Request for Information The Department of Veteran Affairs, National Acquisition Office (NAC), Commodities, Services, and Acquisition Services (CSAS) in conjunction with Veteran Health Administration (VHA), Office of Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, is issuing a Request for Information and Sources Sought Announcement for the Driver s Rehabilitation Program for Commercial Automobile Third Party Insurance. The sole purpose of this announcement is for market research purposes and does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ)/Invitation for Bid (IFB)/Request for Proposal (RFP). This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Furthermore, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this notice. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Submittals will not be returned to the responder. A central tenet of acquisition reform is to significantly improve the quality of market research by conducting a market and industry survey. One of the main benefits of solid market research is to materially improve the government s understanding of the current state of the marketplace, including commercial/government best practices, industry capabilities, innovative delivery approaches, commercial market service levels, and performance strategies and measures. NAICS: 524210 Insurance Agencies and Brokerages and or NAICS 524126 Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers PSC: G009 For upcoming recompete for Commercial Third-Party Liability Insurance Program, a special emphasis of the market research is being placed on market/industry infrastructure, practices and product availability. We are also interested in identifying performance criteria that differentiate between and among high-quality firms in this field. We believe this information will dramatically improve the quality of the forthcoming acquisition, including the solicitation and resulting contract. Public Law (P.L.) 93-538, mandated VA to provide opportunities for driver education and training for all eligible Veterans with disabilities and certain military personnel. Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities are entitled to have the opportunity to learn to drive a motorized vehicle on the Nation s public highways. Depending upon the severity of the disability and the available adaptive equipment designed for utilization in today s motor vehicles, the disabled individual should enjoy the independence and freedom of mobility offered all citizens. Title 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 3903(e) authorizes the Secretary of the VA to obtain insurance on automobiles and other conveyances used in conducting the special driver training courses and to obtain, at the Government expense, personal liability and property damage insurance for all persons taking such courses, hereafter such persons shall be referred to as clients. Client training will occur on a daily basis at each of the driver rehabilitation centers. A VA employee, who is a trained drive rehabilitation specialist, accompanies program participants (clients) during each training session. The only incidence in which the drive rehabilitation specialist is not in the vehicle with the client is during a time when a driving test is being administered by the local (state) Motor Vehicle Department. The state examiner is the only person allowed in the vehicle with the client during the test, and coverage will extend to the client and vehicle during those times. The Government estimates the total number of clients referred during each policy year is to be 10,000 eligible veterans, but this could increase to approximately 15,000 over the term of the contract and includes both veteran and non-veteran clients. Non-Veteran Client s would be language interpreters, service animals, caregivers as appropriate. Roughly a 120 Veterans are scheduled weekly for training services by the clinical staff at VA. Currently there are 32 National Sites, to include Puerto Rico who provide this training. All sites train within a radius of 20 miles around the facility. All the vehicles used in the VA Driver Rehabilitation Program are equipped with specially adapted equipment for use by the disabled driver trainee. At a minimum all GOV s have been adapted to include an instructor brake. These adapted vehicles are owned or leased by VA, referred to as GOV, are insured ( primary insurance ) by VA under GSA Fleet management practices. VA will contract with qualified Automobile Insurance Broker or Insurance Carrier to provide commercial automobile third party liability insurance coverage to eligible clients for the Driver Rehabilitation Program vehicles at all participating VA medical facilities. This policy will cover any new or replacement driver training vehicles purchased or leased by any existing or new VA facility added to the program during the policy period. This specific insurance policy offers coverage against claims of damages and losses incurred by the client who is at the time driving who is not considered the insured and therefore not covered under the Government Federal Tort Claims Act. The liability coverage shall cover bodily injury and property damage to the third party caused by the driver trainee (client) while operating a specially adapted vehicle in the program. Coverage type for the vehicles under this contract will be for third party bodily injury (BI) of $500,000 and property damage (PD) of $500,000. For the combined BI and PD total of $1,000,000 per each accident. Bodily Injury liability covers the cost resulting from injuries to the person. These injurie costs could include but not limited to hospital care, lost wages, and pain or suffering due to the accident. Property damage liability covers costs resulting from damages to or loss of property. Examples of property damage include the payment to replace landscaping or mailbox and compensation for loss of use of a structure. Coverage for Automobile Insurance services will be provided in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico. B.1.1.4 CUSTOMER CONTACT AND CLAIM SERVICES The insurance provider shall operate a customer service claims service program to provide customer support through toll free telephone number, facsimile, mail and or electronic media 24 hours a day seven days a week. The insurance provider shall respond to VA inquires via telephone, facsimile, mail and electronic media within 24 hours. Carrier must carry an A.M. Best Rating of B or higher. AM Best rating is a rating assigned to insurance companies that have the ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations. AM Best ratings are based on the carrier s historical ability to pay out claims, the amount of debt a carrier holds and the amount of other financial obligations. AM Best completes this analysis by looking at the balance sheet, operating performance, business profile and debt obligations of the insurance company. AM Best ratings have four different categories: financial strength, credit ratings, issue ratings and national scale ratings. Most online reviews feature a company s financial strength ratings (FSR). The following is the minimum service requirements that the contractor shall provide during the period of performance of this contract. Task 1 - GOV and POV Coverage: The contractor shall at a minimum provide the insurance policy coverage for the GOV s and POV s under this contract as Commercial Automobile Third-Party Insurance bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD). The policy should offer coverage against claims of damages and losses incurred by a driver who is not the insured and is therefore not covered under the insurance policy. The policy coverage is for the Driver Rehabilitation Program GOV s at all participating VA medical facilities in the program. The liability coverage shall cover BI and PD that is caused by the driver trainee (client) while operating all vehicles specially adapted in the program. The provided automobile insurance that will indemnify the insured if another driver causes damage to the insureds car. Coverage type for the government-owned vehicles under this contract will be for commercial automobile third party liability of BI of $500,000 and PD of $500,000 each. For the combined BI and PD total of $1,000,000 per each accident. At a minimum this policy will also cover any new or replacement driver training vehicles purchased or leased by any existing or new VA facility added to the program during the policy period without exceeding the $1,000,000 total coverage. Coverage shall be from contract award to the end of period of performance, with the allowance of adding and removing vehicles from program as required. The contractor shall provide the required insurance cards to include and not limited to hard copy with the minimum required information printed on them: Commercial Insurance Brokerage Identification Name of Company Proving Insurance Policy Number Policy Effective and Expiration Date of Service Vehicle Identification Number Vehicle Make, Model, and Year Insurance Coverage Amounts Claims Contact Information These insurance cards shall be provided electronically upon issuance of policy or modification of policy or as requested by CO or COR. Commercial Automobile Third-Party insurance cards must be received electronically within 5 days after receipt of modification. Task 2 Customer Service and Claims Processing: The contractor at a minimum shall offer a customer contact and claims center. The customer service support should be through a toll-free number, facsimile, mail and or electronic media on a twenty-four (24) hour and seven (7) days a week basis. Task 3 Important Document: Contractor at a minimum shall provide the Government run loss, insurance policy, and a certificate of insurance document on a yearly basis. Run/Loss Reports shall be provided via email to COR and CO annually. Insurance Policy shall be provided on annual basis via email to COR, and CO. Contractors Broker Certification or License provided annually. We ask that industry and or interested parties respond to the following questions: Please explain your company s position in the marketplace and under what NAICS you qualify. Please explain your parent subsidiary relationship with respect to the Commercial Third-Party Insurance Industry. Are you underwritten by another entity? Is the industry regulated? If so at what levels? Are you licensed in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico? If not licensed in all 50 states which states are licensed in? Can you company support provide commercial third-party insurance to all 50 United States, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico? What is you AM Best Credit Rating? Do you subcontract? If so, explain the nature of these subcontracts? To what extent are you currently subcontracting with small business and at what percentages? What is your Socio-Economic Indicator if defined as a Small Business? Are you registered and certified through Small Business Administration as a Women-Owned Small Business, 8(a) Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business or Historically Underutilized Business Zone Business? What are the significant commercial practices within the industry? If you are covering more than one vehicle in more than one state, what is the best practice to provide vehicles insurance cards? What information should VA provide for these cards? (VIN, Make, Model, etc.) How often are insurance cards sent out? What are you customer service claims practices? Do you have a contact center phone number? Web Link to do claims? What are the hours of operation? Are there any special practices, regulations or other, VA should be aware of for certain states? What is your current nationwide policy recommendation for commercial business coverage for bodily injury and property damage? Do you recommend any other coverage? Can you cover non- government furnished vehicles, like individually owned operated personal vehicle of the veteran? Are there any areas of concerns for consideration for insuring a non-government vehicle? Can you provide a quote without a run loss reports or policy for the past five year? Would this increase cost to the government? Would it benefit the government doing equitable price adjustments yearly to meet market changes in pricing? What is the percent of increase yearly for insurance rates? Please explain in detail. Would it benefit the contract to provide insurance by regions or states instead of national? Provide your complete listing of covered states and your NAICS Code. I do want to emphasize that this RFI and any subsequent requests are solely for market research and are not competitions. The information obtained from the sessions will be used to improve the government s knowledge of private industry s capabilities. No evaluation of participating parties will occur and your participation in these RFI s is not a promise of future business with Department of Veteran Affairs. No contract will be awarded from these requests. Electronic/emailed responses are due no later than June 25, 2024. Responding parties should take additional precautionary measures to prevent proprietary information from disclosure by marking the documentation being submitted with labeling sensitivities such as confidential and proprietary. Information provided in response to this RFI and future RFI s that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please submit the information to Caroline.West@va.gov,. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Submittals will not be returned to the responder.

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