Employee Assistance Program Services

The vendor is required to provide employee assistance program services (“EAP”) for the plan year beginning September 1, 2025.
- Required services
• Management agreements, in addition to any benefit contracts, which formalize the university relationship with any carrier
• Communication materials necessary for the proper explanation of the services subject to editing of format, content and final approval by the university.
• Quarterly and annual management reports, including but not limited to, utilization and member satisfaction information as agreed to by the university and the respondent
• Ad hoc utilization reports or analyses as requested by the university and which do not represent extraordinary data processing effort by the claim administrator.
- Current funding
• The university will provide funding for the employee assistance program
• The university plan year corresponds to the state and university fiscal years, which begin on September 1, and end on august 31.
- Contract documents
• Provide a first draft of the administrative services agreement between both parties, the HIPAA business associate agreement, and any other required legal documentation to the appropriate university benefits administration point of contact in electronic format (preferably MS word) for review and edits.
- Eligibility
• Employees and dependents of the university will be covered as of the effective date decided upon within the contract.
• New employees, hired after that effective date, will be eligible on their first day of employment.
• The university will, in all cases, determine eligibility for coverage and effective dates of coverage in accordance with its rules and procedures. if these rules and procedures differ from those normally utilized by the respondent, it is understood that the university determination will prevail.
• Currently an employee is eligible for benefits if he is eligible to participate in the teacher retirement system of state (TRS) or optional retirement program (ORP), and meets one of the following criteria:
o Employees working at least 20 hours a week and having an appointment that is expected to continue for a term of at least 4 ½ months
o Graduate student employees enrolled in graduate-level classes as a condition of employment, working at least 20 hours a week and having an appointment that is expected to continue for a term of at least 4 ½ months (although not TRS eligible) dependents eligible for coverage include:
a. The employee’s spouse
b. The employee’s unmarried children younger than age 26, regardless of where they live or whether they are enrolled in school; or disabled dependent children regardless of age
c. Grandchildren residing with the employee
- Communications and enrollment
• Administration will produce a booklet summarizing the benefit plans, and employees will make benefit selections using the university enrollment process.
• Over 70% of open enrollment benefit selections are done online by employees and retirees.
• Any communication materials produced by the selected respondent must be reviewed by administration prior to release.
• All costs associated with creating and distributing communication materials, enrollment materials, and debit cards must be included in the proposed administrative fees.
• The university will make personnel available during normal business hours to respond to inquiries regarding the status or eligibility of a participant.
- The largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $7.3 billion.
- Contract Period/Term: 3 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: May 16, 2025