Health Insurance Bridge Contract for LE Staff

The Government requires health insurance coverage for its employee and has contracted for this health insurance protection, representative of locally prevailing compensation practice, with ASISMED SA, a local provider.  The current contractual arrangement expires on June 4th, 2022.

The U.S. Embassy Asuncion requesting a bridge contract to continue health insurance for employees, provided to its Locally Employed (LE) Staff under the U.S. Mission to the Paraguayan Local Compensation Plan, for a performance period of one year.  The award date, and services provided under the contract, would need to commence on June 05, 2022 to permit continuity of the Mission’s health insurance benefit to LE Staff. 

This is to provide the requisite time for U.S. Embassy Asuncion to solicit and implement a new contract. In the meantime, Asuncion HR and The Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Overseas Employment (HR/OE) are still discussing about the legal opinion stating that the level of benefits granted to Asuncion Post more than 10 years ago is considered Acquire Right so that it is making difficult to implement the contract model known as “Global Medical Coverage” (GMC), for the Mission’s health insurance plan.   The U.S. Embassy Asuncion’s timetable for solicitation of bids, and a final award, under this new health insurance model has been delayed:  a contract will not be in place by June 05, 2022.

Nonetheless, it is imperative that there is no break in continuity of the basic health insurance plan coverage for the Mission’s LE Staff to avoid serious legal and financial implications to the Government resulting in any lapse of health insurance coverage for LE Staff and their dependents.

The U.S. Embassy Asuncion requests that the standalone contract to provide continuity in the health insurance protection for performance period of twelve months.  The award date, and services provided under the contract, would need to commence on June 05, 2022 to permit continuity of the Mission’s Health insurance coverage for LE Staff.