3-Vanguard Insurance 2026 RFP.docx.pdf

Request For Proposal

VAN 2026-10

Insurance

150+ Employees

Vanguard Academy

RFP Release Date: 10/28/2026

PROPOSALS DUE BY: 11/11/2026 @ 5PM MST

Contents

Introduction 3

Group Profile 3

Requested Services 3

Employer Contribution Structure 3

Medical Insurance 4

Dental Insurance 5

Vision Insurance 5

Short-Term Disability 5

Basic Life Insurance 5

Voluntary Benefits 5

Common Requirements 5

Proposal Requirements 6

Service Standards 7

Implementation Schedule 7

Pricing and Cost Information 8

Submission Deadline 8

Proposal Evaluation Criteria 8

Mandatory Minimum Requirements 8

Scoring Service Criteria 9

Evaluation Criteria Breakdown 9

Cost/Budget 10

Selection and Award 11

Questions 11

Appendix 12

Appendix A. Offeror Certification 12

Appendix B. Proposal Checklist 13

Introduction Vanguard Academy Charter ("Vanguard") is seeking proposals from qualified insurance carriers and licensed brokers/agencies to provide employee benefits insurance for eligible employees and their dependents. Vanguard has 150+ total employees, and approximately 100 of them are eligible to enroll in insurance benefits. This RFP will be released to the public on 10/28/2026, and proposals are due by

11/11/2026 @ 5PM MST.

Vanguard’s goal is to offer quality, affordable coverage backed by dependable service. Proposals will be evaluated on Service (75% of the score, including a preference for SelectHealth) and Cost (25% of the score). Lower cost does not earn a higher score when it comes with a lower level of coverage. The insurance lines included in this request are:

1) Employer-contributed benefits: Medical (including an HSA-qualified option), Dental, Vision, Short-Term Disability, and Basic Life Insurance.

2) Voluntary benefits (no Vanguard contribution): Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Long-Term Disability, and Extended (supplemental) Life Insurance.

Group Profile

Item Detail

Organization Vanguard Academy Charter, West Valley City, Utah

Total employees 150+

Employees eligible for insurance Approximately 100 (eligibility per Vanguard’s current eligibility rules, provided with the census)

HSA administrator HealthEquity (current; Vanguard wishes to continue with HealthEquity)

Medical carrier preference SelectHealth (see Carrier Preference below)

Employee census A de-identified census (age, coverage tier, and salary) will be provided to interested offerors on request to the RFP contact listed under Questions.

Requested Services

Employer Contribution Structure

Proposals must be built around the following contribution structure. Vanguard’s contribution applies to the premium of each benefit as described below. Offerors must not propose alternative contribution structures in their base proposal.

Benefit Vanguard Pays Employee Pays

Medical (including HSA option)

90% of the cost of the employee’s coverage

10% of the employee’s coverage cost, plus 100% of the cost of any added dependents

Dental 50% of the cost for the employee and any added dependents

50%

Vision 80% of the cost for the employee and any added dependents

20%

Short-Term Disability 100% 0%

Basic Life Insurance 100% of the cost of coverage up to $25,000

0% (up to $25,000)

Accident 0% 100%

Critical Illness 0% 100%

Hospital Indemnity 0% 100%

Long-Term Disability 0% 100%

Extended Life Insurance 0% 100%

Medical dependents: The cost of adding dependents is the difference between the premium for the coverage tier elected (Employee + Spouse, Employee + Child(ren), or Family) and the Employee Only premium. Vanguard pays 90% of the Employee Only premium for every enrolled employee regardless of tier, and 0% of the added dependent cost.

Medical Insurance

Plan Options and HSA

Offerors must propose a medical plan lineup that includes, at a minimum:

• One HSA-qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP) that meets current IRS requirements for

HSA eligibility; and

• At least one non-HSA option (for example, a PPO or copay-based plan). A third plan option may be proposed but is not required.

Vanguard currently uses HealthEquity as its HSA administrator and would like to stay with HealthEquity.

The proposed HSA-qualified plan must be compatible with HealthEquity accounts, including enrollment, payroll contributions, and eligibility/data feeds. Offerors must confirm this compatibility in writing and describe any steps needed to keep existing employee HSAs in place.

Each proposed plan should include medical and pharmacy coverage, telehealth, deductible and out-of-pocket maximums, and a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC).

Carrier Preference

Vanguard prefers to remain with SelectHealth for medical insurance, and proposals that place medical coverage with SelectHealth will receive a higher score under the Carrier preference (SelectHealth) criterion. Offerors proposing a different carrier must demonstrate a provider network and market coverage comparable to SelectHealth’s for Vanguard’s employee population (including hospitals, specialists, and primary care access in the Salt Lake Valley); their network will be scored relative to

SelectHealth under Medical network and market strength. A carrier other than SelectHealth may still be selected if its proposal earns the highest total score.

Dental Insurance

Offerors must propose at least one dental plan covering preventive, basic, and major services, with network and out-of-network benefits, annual maximums, and orthodontia options clearly described.

Vanguard will pay 50% of the premium for the employee and any added dependents.

Vision Insurance

Offerors must propose at least one vision plan describing exam, lens, frame, and contact lens benefits, benefit frequency, and network size. Vanguard will pay 80% of the premium for the employee and any added dependents.

Short-Term Disability

Vanguard will pay 100% of the cost of Short-Term Disability (STD) coverage for eligible employees. The base plan should replace 60% of an employee’s wages while the employee is out. Vanguard also wants the option to cover the remaining 40% of an employee’s pay, bringing total wage replacement to 100%.

Offerors should explain how this option would work, including whether it is offered through the carrier as an optional higher benefit tier or whether Vanguard would supplement the benefit directly, and provide pricing for it. Offerors must also describe the proposed plan design, including the weekly maximum, elimination period, maximum benefit duration, treatment of pregnancy and recovery, and how the plan coordinates with leave policies and with Long-Term Disability.

Basic Life Insurance

Vanguard will pay 100% of the cost of Life Insurance coverage up to $25,000 per eligible employee.

Offerors should describe any included accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), accelerated death benefit, waiver of premium, and conversion/portability provisions.

Voluntary Benefits

Vanguard wishes to offer the following benefits to employees on a voluntary basis. Vanguard will make no contribution toward these benefits; employees will pay 100% of the premium through payroll deduction:

• Accident Insurance

• Critical Illness Insurance

• Hospital Indemnity Insurance

• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance

• Extended Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and child coverage above the $25,000 basic benefit)

Offerors should describe benefit design, guaranteed-issue amounts, age-band or tobacco rating, portability, and any enrollment requirements for each product.

Common Requirements

Offerors should include all services needed to implement and administer the proposed benefits, including:

• Open enrollment support (employee communications, benefit guides, on-site and/or virtual enrollment meetings).

• Eligibility, payroll deduction, and billing support, including a consolidated monthly invoice where possible.

• A dedicated account manager and defined service team for Vanguard’s HR/administration staff.

• Claims administration, member services, and appeal support.

• Continuation of coverage (COBRA) support, and compliance support for applicable federal and

Utah requirements.

• Utilization and claims reporting for Vanguard on a regular basis and at renewal.

• A transition plan for any employees changing carriers, including continuity-of-care provisions and credit for deductibles/out-of-pocket amounts already met, where applicable.

Proposal Requirements Proposals must include the following. Failure to provide required items may result in disqualification under the Mandatory Minimum Requirements.

• Cover letter and company overview including years in business, licensing in Utah, and the primary contact for the proposal.

• Completed Cost Proposal workbook (provided as a separate document) with all yellow cells filled in.

• Plan summaries for every proposed plan, including SBCs for medical plans and benefit comparison charts for all other lines.

• Contribution compliance: confirmation that the proposal follows the Employer Contribution

Structure above.

• Medical network information: network description, provider directory access, and an access/disruption analysis comparing the proposed network to SelectHealth for Vanguard’s employee locations (required for non-SelectHealth carriers; SelectHealth proposals should include network size and access summaries). Include pharmacy network and formulary information.

• HealthEquity HSA compatibility: written confirmation and a description of the HSA integration process.

• Service model: account management structure, customer service hours, claims turnaround, member satisfaction results, and service guarantees (see Service Standards).

• Implementation plan and timeline with clear milestones through the coverage effective date, including open enrollment.

• Technology: member portal and mobile app, ID cards, and the ability to receive payroll/eligibility files and send billing files.

• Three client references of similar size, preferably educational or public-sector employers in Utah, with contact information.

• Financial strength: current AM Best (or comparable) rating for each carrier proposed.

• Rate guarantee and renewal terms: the rate guarantee period (12 months or longer preferred) and any renewal rate caps.

• Compensation disclosure: all commissions, fees, and other compensation to be received by a broker or agency in connection with this proposal.

• Exceptions: any exceptions to the requirements of this RFP, clearly identified.

• Signed Offeror Certification (Appendix A).

All proposed coverage must comply with applicable federal and Utah laws and regulations. Brokers or agencies may submit proposals for more than one carrier but must submit a separate proposal and Cost

Proposal for each carrier.

Service Standards Vanguard expects dependable day-to-day service from its insurance partner. Offerors must state their service standards for each of the following and are encouraged to offer financial or contractual performance guarantees:

• Customer service call answer times and hours of operation.

• Claims processing turnaround and accuracy.

• ID card delivery and new-enrollee processing time.

• Account manager response time to Vanguard administrators.

• Billing accuracy and timeliness of eligibility updates.

Vanguard reserves the right to include the stated service standards in the final contract and to terminate for repeated failure to meet them.

Implementation Schedule Vanguard anticipates the following schedule. Dates marked in yellow are subject to confirmation by

Vanguard.

Date Milestone

10/28/2026 RFP released to the public

[11/04/2026 @ 5PM MST] Deadline to submit questions

[11/08/2026] Answers to questions posted

11/11/2026 @ 5PM MST Proposals due

To be announced Evaluation, finalist interviews (if any), and notice of award

To be announced Open enrollment period

[Coverage effective date] New coverage effective

Offerors must include an implementation plan with a timeline and milestones, and identify any circumstances that could delay implementation or the coverage effective date.

Pricing and Cost Information Offerors must identify all costs associated with the proposed coverage using the Cost Proposal workbook provided with this RFP. Quotes must include:

• Monthly premium rates for each plan and each coverage tier (Employee Only, Employee +

Spouse, Employee + Child(ren), Family) for Medical, Dental, and Vision.

• Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance rates and estimated annual premium for the eligible group based on the census.

• Sample rates for each voluntary benefit (Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Long-Term

Disability, and Extended Life), with the rating basis.

• Any administrative, implementation, or service fees charged to Vanguard.

• The rate guarantee period and renewal terms.

Cost is a scored evaluation criterion worth 25% of the total score, and it is evaluated together with the level of coverage offered (see Cost/Budget). The workbook calculates a Total Annual Evaluated Premium for the core benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, and Basic Life) plus any fees, using the contribution rules in this RFP and an assumed enrollment by coverage tier set by Vanguard, so that proposals are compared on equal terms. Voluntary benefit rates are considered under the Service criteria. Offerors must not modify the formulas or contribution percentages in the workbook.

Submission Deadline Proposals must be received by 11/11/2026 @ 5PM MST through the Utah Procurement Proposal Place

(U3P). Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered. Vanguard reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive minor irregularities, and to negotiate with one or more offerors. Proposals may be subject to applicable public records laws; offerors should clearly mark any information they consider confidential or proprietary.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria The winning proposal will be determined through three stages: Mandatory Minimum Requirements, Service scoring, and Cost scoring. The winning proposal will be the one that passes all required stages and earns the highest total points on the scoring sheet (provided as a separate document). Total available points are 500: 375 for Service (75%) and 125 for Cost (25%).

Mandatory Minimum Requirements

Proposals must meet all of the following Mandatory Minimum Requirements (MMR). Proposals that do not meet all of the MMR will not advance to the Service scoring stage.

• Proposal contains all required documentation.

• Offeror submits a fully completed Cost Proposal workbook (all yellow cells).

• Proposal quotes Medical (including an HSA-qualified plan and a non-HSA plan), Dental, Vision, Short-Term Disability, and Basic Life, and all five voluntary benefits.

• Proposal follows the Employer Contribution Structure in this RFP.

• Offeror certifies that the HSA-qualified plan is compatible with HealthEquity.

• Offeror certifies that it will inform Vanguard of any changes to the proposal or pricing.

• Proposal includes an implementation timeline with clear milestones.

• Offeror (and each carrier proposed) is licensed to do business in Utah.

• Proposal is submitted by the deadline of 11/11/2026 @ 5PM MST.

Scoring Service Criteria

Proposals that pass the MMR will be scored in the following areas. Each area is scored from 0 to 5 and multiplied by its weight. The total points available for Service are 375, and proposals must earn at least

60% of Service points (225 points) to advance to Cost scoring.

• Ability to meet requirements and plan design: How completely the proposal meets the requirements, including the contribution structure, the HSA option, and plan design quality across all lines.

• Medical network and market strength: Breadth and quality of the provider and pharmacy network for Vanguard’s employees, evaluated relative to SelectHealth, including the risk of disruption to current providers.

• Carrier preference (SelectHealth): Proposals that place medical coverage with SelectHealth receive the full score of 5. Proposals that use another medical carrier receive a score of 0 for this criterion.

• Customer service and claims administration: Account management, member service, claims performance, service guarantees, and customer references.

• Enrollment, billing, and technology integration: Open enrollment support, ease of billing and eligibility administration, member tools, and integration with HealthEquity and Vanguard’s payroll processes.

• Voluntary benefits offering: Breadth, design, and value of Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital

Indemnity, LTD, and Extended Life offerings and enrollment support.

• Carrier stability, qualifications, and experience: Financial strength, experience with employers of similar size and with educational/public-sector clients, and references.

• Rate stability and contract terms: Rate guarantee period, renewal caps, and contract flexibility.

Evaluation Criteria Breakdown

Criteria Weight % of Total Score

Max Points

Ability to meet requirements and plan design 10 10% 50

Medical network and market strength 15 15% 75

Carrier preference (SelectHealth) 10 10% 50

Customer service and claims administration 15 15% 75

Enrollment, billing, and technology integration 10 10% 50

Voluntary benefits offering 5 5% 25

Carrier stability, qualifications, and experience 5 5% 25

Rate stability and contract terms 5 5% 25

Total Service 75 75% 375

Cost 25 25% 125

Total Evaluation Points 100 100% 500

Cost/Budget

Proposals that advance to this stage will be scored on the Total Annual Evaluated Premium calculated in the Cost Proposal workbook. The total points available for Cost are 125 (25% of the total score).

• Plan equivalency comes first. A lower price does not earn a higher score when it comes from a lower level of coverage. Each proposal receives a Plan Equivalency Factor (0% to 100%) calculated from the coverage elements and weights in the table below. Offerors report the value of every element in the Coverage Details tab of the Cost Proposal workbook.

• Benchmarks: Vanguard will set a benchmark value for each coverage element before proposals are opened, based on its current coverage and the level of coverage it wants to provide.

• Element scoring: Where lower is better (deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, copays, coinsurance, elimination period), an offered value at or below the benchmark scores 100%;

otherwise the element scores Benchmark / Offered. Where higher is better (annual maximums, coverage percentages, benefit percentage and duration), an offered value at or above the benchmark scores 100%; otherwise the element scores Offered / Benchmark. Coverage better than the benchmark earns no extra credit.

• Plan Equivalency Factor = the weighted average of the element scores, using the weights below.

• The Low Cost Option is the lowest Total Annual Evaluated Premium among proposals with a Plan

Equivalency Factor of at least 90%.

• Cost Points = 125 x (the lesser of 1 or Low Cost Option / Proposed Price) x Plan Equivalency

Factor. A proposal priced below the Low Cost Option because of reduced coverage cannot earn more than the Cost Points of an equivalent plan.

• Vanguard will review the detailed cost breakdown and the summary of costs, including the employer and employee share of each benefit.

Plan Equivalency coverage elements and weights

Coverage Element Unit Weight

HSA-qualified HDHP: individual deductible Lower 7%

HSA-qualified HDHP: individual out-of-pocket maximum Lower 7%

HSA-qualified HDHP: member coinsurance after deductible Lower 6%

Non-HSA plan: individual deductible Lower 7%

Non-HSA plan: individual out-of-pocket maximum Lower 7%

Non-HSA plan: primary care visit copay Lower 4%

Non-HSA plan: specialist visit copay Lower 4%

Non-HSA plan: member coinsurance after deductible Lower 4%

Non-HSA plan: preferred brand prescription copay Lower 5%

Dental: annual maximum per person Higher 6%

Dental: in-network preventive services coverage Higher 3%

Dental: in-network major services coverage Higher 6%

Vision: eye exam copay Lower 4%

Vision: frame allowance Higher 4%

STD: benefit (% of wages replaced) Higher 12%

STD: maximum benefit duration Higher 8%

STD: elimination period Lower 6%

Coverage Element Unit Weight

Total 100%

Selection and Award

The proposal with the highest Total Evaluation Points will be recommended for award, subject to

Vanguard’s reservation of rights described in this RFP and to contract negotiation. Vanguard’s preference for SelectHealth is reflected in the scoring under the Carrier preference (SelectHealth) criterion.

Questions Any and all questions should be submitted through the Utah Procurement Proposal Place (U3P). Answers will be provided on or before [11/08/2026]. Offerors should not contact other Vanguard staff or board members about this RFP during the solicitation period.

Appendix

Appendix A. Offeror Certification

By signing below, the offeror certifies that:

1) The proposal contains all required documentation.

2) The proposal follows the Employer Contribution Structure set out in this RFP.

3) The proposed HSA-qualified medical plan is compatible with HealthEquity.

4) The offeror will inform Vanguard of any changes to the proposal or pricing.

5) The offeror (and each carrier proposed) is licensed to do business in Utah.

6) The offeror has disclosed all compensation related to this proposal.

Field Offeror Response

Company name

Authorized signature

Printed name and title

Date

Appendix B. Proposal Checklist

Required Item Included (Y/N)

Cover letter and company overview

Completed Cost Proposal workbook

Plan summaries / SBCs for all proposed plans

Medical network information and SelectHealth comparison

HealthEquity HSA compatibility confirmation

Service model and service standards

Implementation plan and timeline

Technology and integration description

Three client references

Financial strength rating

Rate guarantee and renewal terms

Compensation disclosure

Exceptions (if any)

Signed Offeror Certification (Appendix A)