Independent medical evaluation services for disability benefits

Solicitation #RTM RFP 26-001. Issued by Retirement. The City of Phoenix Retirement Office, on behalf of the Phoenix Fire Pension Board and the Phoenix Police Pension Board hereafter "Local Boards" or "Boards", through the City of Phoenix invite sealed offers from qualified contractor(s), including detailed information concerning qualifications and fees, to provide comprehensive disability medical record summary preparation and scheduling of independent medical/psychiatric examination services to the Local Boards. Arizona's Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) provides retirement benefits to police officers and fire fighters statewide, and the Local Boards are charged with benefit determination responsibilities for employees retiring from the respective City of Phoenix Departments. In a given year there are approximately seventy-five (75) disability benefit applications for which the Local Boards determine qualification and eligibility. The process starts with the presentation of a benefit application to the Retirement Office. Staff for the Local Boards then secures any relevant Worker's Compensation records and all medical information from the applicant's treating or examining health care providers. These records can be voluminous, particularly in circumstances where the development of an applicant's present condition is cumulative over an extended period of time. If records suggest that a benefit award is plausible, the Local Board's procedures mandate referral of the applicant and the records to an examination by a "medical board". That separate provider then renders a report on the applicant's condition, noting whether the condition meets the medical standards under the PSPRS statute. This Request for Proposal seeks services to compile and summarize the medical records gathered by Local Board staff in connection with each disability benefit application. Such a summary is expected to supply a clear, concise and chronological summary of the records that will enable the Local Boards to make their threshold determinations before referral to a medical board. The successful firm will also provide supplemental "ad hoc" services to the medical records services by maintaning panels of physicians or individual physicians capable of performing the independent examinations of applicants and scheduling appointments between qualified physicians and the applicant, as requested by Local Boards. The successful firm must serve as a single point of contact, ensuring coordinated scheduling, documentation, and communication with the Local Baords. Services include basic and ad-hoc evaluations, supplemental reports, and related administrative support to ensure accurate and compliant disability determinations. Agreement will be a five-year contract commencing on or about February 3, 2027, in accordance with the specifications and provisions contained herein, or the "Effective Date", which is upon award by Local Boards and appropriation by Phoenix City Council, conditioned upon signature and recording by the City Clerk's department, as required by the Phoenix Code, or whichever is later. This solicitation is available through Arizona Relay Service 7-1-1. Please call TTY (on the official posting) for assistance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement will terminate upon the earliest occurrence: by reaching the end of the term including any extensions exercised, or termination pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.