TOWN OF BILLERICA, MASSACHUSETTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Pharmacy Benefit Consulting Services RFP

Non-Medicare Prescription Drug Program

Issued By Town of Billerica, Massachusetts, acting through its benefits consultant, The

Hilb Group

Date Issued Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Written Questions Due Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Proposals Due Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Submit To

Marianna Gil, The Hilb Group mgil@hilbgroup.com

Electronic submission by e-mail only

All questions and communications regarding this Request for Proposals must be directed to The Hilb Group.

Town of Billerica | RFP: Pharmacy Benefit Consulting Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction and Purpose

2. Procurement Summary and Key Dates

3. Background and Current Program

4. Scope of Services

5. Proposal Submission Requirements

6. Minimum Quality Requirements

7. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

8. Contract Terms and Conditions

9. General Provisions

Attachment A — Price Proposal Form

Attachment B — Certificate of Non-Collusion

Attachment C — Certificate of Tax Compliance

Attachment D — Reference Form

1. Introduction and Purpose

The Town of Billerica, Massachusetts (the "Town") is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide pharmacy benefit consulting services in connection with the Town's non-Medicare prescription drug program. This Request for Proposals ("RFP") is issued by the Town through its benefits consultant, The Hilb

Group ("Hilb"), which is administering this procurement on the Town's behalf.

The Town is beginning to evaluate opportunities to more proactively manage its non-Medicare pharmacy program and the associated costs. Prescription drug spending has grown substantially over the last two fiscal years, and the Town wishes to engage a partner that can bring specialized pharmacy expertise, independent financial oversight, and actionable cost-management strategy to that effort.

The initial objective of the engagement is to conduct a competitive Pharmacy Benefit Manager ("PBM") request for proposals and market evaluation for a contract effective date of July 1, 2027. Beyond the procurement itself, the Town is interested in establishing a longer-term consulting relationship that provides ongoing pharmacy oversight, claims and rebate auditing, contract-performance monitoring, and clinical and strategic recommendations throughout the life of the resulting PBM contract.

At this stage, the Town is seeking to understand the scope of services available in the marketplace, the associated cost of those services, and the appropriate timeline for beginning the procurement process to support a July 1, 2027 implementation. Given the size of the program and the recent growth in pharmacy expenditures, the Town is particularly interested in a partner that can deliver not only a competitive procurement, but also continuing independent oversight and practical, well-supported recommendations.

This RFP is being conducted in a manner consistent with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 30B, § 6. Proposals will be evaluated on the comparative evaluation criteria set forth in Section 7, and the contract, if awarded, will be awarded to the bidder submitting the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration price and the evaluation criteria stated in this RFP.

The selected consultant will work collaboratively with the Town and with Hilb, which will remain the Town's benefits consultant and broker of record for its medical and other benefit programs. The pharmacy consultant is expected to complement, not duplicate, that relationship.

2. Procurement Summary and Key Dates

Item Detail

Procuring Body Town of Billerica, Massachusetts

RFP Administered By The Hilb Group, benefits consultant to the Town

Contact Person for All

Questions

Marianna Gil, Benefits Consultant

The Hilb Group mgil@hilbgroup.com

Date RFP Issued Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Deadline for Written Questions Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, by e-mail to mgil@hilbgroup.com

Addenda / Responses to

Questions Issued On or about Friday, October 2, 2026 by e-mail to all known bidders

Item Detail

Time and Date for Receipt of

Proposals Wednesday, October 14, 2026, no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Place / Method of Delivery Electronic submission by e-mail only, to mgil@hilbgroup.com. Proposals delivered by mail or facsimile will not be accepted.

Proposal Format Separate Technical Proposal and Price Proposal, submitted as separate attachments. No price information of any kind may appear in the Technical

Proposal.

Anticipated Finalist Interviews October – November 2026 (if the Town elects to hold interviews)

Anticipated Notice of Award November 2026

Anticipated Engagement Start

Date November 2026, or upon execution of a written contract

Anticipated PBM Contract

Effective Date July 1, 2027

Initial Contract Term Three (3) years, with the Town reserving the right to terminate early for any reason with sixty (60) days notice

Restriction on Contact. To maintain the integrity and consistency of this process, bidders and their representatives must not contact the Town of Billerica, its employees or officials, its unions or bargaining representatives, or any other vendors, consultants or parties doing business with the Town regarding this opportunity. All questions and communications related to this RFP must be directed exclusively to Marianna

Gil at Hilb. Violation of this provision may result in rejection of bidder’s proposal.

3. Background and Current Program

3.1 Overview

The Town of Billerica offers medical and prescription drug coverage to its active employees, retirees, and their eligible dependents. Coverage is provided under M.G.L. c. 32B. This RFP relates solely to the Town's non-Medicare population; Medicare-eligible retiree coverage is outside the scope of this engagement and is excluded from the data presented in this RFP. The non-Medicare population consists of approximately 995 subscribers and 2,188 covered members.

3.2 Current Medical and Pharmacy Program Structure

The Town currently offers five (5) non-Medicare medical plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Massachusetts ("BCBSMA") and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care ("HPHC"):

Plan Carrier Plan Type

Network Blue New England $250

Deductible

BCBSMA HMO

Access Blue New England Saver $2,000

Deductible

BCBSMA HMO / HDHP

Plan Carrier Plan Type

Blue Care Elect $250 Deductible BCBSMA PPO

Blue Care Elect Saver $2,000

Deductible

BCBSMA PPO / HDHP

ChoiceNet HMO HPHC HMO

Key characteristics of the current pharmacy program:

• Carve-in arrangement. Prescription drug benefits are currently carved into the medical plans and are administered by the medical carriers through their respective pharmacy arrangements.

• Recent plan changes. Effective July 1, 2026, the Town excluded GLP-1 medications prescribed for weight loss and implemented the PillarRx program through BCBSMA.

• Rebates. The Town receives pharmacy rebates under its current arrangements. Rebate amounts are not reflected in, and have not been netted against, the claims data presented in Section 3.3.

• Plan design governance. Plan design changes are subject to the applicable provisions of M.G.L. c. 32B, including the Town's obligations with respect to its Insurance Advisory Committee and public employee committee or bargaining representatives, as applicable.

3.3 Claims Experience

The table below summarizes paid medical and prescription drug claims for the Town's non-Medicare population on a composite basis across all plans and carriers, for the two most recent complete fiscal years

(July 1 through June 30).

Fiscal Year Medical Claims Rx Claims Total Claims Rx % of Total

FY2025 (7/1/2024 –

6/30/2025) $14,923,826 $7,449,656 $22,373,482 33.3%

FY2026 (7/1/2025 –

6/30/2026) $16,033,922 $9,294,290 $25,328,212 36.7%

Year-over-Year Change +7.4% +24.8% +13.2% +3.4 pts

FY2027 partial (July 2026 only) $1,186,715 $602,102 $1,788,817 33.7%

Prescription drug claims grew by approximately 24.8% between FY2025 and FY2026, more than three times the rate of medical claims growth over the same period. Pharmacy now represents approximately 36.7% of total non-Medicare claims spend, up from 33.3% in the prior year. On an illustrative basis, FY2026 prescription drug claims equate to approximately $354 per member per month using the current covered membership of 2,188. It is this trajectory, together with continued pressure in the specialty and GLP-1 categories, that has prompted the Town to seek independent pharmacy consulting support.

4. Scope of Services

The Town is seeking a comprehensive and independent approach to PBM contracting, financial oversight, and ongoing cost-management strategy. The scope of services described below reflects the full range of services the Town wishes to consider. Bidders should clearly identify which of these services are included within their standard engagement and base fee, and which would be considered optional or subject to an additional fee.

4.1 PBM Procurement

• Development and management of a competitive PBM RFP for a July 1, 2027 effective date, including data collection, development of bidder requirements and specifications, distribution to the market, proposal evaluation, finalist negotiations, and implementation support.

– Ability to perform competitive PBM RFP annually, as needed

• Coordination with the Town, Hilb, and the current carriers and PBM to obtain the claims, utilization, formulary, rebate and eligibility data necessary to support a credible market solicitation.

• Identification of the PBMs, coalitions, transparent or pass-through arrangements, and other pharmacy arrangements to be solicited, and a recommendation as to the appropriate bidder field for a group of this size and profile.

• Support of the Town's procurement obligations, including preparation of specifications suitable for a public-sector solicitation and participation in any related meetings or presentations.

4.2 Evaluation of Carve-In Versus Carve-Out

• Evaluation of both carve-in and carve-out options, including the financial, contractual, administrative, member-service, and operational implications of each approach.

• Analysis of the impact of a carve-out on the Town's medical arrangements, including integration of accumulators, clinical programs, care management, reporting, and any effect on medical rates, fees, or contractual terms.

• A clear recommendation, with supporting financial modeling, as to which structure best serves the

Town.

4.3 Contract Negotiation

• Negotiation of a competitive PBM contract for the July 1, 2027 effective date, including pricing guarantees, rebate terms, definitions, performance guarantees, audit rights, market checks, termination rights and other contractual protections.

• Particular attention to contract definitions, including the definitions of generic, brand, specialty, limited distribution drug, rebate, administrative fee and similar terms, and to the ways in which those definitions can erode the value of stated guarantees.

• Review and redline of the PBM contract, business associate agreement and any related documents, coordinated with Town Counsel as appropriate.

4.4 Financial Analysis of Proposals

• Detailed review of PBM financial proposals to ensure that comparisons are made on a consistent basis and that proposed savings are realistic and appropriately modeled.

• Repricing of the Town's actual claims experience against each bidder's proposed terms, with clearly disclosed assumptions, and identification of any proposal elements that are not guaranteed or are subject to change.

• Presentation of results in a format suitable for review by Town officials, the Insurance Advisory

Committee, and other stakeholders who are not pharmacy specialists.

4.5 Ongoing Claims Review and Monitoring

• Ongoing pharmacy claims review and monitoring, including utilization trends, specialty pharmacy, high-cost drugs, emerging therapies, and other significant cost drivers.

• Early identification of new high-cost claimants, new-to-market therapies, and pipeline drugs likely to affect the Town's spend.

4.6 Audit and Validation

• Periodic audits or validation of pharmacy claims and contract performance to confirm that contractual pricing, discounts, dispensing fees, and guarantees are being administered as agreed.

• Reconciliation of guarantee performance at each contract year end, including calculation of any amounts owed to the Town and pursuit of those amounts on the Town's behalf.

• Identification of the frequency, depth and methodology of the audit work included in the base engagement, and of any audit services offered at additional cost.

4.7 Rebate Review and Reconciliation

• Independent review and reconciliation of pharmacy rebates, including validation of amounts received against contractual terms, verification of rebate-eligible claim counts, and identification of any discrepancies or underpayments.

4.8 Market Monitoring

• Ongoing evaluation of the PBM marketplace and recommendations regarding contract improvements, market checks or other opportunities that may arise during the contract term.

4.9 Clinical and Strategic Recommendations

Clinical and strategic recommendations regarding programs that could help the Town manage pharmacy costs while maintaining appropriate member access and quality of care. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Manufacturer foundation and patient assistance programs

• Specialty drug management and site-of-care strategies

• Alternative funding arrangements, where appropriate and where consistent with the Town's obligations and member protections

• Chronic disease and condition management programs

• Formulary strategy, utilization management, and prior authorization design

• Biosimilar adoption and generic substitution strategy

• International, mail order and other alternative sourcing programs

• Other emerging solutions and point solutions relevant to a public-sector group of this size

4.10 Reporting and Meetings

• Regular reporting and participation in meetings with the Town and Hilb to review pharmacy performance, savings opportunities, market developments and recommended actions.

• Availability to present to the Select Board, Insurance Advisory Committee, or other Town bodies as reasonably requested.

5. Proposal Submission Requirements

5.1 General Instructions

Each bidder must submit two (2) separate and independent documents: a Technical Proposal and a Price

Proposal. Both must be submitted electronically by e-mail only to Marianna Gil at mgil@hilbgroup.com and must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

CRITICAL: The Technical Proposal must contain no reference to price. Any mention of fees, rates, dollar amounts, percentages of savings, hourly rates, expense estimates, or any other pricing information in the

Technical Proposal may result in rejection.

Submission requirements:

• Both documents must be submitted in PDF format as separate attachments.

• File naming. Name the files exactly as follows, substituting your firm name: "[Firm Name] – Billerica

Pharmacy Consulting – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL.pdf" and "[Firm Name] – Billerica Pharmacy Consulting –

PRICE PROPOSAL.pdf".

• The Price Proposal will be segregated upon receipt and will not be opened, reviewed or shared with the evaluators until the technical evaluation has been completed.

• Proposals delivered by mail or facsimile will not be accepted. Proposals submitted to any address other than mgil@hilbgroup.com will not be accepted.

5.2 Questions and Addenda

All questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing by e-mail to Marianna Gil at mgil@hilbgroup.com no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Questions received after that time will not be answered.

Written responses to all questions received, together with any addenda, will be issued on or about Friday, October 2, 2026 to all bidders known to have received this RFP.

5.3 Technical Proposal

The Technical Proposal should answer and address the following items.

1 — Cover Letter and Bidder Information

• A cover letter on firm letterhead, signed by an individual authorized to bind the bidder, confirming that the proposal is valid and may be accepted by the Town for ninety (90) calendar days following the proposal due date.

• Legal name of the firm, principal office address, the office from which the Town would be served, main telephone number, and website.

• Name, title, telephone number and e-mail address of the individual who will serve as the Town's primary contact and of the individual authorized to negotiate on the firm's behalf.

• A brief executive summary describing why the bidder is well suited to this engagement.

2 — Firm Overview and Qualifications

• Number of years the firm has provided pharmacy benefit consulting services, and a description of how that practice is organized.

• Total number of employees, number of employees dedicated to pharmacy consulting, and the number of clients for which the firm currently provides pharmacy consulting services.

• Total covered lives and total annual pharmacy spend under the firm's management or oversight.

• Ownership structure, including any parent, subsidiary or affiliate relationships, and any ownership, financial or contractual relationship with any PBM, pharmaceutical manufacturer, wholesaler, pharmacy, insurance carrier, coalition or point solution vendor.

• A description of any acquisition, merger, restructuring or change of control within the past three (3) years, or currently anticipated.

• Number of PBM procurements the firm has completed in each of the past three (3) years.

3 — Client List and Public-Sector Experience

• A list of the firm's pharmacy consulting clients. At a minimum, the bidder must provide a complete list of its public-sector clients, with a stated preference for Massachusetts municipalities, school districts, regional school districts, health insurance trusts, and other governmental entities with comparable pharmacy programs.

• For each public-sector client listed: entity name, approximate covered lives, whether the pharmacy program is carve-in or carve-out, the year the relationship began, and the services provided.

• A description of any client relationships lost or terminated in the past three (3) years and the reason.

4 — References

• Three (3) client references. Public-sector references are strongly preferred, and Massachusetts public-sector references are preferred above all.

• For each reference: organization name, contact name and title, telephone number, e-mail address, approximate covered lives, length of relationship, and a brief description of the work performed.

5 — Pharmacy Consulting Team

• A description of the pharmacy consulting team that would be assigned to the Town, identifying by name, their titles, roles on the engagement, and years of relevant experience.

• Provide resumes or professional biographies for the proposed lead consultant and any other key team members assigned to the engagement.

6 — PBM Procurement and Negotiation Approach

• An overview of the bidder's PBM procurement and negotiation approach, from data collection through implementation.

• The PBMs, coalitions, transparent or pass-through arrangements, and other pharmacy arrangements the bidder typically evaluates.

• The bidder's experience comparing carve-in versus carve-out structures.

• The bidder's approach to normalizing and comparing financial proposals, including the repricing methodology used, the assumptions applied, and how the bidder validates that proposed savings are achievable rather than illustrative.

7 — Blinded Sample of a Recent PBM Procurement

Provide blinded results of a recent PBM RFP the firm has conducted. The sample should include:

• A blinded copy of the financial comparison or analysis delivered to that client, demonstrating how the firm presents and compares bidder pricing.

• The type and approximate size of the client (for example, "Massachusetts municipality, approximately

2,000 covered lives"), the effective date, and whether the resulting arrangement was carve-in or carve-out.

• The savings the firm was able to produce.

• Any subsequent audit, reconciliation, or guarantee settlement results for that client, if available.

8 — Ongoing Claims, Rebate and Contract-Performance Auditing

• The bidder's approach to ongoing claims, rebate, and contract-performance auditing, including the frequency and level of review provided and whether the review is performed on a sample basis or against 100% of claims.

• The methodology used to validate discount, dispensing fee, and rebate guarantees, including how the bidder obtains and independently verifies the underlying claims data.

• A blinded sample audit or reconciliation report.

• Examples of findings, recoveries or corrections obtained for clients in the past three (3) years, with approximate dollar values.

• Identification of any subcontractor that would be used.

9 — Clinical and Cost-Management Programs

• Information regarding the clinical and cost-management programs the bidder routinely evaluates.

• The bidder's process for evaluating point solutions and vendor programs, including how the bidder validates vendor savings claims.

• The bidder’s approach to specialty drug management, site-of-care optimization, biosimilar adoption, manufacturer foundation and patient assistance programs, and alternative funding arrangements.

10 — Unique and Innovative Strategies and Products

The Town is specifically interested in the strategies and products the bidder has identified and actually implemented for clients, as distinct from those it is generally aware of. Bidders should describe at least one

(1) such strategies, programs or products, and for each provide:

• A description of the strategy, program or product, and what makes it unique or innovative relative to standard market practice.

• The type of client for which it was implemented and whether that client was a public-sector entity.

• How the opportunity was identified.

• The measurable results achieved, including savings in dollars and as a percentage, the period over which they were measured, and how they were validated.

• The impact on members, including any disruption, and how that impact was managed.

• Any strategy that was recommended and later discontinued or reversed, and why.

11 — Scope of Services Matrix

• A detailed description of the services included within the bidder's standard engagement, and a clear identification of any services that would be considered optional or subject to an additional fee.

• Bidder should respond specifically to each service listed in Section 4 of this RFP, indicating for each whether it is (a) included in the standard engagement, (b) available at additional cost, or (c) not offered.

• No dollar amounts, rates, or fee percentages may appear in this matrix. Pricing for any service identified as available at additional cost must be provided in the Price Proposal only.

12 — Work Plan and Implementation Approach

• A proposed work plan and timeline for the engagement, keyed to a July 1, 2027 PBM effective date, identifying deliverables, milestones, and the resources the bidder will require from the Town and from

Hilb.

13 — Insurance, Litigation and Regulatory Disclosure

• Disclosure of any litigation, arbitration, regulatory action, investigation, or claim involving the bidder's pharmacy consulting practice within the past five (5) years, and the outcome or current status.

• Confirmation of the bidder's ability and willingness to execute a business associate agreement under

HIPAA.

• Disclose any direct or indirect compensation, commissions, fees, incentives, revenue-sharing arrangements, referral payments, ownership interests, or other financial consideration the bidder or its affiliates receive from any pharmacy benefit manager, pharmaceutical manufacturer, rebate aggregator, specialty pharmacy, coalition, alternative funding vendor, point solution vendor, or other pharmacy-related entity.

14 — Required Forms

• Attachment B — Certificate of Non-Collusion, completed and signed.

• Attachment C — Certificate of Tax Compliance, completed and signed.

• Attachment D — Reference Form, completed for three (3) references.

5.4 Price Proposal — Required Contents

The Price Proposal must be submitted as a separate document using Attachment A, and must be completed in full. The Price Proposal must address each of the following:

• The annual consulting fee and the fee structure, specifically stating whether fees are fixed, per member per month, per subscriber per month, project-based, percentage-based, commission-based, or otherwise contingent upon savings or other revenue.

• The timing of fees, specifically when charges would begin if the Town is targeting a July 1, 2027 PBM effective date, and the billing frequency.

• Any additional PBM RFP, implementation, audit, clinical review, or other project fees that would be in addition to the annual consulting fee.

• Fees for each of the first three (3) contract years, and the basis on which fees would be adjusted at renewal.

• Pricing for any service identified in the Tab 11 scope matrix as available at additional cost.

• Any compensation contingent upon savings, including how savings would be defined, measured, verified and settled, and any cap on contingent compensation.

6. Minimum Quality Requirements

The following are minimum quality requirements. Each is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. A proposal that does not meet every minimum quality requirement will be rejected as non-responsive and will not be evaluated against the comparative criteria in Section 7.

# Minimum Quality Requirement

The bidder has provided pharmacy benefit consulting services continuously for at least five (5) years as of the proposal due date.

The bidder has completed at least three (3) full PBM procurements or market evaluations on behalf of clients within the past three (3) years.

The bidder currently provides pharmacy consulting services to at least five (5) public-sector clients

(municipalities, school districts, counties, states, public trusts or other governmental entities).

The bidder is not a pharmacy benefit manager, and is not owned or controlled by a pharmacy benefit manager, pharmaceutical manufacturer, wholesaler or pharmacy, such that it is able to provide independent advice to the Town.

5 The bidder has provided three (3) client references on Attachment D.

The bidder is able and willing to execute a business associate agreement under HIPAA and to maintain professional liability / errors and omissions insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per claim.

The proposal was received by the deadline, at the correct e-mail address, with the Technical Proposal and Price Proposal submitted as separate documents, and with no price information contained in the

Technical Proposal.

8 The proposal is signed by an individual authorized to bind the bidder and includes all required forms.

The Town reserves the right to waive minor informalities that do not affect price, quality, or the competitive position of bidders, and to seek clarification of any proposal, provided that no bidder is permitted to materially change its proposal after the deadline for receipt of proposals.

7. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

7.1 Evaluation Process

The Town, with the assistance of Hilb, will designate one or more individuals to serve as evaluators.

Evaluators will review and evaluate the technical proposals using a standard evaluation form and will base their evaluations solely on the criteria set forth in this RFP.

For each comparative criterion, each proposal will be rated as Highly Advantageous, Advantageous, Not

Advantageous, or Unacceptable, in accordance with the standards stated in Section 7.2. Evaluators will provide the reasons for each rating, will assign a composite rating for each proposal, and will state the reasons supporting the composite rating.

Technical proposals will be opened in private, in the presence of a witness who is not an evaluator, at or after the time specified for receipt of proposals. A register of proposals will be prepared identifying the names of all bidders that submitted proposals and any modifications submitted separately. Price proposals will remain sealed and unopened, and will not be shared with the evaluators, until the technical evaluation has been completed.

Following completion of the technical evaluation, the price proposals will be opened. The contract, if awarded, will be awarded to the responsible and responsive bidder submitting the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration price and the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFP. If the award is not made to the bidder submitting the lowest price, the reasons will be stated in writing and in reasonable detail.

Award will be made by written notice to the selected bidder within the ninety (90) day proposal acceptance period.

7.2 Comparative Evaluation Criteria

The following comparative criteria will be used to evaluate technical proposals. Where a criterion states a numeric threshold, a bidder that falls between two stated standards will be rated at the lower of the two.

Criterion 1 — Massachusetts and Public-Sector Pharmacy Consulting Experience

Rating Standard

Highly

Advantageous

The bidder currently provides pharmacy consulting services to eight (8) or more public-sector clients, at least two (2) of which are Massachusetts municipalities, school districts, or municipal health insurance trusts, and demonstrates specific working knowledge of

M.G.L. c. 32B.

Advantageous

The bidder currently provides pharmacy consulting services to four (4) to seven (7) public-sector clients, at least one (1) of which is a Massachusetts governmental entity, and demonstrates general familiarity with Massachusetts municipal benefits requirements.

Not Advantageous The bidder currently provides pharmacy consulting services to two (2) or three (3) public-sector clients, none of which is in Massachusetts, or demonstrates limited familiarity with Massachusetts municipal benefits requirements.

Unacceptable The bidder has fewer than two (2) public-sector clients or does not provide the client list required.

Criterion 2 — PBM Procurement Experience and Demonstrated Results

Rating Standard

Highly

Advantageous

The bidder has completed seven (7) or more PBM procurements within the past three

(3) years, at least two (2) for public-sector clients, and the blinded sample required demonstrates a rigorous procurement process and a clearly explained savings calculation.

Advantageous The bidder has completed four (4) to seven (7) PBM procurements within the past three

(3) years and the blinded sample demonstrates a sound process with a clearly explained savings calculation.

Not Advantageous The bidder has completed two (2) or three (3) PBM procurements within the past three

(3) years, or the blinded sample is incomplete, lacks a documented savings calculation, or presents savings that are projected only with no explanation of methodology.

Unacceptable The bidder has completed fewer than two (2) PBM procurements within the past three

(3) years, or does not provide the blinded sample and documented results required.

Criterion 3 — Scope of Services Included in the Standard Engagement

Highly

Advantageous

Substantially all of the services described in Section 4 are included in the standard engagement, including at least annual claims auditing, annual rebate reconciliation, annual guarantee settlement, ongoing claims monitoring, and at least quarterly reporting, with no more than incidental services identified as available at additional cost.

Advantageous The majority of the services described in Section 4 are included in the standard engagement, with certain audit, rebate reconciliation or clinical services identified as available at additional cost.

Not Advantageous The standard engagement is limited principally to the procurement itself, with most ongoing oversight, audit and rebate services identified as available at additional cost.

Unacceptable The bidder does not offer ongoing pharmacy consulting services beyond the procurement, or does not provide the scope matrix required.

Criterion 4 — Qualifications of the Assigned Team

Highly

Advantageous

The proposed lead consultant has ten (10) or more years of pharmacy consulting experience including public-sector clients, and the assigned team includes a named clinical pharmacist (PharmD or RPh) and access to clinical and analytical resources.

Advantageous The proposed lead consultant has five (5) to nine (9) years of pharmacy consulting experience and the assigned team includes access to clinical and analytical resources.

Not Advantageous The proposed lead consultant has fewer than five (5) years of pharmacy consulting experience, or the assigned team is described only generically.

Unacceptable No assigned team is identified, or no resumes or biographies are provided.

Criterion 5 — Unique and Innovative Strategies Identified and Implemented

Highly

Advantageous

The bidder describes three (3) or more distinct strategies, programs or products that it identified and actually implemented for clients, with measurable and validated results, at least one (1) of which was implemented for a public-sector client, and clearly addresses member impact and disruption management.

Advantageous The bidder describes one (1) or two (2) strategies, programs or products that it identified and implemented for clients, with measurable results.

Not Advantageous The bidder describes strategies in general terms, or describes strategies it is aware of but has not implemented, or provides no measurable results.

Unacceptable The bidder does not respond to the requested information.

Criterion 6 — Audit, Rebate Reconciliation and Contract-Performance Monitoring

Rating Standard

Highly

Advantageous

The bidder performs annual or more frequent claims auditing against 100% of claims, independently validates rebate payments and guarantee performance using source claims data, provides a blinded sample audit report, and documents specific recoveries obtained for clients within the past three (3) years.

Advantageous The bidder performs periodic claims and rebate auditing on a sample basis, provides a blinded sample report, and describes its validation methodology.

Not Advantageous The bidder relies principally on PBM-supplied reporting to validate guarantee and rebate performance, or does not provide a sample report.

Unacceptable The bidder does not perform or arrange for claims or rebate auditing.

Criterion 7 — References

Highly

Advantageous

Three (3) references are provided, all are public-sector entities, at least two (2) are

Massachusetts governmental entities, all are of comparable size and complexity, and all report favorably on the bidder's performance, responsiveness, and results.

Advantageous Three (3) references are provided, at least one (1) is a public-sector entity, and all report favorably on the bidder's performance.

Not Advantageous Fewer than three (3) usable references are provided, references are not comparable in size or scope, or reference responses are mixed.

Unacceptable No references are provided, references cannot be reached after reasonable attempts, or a reference reports unfavorably on the bidder's performance.

7.3 Relative Importance of Criteria

The criteria in Section 7.2 are not equally weighted. Criteria 1, 2 and 3 are of primary importance to the

Town, reflecting the Town's need for a partner with demonstrated public-sector procurement experience and a service model that includes meaningful ongoing oversight. Criteria 4, 5, and 6 are of substantial importance.

Criterion 7 will be used principally to corroborate the bidder's representations under the other criteria.

Price will be considered together with the comparative evaluation criteria in determining the most advantageous proposal. While the comparative evaluation criteria are of greater importance than price, price remains a significant factor in the Town's award determination.

7.4 Finalist Interviews

Following review of the technical proposals, the Town may invite a limited number of firms to participate in finalist interviews to further discuss their proposed approach, service model, team, and experience.

Interviews, if held, are expected to occur during October 2026, and may be conducted virtually. The individuals proposed to serve the Town should participate. Information obtained during interviews will be used only in applying the evaluation criteria stated in this RFP.

7.5 Award

The Town reserves the right to award a contract without conducting interviews, to award to other than the bidder submitting the lowest price, to negotiate revisions to the plan for providing the services before awarding a contract, to reject any and all proposals, and to cancel this RFP, in each case where the Town determines that doing so is in its best interest.

No contract will be effective unless and until a written contract is executed by the Town and the selected bidder.

8. Contract Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions will apply to any contract resulting from this RFP. Any exception must be stated in the Technical Proposal.

8.1 Contract Documents and Term

• The contract will consist of a written agreement in a form acceptable to the Town and Town Counsel, incorporating this RFP, any addenda, and the selected bidder's proposal.

• The initial term is expected to be three (3) years commencing on or about November 1, 2026.

8.2 Compensation and Disclosure

• Compensation will be as set forth in the executed contract, based on the accepted Price Proposal. The bidder may not accept any commission, override, fee, or other compensation from any PBM, carrier, manufacturer, vendor, or other third party in connection with services provided to the Town without the

Town's prior written consent.

• The bidder shall promptly disclose to the Town any actual or potential conflict of interest arising during the term of the engagement.

8.3 Termination

• The Town may terminate the contract for convenience upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice, and for cause upon thirty (30) days' written notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure.

• Upon termination, the bidder will cooperate in an orderly transition and will deliver to the Town all work product, data, analyses, and records relating to the engagement.

8.4 Confidentiality, HIPAA and Data Security

• The bidder will execute a business associate agreement and will comply with HIPAA, HITECH and applicable Massachusetts data security requirements, including 201 CMR 17.00.

• The bidder will maintain the confidentiality of all protected health information and Town data, will use it only for the purposes of the engagement, and will notify the Town promptly of any breach.

• The bidder will not use the Town's data for any purpose other than serving the Town, and will not sell, license or share it with any third party without the Town's prior written consent.

8.5 Insurance

• The bidder will maintain, at its own expense and for the term of the contract, commercial general liability insurance, professional liability / errors and omissions insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per claim, cyber liability insurance, automobile liability insurance, and workers' compensation insurance as required by Massachusetts law, and will provide certificates of insurance upon request. The bidder shall maintain cyber liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per claim and $1,000,000 aggregate, covering data breaches, privacy violations, network security liability, and related cyber risks.

8.6 Indemnification

• The bidder will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Town, its officers, employees and agents from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses arising out of the negligent acts, errors, omissions or willful misconduct of the bidder or its employees, agents or subcontractors in the performance of the contract.

8.7 Independent Contractor; Subcontracting; Assignment

• The bidder is an independent contractor and not an employee or agent of the Town for any purpose.

• The bidder may not subcontract, assign or transfer any portion of the work without the Town's prior written consent. Any subcontractor proposed at the time of submission must be identified in the

Technical Proposal.

8.8 Compliance with Law; Non-Discrimination; Records

• The bidder will comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including M.G.L. c. 268A (conflict of interest), M.G.L. c. 32B, and all applicable non-discrimination and equal opportunity requirements.

• The bidder will maintain complete records relating to the engagement for a period of not less than seven

(7) years and will make them available to the Town or its designee upon reasonable request.

• The bidder will provide a completed Form W-9 and will comply with M.G.L. c. 62C, § 49A regarding tax compliance.

8.9 Ownership of Work Product

• All reports, analyses, data compilations and other deliverables prepared for the Town under the contract will be the property of the Town, subject to the bidder's retention of its own proprietary tools, models and methodologies.

9. General Provisions

9.1 Reservation of Rights

The Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive minor informalities, to cancel or reissue this RFP, to request clarification or additional information from any bidder, to negotiate with the selected bidder prior to award, and to award or decline to award a contract, in each case as it determines to be in its best interest.

9.2 Addenda

Any change to this RFP will be made only by written addendum issued by Hilb to all bidders known to have received this RFP.

9.3 Withdrawal, Modification and Correction of Proposals

A bidder may correct, modify or withdraw its proposal by written notice received by Hilb prior to the time and date for receipt of proposals. Modifications must be submitted in the same manner as the original proposal, must be clearly identified as a modification, and must observe the same separation of technical and price content. After the deadline, no proposal may be corrected, modified or withdrawn during the ninety

(90) day acceptance period except as permitted by law.

9.4 Public Records

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the Town and are subject to the

Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66 and c. 4, § 7(26). Bidders should mark any material they consider to be a trade secret or confidential; however, such marking does not guarantee that the material will be withheld from disclosure, and the Town makes no representation that any portion of a proposal will be exempt from disclosure. A blanket designation of an entire proposal as confidential will not be honored.

9.5 Restriction on Communications

From the date of issuance of this RFP until the award of a contract or cancellation of this procurement, Bidders and their representatives must not contact the Town of Billerica, its employees or officials, its unions or bargaining representatives, or any other vendors, consultants or parties doing business with the Town regarding this opportunity. All questions and communications must be directed to Marianna Gil at Hilb.

Violation may result in rejection of the bidder's proposal.

9.6 Cost of Proposal Preparation

All costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal, in participating in interviews, and in any resulting negotiations are the sole responsibility of the Bidder. Neither the Town nor Hilb will reimburse any such cost.

9.7 Truthful Information; Conflicts

By submitting a proposal, the bidder certifies that all information provided is true and accurate to the best of its knowledge, that the proposal is made without collusion or fraud, and that the bidder has no conflict of interest that would prevent it from serving the Town's interests, except as expressly disclosed in the proposal.

9.8 Role of The Hilb Group

Hilb is administering this procurement on behalf of the Town as the Town's benefits consultant and broker of record. Hilb is not a party to any contract resulting from this RFP. Hilb will continue to serve as the Town's benefits consultant, and the selected pharmacy consultant will be expected to work cooperatively with Hilb and with Town staff.

9.9 No Guarantee of Volume or Continuation

Nothing in this RFP obligates the Town to proceed with a PBM procurement, to change its current pharmacy arrangement, or to implement any recommendation of the selected consultant.

9.10 Governing Law

Any contract resulting from this RFP will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of laws provisions, and venue for any dispute will lie in the courts of the

Commonwealth.

Attachment A — Price Proposal Form

This form constitutes the Price Proposal and must be submitted as a separate document from the Technical

Proposal. Do not include this form, or any of the information on it, in the Technical Proposal.

A.1 Offeror Information

Firm Name

Authorized Representative (Name and Title)

Telephone / E-mail

Date

A.2 Fee Structure

Indicate the structure of the proposed annual consulting fee. Check all that apply and describe fully.

Fixed annual fee

Per member per month (PMPM)

Per subscriber per month (PSPM)

Project-based

Percentage-based

Commission-based

Contingent upon savings or other revenue (describe fully, including how savings are defined, measured, verified and settled, and any cap)

Other (describe)

A.3 Annual Consulting Fee

State the total annual consulting fee for the base engagement described in the Technical Proposal, for each of the first three contract years, based on approximately 995 subscribers and 2,188 members.

Contract Year Annual Fee Fee Basis (fixed /

PMPM / other) Billing Frequency

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total Three-Year Base Engagement Cost — —

Basis on which fees would be adjusted at renewal:

A.4 Timing of Fees

State when charges would begin if the Town is targeting a July 1, 2027 PBM effective date, and describe any fees payable before that date.

A.5 Separate Project Fees

State any separate fees that would be in addition to the annual consulting fee. Enter "Included" where the service is covered by the annual fee, or "N/A" if not offered.

Service Fee Basis / Notes

PBM RFP development and management

Carve-in versus carve-out financial analysis

PBM contract negotiation and redline

Implementation support and transition management

Annual pharmacy claims audit

Rebate reconciliation and validation

Contract guarantee settlement and recovery pursuit

Clinical review / formulary strategy

Point solution or vendor evaluation

Additional meetings beyond those included

Ad hoc analysis or special projects

Other (specify)

A.6 Hourly Rates for Out-of-Scope Work

Role Hourly Rate

Principal / Practice Leader

Senior Consultant

Role Hourly Rate

Consultant

Clinical Pharmacist (PharmD / RPh)

Financial or Contract Analyst

Administrative Support

A.7 Certification

The undersigned certifies that the fees stated above are firm for the ninety (90) day proposal acceptance period, that they include all costs of providing the services described in the Technical Proposal except as expressly stated, and that no pricing information was included in the Technical Proposal.

Signature of Authorized Representative Date

Printed Name and Title Firm Name

Attachment B — Certificate of Non-Collusion

The undersigned certifies under penalties of perjury that this proposal has been made and submitted in good faith and without collusion or fraud with any other person. As used in this certification, the word "person" shall mean any natural person, business, partnership, corporation, union, committee, club, or other organization, entity, or group of individuals.

Signature of Authorized Representative Date

Attachment C — Certificate of Tax Compliance

Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 62C, § 49A, the undersigned certifies under the penalties of perjury that the Offeror has, to the best of the undersigned's knowledge and belief, filed all state tax returns and paid all state taxes required under law.

Social Security Number or Federal Identification Number

Firm Name

Note: Approval of a contract or other agreement will not be granted unless this certification is signed by the Offeror. Your Social

Security Number or Federal Identification Number will be furnished to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to determine whether you have met tax filing or tax payment obligations. Providers who fail to correct their non-filing or delinquency will not have a contract or other agreement issued, renewed or extended.

Signature of Individual or Corporate Officer Date

Attachment D — Reference Form

Provide three (3) client references. Public-sector references are strongly preferred, and Massachusetts public-sector references are preferred above all. References should be for engagements comparable in size and complexity to the Town's program. By providing these references, the Offeror authorizes the Town and

Hilb to contact them.

Reference 1

Organization Name

Type of Entity (municipality, school district, trust, private employer, other)

State

Contact Name and Title

Telephone

E-mail

Approximate Covered Lives

Length of Relationship

Pharmacy Arrangement (carve-in / carve-out)

Did the Offeror conduct a PBM procurement for this client? If so, in what year?

Description of Services Provided

Reference 2

Organization Name

Type of Entity (municipality, school

Telephone

E-mail

Approximate Covered Lives

Length of Relationship

Reference 3

Organization Name

Type of Entity (municipality, school

Telephone

E-mail

Approximate Covered Lives

Length of Relationship