be clearly designated. AMENDMENTS OCSE reserves the right to change the RFI at any time. RIGHT TO CANCEL OCSE reserves the right to cancel or reissue this RFI at any time without obligation or liability. NO OBLIGATION TO BUY The release of this RFI will not obligate OCSE in any way to actually buy vendor services. SECTION 6: RESPONSE OUTLINE Vendors are encouraged to write clearly and economically. The suggested page length should not exceed 30-35 pages. The response should be assembled following the outline order listed below. Cover Letter: Vendor Information Company Name Address Name of Primary Contact Phone Number for Contact Fax Number for Contact E-mail for Contact Section 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Vendors may provide an executive summary written in non-technical language summarizing the overall capability and approaches for implementing the solution. Section 2: VENDOR PROFILES Vendors should include a brief synopsis of their company history, background, and market experience. If the vendors typically work with partners or subcontractors, a brief description should be included as to the type of service those entities typically provide. If the vendor recognizes a service that would be essential to the implementation, but believes it to be outside the scope of the RFI, a description of those services should be included in this section. Section 3: REFERENCES Vendors are requested to provide references (limit to three (3)) currently using the proposed or similar solutions. OCSE may contact references. For references included in the response, please provide the following information: 1. Company Name 2. Name of Contact 3. Phone Number for Contact 4. E-mail address for Contact 5. Brief description of project/solution Section 4: PROPOSED SOLUTION OCSE is not prescribing a specific format for the proposed solution. However, OCSE is suggesting that vendor responses be brief and to the point. OCSE is seeking alternatives to implement the national insurance match legislation. How to accomplish this in a cost-effective, efficient and secure manner should be clearly described in the vendor=s proposed solution. OCSE is also interested in potential barriers identified by vendors that may encumber implementation of this legislation. Barriers may be technology-related or may relate to process or procedure. Section 5: COST OCSE is requesting a comprehensive cost estimate for developing and implementing the national insurance match using the alternative outlined by the vendor assuming the number of delinquent obligors submitted for the match will be approximately 4.7 million. The cost estimate should address, at a minimum, the following: 1. Cost to conduct the match with insurers or their agent(s) and return all matched data to one location instead of to each state/territory (54 locations). 2. Cost for match verification (if vendor has the ability to verify matches) to determine if the claim is open/active and to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that the individual who filed the claim is the delinquent obligor submitted by the state CSE agency. 3. Cost for outreach to insurers and/or their agent(s) and state CSE agencies. 4. Cost for monthly maintenance fees, if applicable.