rfp-das-495-27.pdf

State of New Hampshire

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

for

Group Life Insurance

RFP # 495-27

RESPONSE DUE BY:

July 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)

Department of Administrative Services

Division of Risk and Benefits i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. i

Section I: INTRODUCTION

A. Background

B. Objective

C. Contract Term, Implementation and Payment

Section II: BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS

A. Proposal Conditions for The State of New Hampshire, Department of Administrative

Services, Division of Risk and Benefits

B. RFP TIMETABLE

C. PROPOSAL CLOSING VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS

D. EVALUATION PROCESS

E. BIDDER CONTACT

Section III: REQUIRED SERVICES AND CONTRACT TERMS

A. Plan Design and Eligibility

B. Implementation

C. Service Requirements

Section IV: TECHNICAL

A. Your Firm, Background and Experience

B. Administration and Account Management

C. Implementation, Enrollment and Communications

D. Claims Administration

E. Reporting

Section V: PERFORMANCE GUARANTEES

Section VI: CLIENT REFERENCES

Section VII: FINANCIAL

A. Premium Rate Table

APPENDICES — GROUP INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: REQUESTED PLAN DESIGNS

APPENDIX B: REQUESTED PLAN DESIGNS FORM

ii

APPENDIX C: SONH LIFE RFP DATA

APPENDIX D: STATE OF NH TRANSMITTAL LETTER

APPENDIX E: P-37 FORM CONTRACT

APPENDIX F: REQUIRED PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND DATA

SECURITY

APPENDIX G: PARTICIPATING BIDDER AGREEMENT (PBA)

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION

This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is issued by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), acting through the Division of Risk and Benefits, for the procurement of group life insurance coverage as described herein. We request that all bidders follow the instructions outlined in this RFP and complete all questions and tables.

A. BACKGROUND

The State is seeking a proposal to provide Group Term Life Insurance for the State’s eligible full-time employees as outlined below.

Coverage Benefit Cost Share

Basic Life $50,000 100% State Paid

Basic AD&D Choice of $20,000 or $25,000

(Guaranteed Issue Amounts)

100% Employee Paid

Supplemental Basic Life (No

AD&D) - Employee

$5,000 (Guaranteed Issue Amount) and/or

100% Employee Paid

Supplemental Life with AD&D -

Employee

1x, 2x, 3x. or 4x Salary up to $1,000,000

1x Salary (Guaranteed Issue Amount)

100% Employee Paid

Supplemental Life (No AD&D) -

Spouse

$10,000 and/or 100% Employee Paid

Supplemental Life with AD&D -

Spouse

Choice of $25,000, $50,000, $75,000 or

$100,000

$25,000 (Guaranteed Issue Amount)

100% Employee Paid

Child(ren) Life (No AD&D) $3,000 per child 100% Employee Paid

Additional details regarding State employee benefits are contained in the attached Plan Documentation.

There are approximately 10,050 employees enrolled in the Basic Life coverage which is paid for by the

State based on the census information.

The current census enrollment and volume by coverage is as follows:

Coverage Benefit Amount Enrollment Volume*

Employer Paid

Basic Life - Employee $50,000 10,050 $502,500,000

Employee Paid

Basic AD&D - Employee $20,000 or $25,000 4,481 $108,770,000

Supplemental Basic Life (No AD&D) - Employee $5,000 and/or 3,135 $15,675,000

Supplemental Life with AD&D - Employee 1x – 4x Salary up to

$1,000,000

2,513 $317,618,000

Supplemental Life (No AD&D) - Spouse Option 1: $10,000 and/or 606 $5,890,000

Supplemental Life with AD&D - Spouse Option 2: $25,000, $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000

1,979 $79,700,000

Child(ren) Life (No AD&D) $3,000 2,064 $6,192,000

*Volume includes age reduction benefits at 70 for: Supplemental Life with AD&D Employee 1x-4x

Salary, Spousal Life No AD&D $10,000, Spousal Life with AD&D $25,000, $50,000, $75,000 or

$100,000.

SECTION I

Voya Financial (ReliaStar Life Insurance Company) has provided life insurance coverage to active full-time employees since 2021.

B. OBJECTIVE

The State is seeking bids from organizations to provide a non-participating/prospectively rated fully insured Life/AD&D insurance program. It is the intent of the State to continue to provide the current benefit offerings to full-time eligible employees. Due to the existence of collective bargaining agreements, the State requires bidders to duplicate the benefit plans as closely as possible.

C. CONTRACT TERM, IMPLEMENTATION AND PAYMENT

The State seeks to contract with a qualified Vendor that will offer a five-year contract commencing

January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2031, upon approval from the Governor and Executive Council

(G&C) with the option to extend for up to two additional years as mutually agreed and approved by the

Governor and Executive Council. The insurance services outlined in this RFP shall commence on January

1, 2027. Implementation activities shall commence within seven (7) days of G&C approval or September

1, 2026, whichever is later. Payments for contractual services shall commence January 1, 2027, and shall not be made during the implementation period.

SECTION II: BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS

A. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DIVISION OF RISK AND BENEFITS

1. RFP SCOPE

The Department of Administrative Services, Division of Risk and Benefits, is soliciting proposals for its fully insured life insurance program, summarized in SECTION I.A., and further described in these procurement documents.

2. MANDATORY INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS

It is required that you complete all sections of the RFP and provide your proposal by the stated proposal submission deadline. Do not alter any parts of this RFP, including the questions and the question numbering.

Failure to follow these instructions may be grounds for rejection of your RFP response.

A. Request for Proposal (RFP) Point of Contact and Inquiries

a. Any inquiries or requests pertaining to this RFP, whether verbal or written, including questions related to the form contract P-37 and Business Associate Agreement, must be submitted in writing to following contact:

Ryan Fuller Christopher.R.Fuller@das.nh.gov

From release of this RFP until an award is made and announced regarding the selection of a bidder, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with the State regarding this RFP is prohibited unless first approved by the point of contact above. State employees have been directed not to hold conferences and/or discussions concerning this

RFP with any bidder during the selection process, unless otherwise authorized by the point of contact. Bidders may be disqualified for violating this restriction on communications.

b. All questions must be submitted in writing prior to the deadline for Bidder Inquiries and/or

Requests for Clarification (June 24, 2026 at 3:00 ET). The questions will be consolidated and/or paraphrased and responded to via a written addendum, or addenda that will be posted on the State's website on or before June 26, 2026. Note that this date is subject to change at the State's discretion.

c. In response to requested exceptions to the P-37, the State will review requested exceptions and accept, reject or note that it is open to discussion of the proposed exception with the selected Bidder at its sole discretion. Questions about or requested exceptions to the

RFP, P-37, and/or any relevant attachments not raised during the inquiry period are waived. Oral statements, representations, clarifications, or modifications concerning the

RFP shall not be binding upon the State.

d. The State may, at its discretion, amend this RFP on its own initiative or in response to issues raised by inquiries as it deems appropriate.

e. RFP inquiries must be submitted by an individual authorized to commit the organization to provide the services necessary to meet the requirements of this RFP. The Bidder must include complete contact information including the Bidder's name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address.

mailto:Christopher.R.Fuller@das.nh.gov

SECTION II

B. Bidder Requests for Plan Data

Appendix G is a Participating Bidder Agreement (PBA) which must be completed and sent to Ryan

Fuller at Christopher.R.Fuller@das.nh.gov to obtain data and attachments referred to in Appendix C.

Upon receipt of a Bidder's signed PBA (Appendix G), the State will provide the data securely.

Access to this data via secure workspace shall only be provided to prospective Bidders who manifest a reasonable likelihood of meeting the minimum qualifications of this RFP.

3. ADDENDA

In the event it becomes necessary to add to or revise any part of this RFP prior to the scheduled proposal submittal deadline, the Division of Risk and Benefits shall post any Addenda on the State’s bidder website. In the event of an addendum/addenda to this RFP, the State, at its sole discretion, may extend the

Proposal submission deadline, as it deems appropriate. Before your submission and periodically prior to the RFP closing, check the website for any addenda or other materials that may have been issued affecting the RFP. The web site address is https://das.nh.gov/purchasing/vendorresources.aspx.

4. BIDDER CERTIFICATIONS

All Bidders must be duly registered as a Bidder authorized to conduct business in the State of New

Hampshire. Bidders shall comply with the certifications below at the time of submission and through the term of any contract which results from said proposal. Failure to comply shall be grounds for disqualification of proposal and/or the termination of any resultant contract.

• STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE VENDOR APPLICATION: Prior to bid award, Bidders must have a completed Bidder Application Package on file with the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property. See the following website for information on obtaining and filing the required forms (no fee):

https://DAS.NH.Gov/Purchasing.

• NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION: A bid award, in the form of a contract(s), will ONLY be awarded to a Vendor who is registered to do business AND in good standing with the State of New Hampshire. Please visit the following website to find out more about the requirements for registration with the NH Secretary of State: https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporations-

5. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

a. Disclosure of Information Submitted in Response to RFP

Information submitted in response to this RFP (including all materials submitted in connection with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, etc.), any resulting contract, and information provided during the contractual relationship may be subject to public disclosure under the State's Right-to-Know law, RSA

91-A.

Confidential, commercial or financial information may be exempt from public disclosure under RSA 91-

A:5, IV. If a bidder believes any information submitted in response to this RFP should be kept confidential, the bidder must specifically identify that information where it appears in the submission in a manner that draws attention to the designation and must mark/stamp each page of the materials that the bidder claims must be exempt from disclosure as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Bidders must also provide a letter to the person listed as the point of contact for this RFP, identifying the specific page number and section mailto:Christopher.R.Fuller@das.nh.gov https://das.nh.gov/purchasing/vendorresources.aspx https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporations-0 https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporations-0 of the information you consider to be confidential, commercial, or financial and providing your rationale for each designation. Bidders must also provide a separate copy of the full and complete document, fully redacting those portions and shall note on the applicable page or pages that the redacted portion or portions are “confidential.” Marking or designating an entire proposal, attachment or section as confidential shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State.

Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include redactions and related reasons for redaction, or a letter indicating the proposal does not include any confidential information, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law may be rejected by the

State as not conforming to the requirements of the proposal.

Pricing, which includes but is not limited to fully insured rates and performance guarantees, in your proposal or any subsequently awarded contract shall be subject to public disclosure regardless of whether it is marked as confidential.

Notwithstanding a Bidder's designations, the State is obligated by the Right-to-Know law to conduct an independent analysis of the confidentiality of the information submitted in a proposal. If a request is made to the State by any person or entity to view or receive copies of any portion of your proposal, or if the

State otherwise wishes to make your proposal public, the State shall first assess what information it is obligated to release. If you have not provided redactions in your proposal, the State will release the proposal in its entirety with only the redactions the State deems necessary (if any). If you have provided redactions in your proposal, the State will notify you that a request has been made or that the State wishes to make your proposal public. The State will indicate what, if any, information it has assessed is confidential and will not be released and specify the planned release date of the remaining portions of the proposal. To halt the release of information by the State, a Bidder must obtain and provide to the State, prior to the date specified in the notice, a court order valid and enforceable in the State of New

Hampshire, at its sole expense, enjoining the release of the requested information.

By submitting a proposal, you acknowledge and agree that:

• The State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials which are not marked as confidential and/or which have not been specifically explained in the letter to the person identified as the point of contact for this RFP;

• The State is not obligated to comply with your designations regarding confidentiality and must conduct an independent analysis to assess the confidentiality of the information submitted in your proposal; and

• The State may, unless otherwise prohibited by court order, release the information on the date specified in the notice described above without any liability to you.

6. ELECTRONIC POSTING OF RESULTING CONTRACT

Pursuant to RSA 21-G:37, all responses to this RFP shall be considered confidential until the award of a contract. At the time of receipt of proposals, the State will post the number of responses received with no further information. No later than five (5) business days prior to submission of a contract to the

Department of Administrative Services, the State will post the name and rank or score of each Bidder.

Pursuant to RSA 91-A and RSA 9-F:1, the Secretary of State will post to the public any document submitted to G&C for approval, including any resulting contract, on its website

(https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/). By submitting a proposal, Bidder acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with the above-mentioned statutes and policies, (and regardless of whether any specific request is made to view any document relating to this RFP), any contract resulting from this RFP that is submitted to G&C for approval will be made accessible to the public online.

7. TERMS OF SUBMISSION

The State assumes no responsibility for understandings or representations made by its officers or employees prior to and in the event of the execution of a contract, unless such understandings or representations are specifically incorporated into this RFP. Verbal discussions pertaining to modifications or clarifications of this RFP shall not be considered part of this RFP unless confirmed in writing. Any information provided by the Bidder verbally shall not be considered part of that Bidder's response. By submitting a proposal, a Bidder agrees that in no event shall the State be either responsible for or held liable for any costs incurred by a Bidder in the preparation of or in connection with the proposal, or for work performed prior to the effective date of a resulting contract. Proposals must be valid until the effective date of any resulting contract.

8. SUBMISSION FORMAT

Instructions, formats, and approaches for the development of RFP information contained within the RFP are designed to ensure that the submission of data essential to the understanding of the Vendor’s response is received in a consistent and comparable format.

Your RFP response must be clearly sectioned and tabbed as outlined within this RFP document. (e.g.

Section II. Step 1, Step 2, etc.) There is no intent to limit the content of the responses in other than the

Vendor’s favor, only to assist the evaluation committee in reviewing each response.

9. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE

All RFP submissions must be received at the Bureau of Purchase and Property electronically via email no later than 2 p.m. ET on July 8, 2026. Submissions received after the date and time specified will be marked as late and will not be considered.

Proposals shall remain valid from the proposal submission deadline for one hundred and eighty (180) days, or until contract approval by Governor and Executive Council, whichever is later. A complete RFP submission will include responses to all sections of the RFP, including a complete response to the financial section. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

A Bidder's disclosure or distribution of proposals other than to the Department of Administrative

Services, Bureau of Purchase and Property shall be grounds for disqualification. No more than one (1) proposal per respondent shall be submitted.

10. RFP DELIVERY

Bidders shall submit their proposal via email to:

• NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov labeled with the following information:

State of New Hampshire RFP #495-27

Due Date: July 8, 2026 by 2:00 PM (ET)

Group Life Request for Proposals mailto:NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov

Bidders are encouraged to confirm delivery of their submissions by calling (603) 271-2201 or by emailing

NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov.

RFP responses must include:

• One (1) complete electronic version of your RFP with responses to all questions in Sections II to VII, Appendices of this RFP, and any addenda and attachments. If you PDF your response, it must be a searchable document. The price proposal must be submitted electronically in the excel format provided with the RFP.

• One (1) redacted electronic copy of your entire RFP response, including a letter identifying confidential information as applicable.

• Your RFP response must include Appendix D State of NH Transmittal Letter, signed by a person authorized to bind the company to all commitments made in the RFP response. Failure to submit the

Transmittal Letter with your response will result in rejection of your response.

The State shall not be held liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing or submitting an RFP response.

11. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The State reserves the right to:

• Make a written request for additional information from a Bidder to assist in understanding or clarifying a proposal response.

• Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the State.

• Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the State's view, the step is not needed.

• Reject any and all proposals, or any part thereof. Note that participating in this RFP process in no way obligates the State to pursue a contract with any of the Bidders participating in the RFP.

• Make independent investigation in evaluating a proposal.

• Consider available information regarding the Bidder, whether gained from the Bidder's proposal, question and answer conferences, references, or any other source during the evaluation process.

This may include, but is not limited to, information from any other state or federal regulatory entity.

• Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring Vendor and so on if the State is unable to reach an agreement on Contract terms with the higher scoring Vendor(s).

12. RESTRICTION OF CONTACT WITH STATE EMPLOYEES

From the release date of this RFP, all contact with the State regarding this RFP, except the point of contact specifically mentioned in Section II.A.2 of this RFP, is prohibited. This prohibited contact includes personnel employed by or under contract with the State. Improper contact is grounds for rejection of your response.

13. CANCELLATION

mailto:NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov

Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, this RFP does not commit the State to award a contract.

The State reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals, or any portions thereof;

to cancel all or any part of this RFP at any time. Cancellation of this RFP, in whole or in part, shall not bar the State from issuing an RFP for the same services or from purchasing the same services through other means.

14. ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS

From the time this RFP is published until a contract is awarded, no Bidder shall offer or give, directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of any such official or employee who will or has selected, evaluated, or awarded an RFP, or similar submission. Any Bidder that violates RSA 21-G:38 shall be subject to prosecution for an offense under RSA 640:2. Any Bidder who has been convicted of an offense based on conduct in violation of this section, which has not been annulled, or who is subject to a pending criminal charge for such an offense, shall be disqualified from bidding on the RFP, or similar request for submission and every such Bidder shall be disqualified from bidding on any RFP or similar request for submission issued by any state agency.

15. SUBCONTRACTING

Contractor may perform certain services hereunder through one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

However, pursuant to Section 12 of the form contract P-37, subcontracting of services shall require prior approval by the State. If Bidder plans to utilize subcontractors for any portion of the Group Life RFP identified in this RFP, please include the subcontractor information, an outline of the services or functions in which Bidder would plan to subcontract, the length of your relationship with the subcontractor, and a brief company profile. A list of these subcontractors shall be attached to the contract with the selected

Contractor and shall constitute prior approval by the State (of those subcontractors) consistent with

Section 12 of the form contract P-37.

Contractor may, without prior written approval, contract with third-party vendors to provide information technology support services and other ancillary services, which are not Group Life hereunder, but rather are services that support Contractor's conduct of its business operations.

Contractor shall be accountable for the performance of all subsidiaries, affiliates, partner networks and subcontractors, and shall be responsible for all performance guarantee penalties that may result from underperformance of the subsidiary, affiliate and/or subcontractor.

16. REQUIRED CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The form contract P-37 (attached hereto as Appendix E) shall form the basis for any resulting contract.

The successful Bidder and the State, following notification of award, shall promptly execute the P-37 contract, as amended by the parties to incorporate the service requirements of this RFP, price conditions established by the Bidder's offer, and any other reasonable administrative practices and services. In no event is a Bidder to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions as a replacement for one or all of the State's terms in response to this RFP.

The terms of this RFP and the selected Bidder's response will be used to form the terms of any resulting contract. References in the P-37 to Exhibits A, B, and C are references to the required structure of any resulting contract (Exhibit A - Special Provisions/Amendments to the P-37, Exhibit B - Scope of

Services, and Exhibit C - Payment Terms) and are not references to sections of this RFP.

The Bidder will be required to comply with the Required Protection of Confidential Information and Data

Security (attached hereto as Appendix F).

State data will not be sold or aggregated for external reporting purposes without first consulting the State.

The State intends to incorporate this RFP and the selected Bidder's response into the resulting contract by reference. In the event there is a conflict between the resulting contract and the selected Bidder's response to the RFP, the term more favorable to the State shall control.

17. DEBARMENT

Bidders who are ineligible to bid on proposals issued by the Department of Administrative Services pursuant to the provisions of RSA 21-I:11-c shall not be considered eligible for an award under this RFP.

18. NON-COLLUSION

The Bidder's signature on a proposal submitted in response to this RFP guarantees that the prices, terms and conditions, and work quoted have been established without collusion with other vendors and without effort to preclude the State from obtaining the best possible competitive Proposal.

19. PROPERTY OF THE STATE

All material received in response to this RFP shall become the property of the State and will not be returned to the Bidder. Upon contract award, the State reserves the right to use any information presented in any proposal.

20. CHALLENGES TO IDENTIFICATION OF SELECTED VENDOR

Within five (5) business days of the State's posting of the rank or score on its website, Bidders may, in accordance with RSA 21-G:37, request that the agency review its selection process. The request must be in writing and must specify all points on which the Bidder believes the agency erred in its process and shall contain such argument in support of its position as the Bidder seeks to present. In its request for review, a Bidder shall not submit, and the State will not accept nor consider, any substantive information that was not included in the original proposal. The State will respond to the request within five (5) business days of its receipt.

B. RFP TIMETABLE

The following table provides a Timetable for the RFP through contract finalization and approval. The

State reserves the right to amend this Timetable at its sole discretion and at any time through a published

Addendum.

Action Due Date (Eastern Time)

RFP Released June 18, 2026

Deadline for Vendor Inquiries and/or Requests for

Clarification and Proposed Specification Changes

June 24, 2026, by 2:00 PM ET

Action Due Date (Eastern Time)

Response to Vendor Inquiries and/or Requests for

Clarification and Proposed Specification Changes

No later than June 26, 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline July 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET

Contract Implementation Period G&C Approval through December 31, 2026

Contract Effective Date January 1, 2027

C. PROPOSAL CLOSING VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS

Vendors wishing to attend the proposal closing may do so via Microsoft Teams at the following:

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/263897262068088?p=k2za53iRPG6hlMCnT9

Meeting ID: 263 897 262 068 088

Passcode: ic2xH3su

Need help? | System reference

Dial in by phone

+1 603-931-4944,,836588332# United States, Concord

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 836 588 332#

Join on a video conferencing device

Tenant key: nhgov@m.webex.com

Video ID: 116 724 268 6

More info

For organizers: Meeting options | Reset dial-in PIN

D. EVALUATION PROCESS

Segal has been retained by the State to assist in the evaluation of each Vendor’s responses for completeness and responsiveness to the RFP and to assist in the review of such responses. The State’s designated evaluation team will review and score Vendor responses and select the highest-ranking proposal. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the State procedures set forth in Steps 1 through 4 below.

Proposers are advised that this is not a low bid award and that the scoring of the financial section will be combined with the scoring of the non-financial section to determine the overall highest scoring Vendor.

STEP #1: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Each proposal shall be evaluated to determine compliance with the State of New Hampshire’s Minimum

Qualifications requirements set forth in the RFP. The State may waive or offer a limited opportunity to cure immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements if it is determined to be in the best interest of the

State.

Any proposal that fails to meet one (1) or more of the criteria below may be eliminated from further consideration for this contract. Proposals meeting all of the minimum qualifications shall be evaluated in accordance with the State’s selection criteria. Therefore, to receive further consideration, a proposal must https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/263897262068088?p=k2za53iRPG6hlMCnT9 https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzE5NjAyZWYtNzBjYi00YThlLWIxY2QtNDY1NDczOGJkMzg1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22992deae9-1c4c-42c8-a310-5088af55ba74%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22463a14e4-a708-45d4-849b-9337540f32be%22%7d tel:+16039314944,,836588332 https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/f7a647af-ea74-46b0-81b7-19cbfe838a27?id=836588332 mailto:nhgov@m.webex.com https://www.webex.com/msteams?confid=1167242686&tenantkey=nhgov&domain=m.webex.com https://teams.microsoft.com/meetingOptions/?organizerId=463a14e4-a708-45d4-849b-9337540f32be&tenantId=992deae9-1c4c-42c8-a310-5088af55ba74&threadId=19_meeting_NzE5NjAyZWYtNzBjYi00YThlLWIxY2QtNDY1NDczOGJkMzg1@thread.v2&messageId=0&language=en-US https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/usp/pstnconferencing indicate “YES” to confirm each of the following questions and, if applicable, comply fully with the

“Submission Requirement(s)” for each qualification.

Minimum Qualifications

Enter

Yes or

No

1. The Bidder is a NH licensed insurance producer or a NH licensed business entity pursuant to NH RSA 402-J.

Submission Requirement: All bids shall include proof of a NH license as issued by the NH Department of

Insurance. Proof must be provided for the agent, producer, producer business entity, insurer, underwriter and any authorized person.

2. The Bidder/bidding entity acknowledges that participation in “blocking the market” or any other non-competitive behavior in order to prevent other potential bidders from full and open competition in responding to this bid is prohibited. Insurance producers submitting bids shall disclose the identity of all markets approached and provide a short narrative of each market’s response. Failure to comply with the terms of this section is grounds for disqualification.

Submission Requirement: The bidding entity acknowledges acceptance of these terms by confirming with a

“Yes” and attaching the signed Transmittal Letter in Appendix D of this RFP.

3. The Bidder/bidding entity or insurance carrier’s rating contained in the most recent edition of A.M. Best’s

Insurance Reports or its equivalent reflects a rating greater than or equal to a B++ (or its equivalent rating from S&P or Moody’s).

Submission Requirement: Proof of rating reflecting most recent date.

4. The Bidder is able and willing to demonstrate its financial stability.

Submission Requirements: a) Bidder’s most recent financial report; b) most recent independent auditor’s report; and c) SSAE 16, SAS-70, or equivalent external audit of Vendor’s operations. Attach to proposal.

5. The certificate of coverage includes a continuity of coverage “no loss/no gain” provision.

Submission Requirement: Per Section III, A, review the existing Certificate of Coverage and complete the

“Requested Plan Designs Form” located in Appendix B indicating that a comparable continuity of coverage provision is included.

6. Bidder/bidding entity has a minimum of five years of experience providing similar services within the scope of this RFP to at least three (3) public sector clients.

Submission Requirement: Response to background and experience in Section IV demonstrates a minimum of experience requirements.

7. The Bidder provided all information requested in the Technical Questionnaire Section IV?

Submission Requirements: Completed response to Section IV of this RFP.

8. The Bidder responded to the performance guarantees set forth in Section V of the RFP and placed a percentage of annual premium at risk.

Submission Requirements: Completed response to the Performance Guarantees Section V, including the percentage of annual premium the Bidder is placing at risk.

9. The Bidder provided the rate information requested in the financial section.

Submission Requirements: Full and complete responses to Section VII. Prepare all such responses on the financial worksheets included in this RFP. A separate electronic version must be provided containing this same information.

10. Quoted rates are without commissions.

Submission Requirement: Confirmation in Section VII: Financials that all rates are quoted without commissions.

Minimum Qualifications

Enter

Yes or

No

11. Proposal grandfathers all current participants for a level of benefits equal to their coverage in force on the date just prior to the effective date of your program. Medical Evidence of Insurability (MEOI) should not be required for coverage amounts up to the guaranteed issued (GI) levels.

Submission Requirement: The bidding entity acknowledges acceptance of these terms by confirming with a

“Yes”.

12. The Bidder provided client reference information requested in the Client References Section VI.

Submission Requirements: Complete response to Section VI

STEP #2: FINANCIAL SCORING (50 TOTAL POINTS)

The financial proposals (Section VII) will be scored based on three categories: Employer Paid Premium, Employee Paid Premium, and Employer and Employee Paid Premium. The lowest cost proposal in each category will receive 100% of the points allocated for that respective category as determined by the State for the five-year (5) period from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2031. All other financial proposals will be scored on a sliding scale where the Bidder’s score will be reduced by two (2) points for every percentage point it is higher than the lowest cost proposal for the respective category. As the scale is sliding, scores will be adjusted for partial percentage differences.

The following exhibit illustrates how the financial score will be calculated in each category from the 50 total points available: (Refer to Section I for more details on coverages)

Financials Points

Employer Paid Premium – Basic Life 20

Employee Paid Premium – All Other Coverages 15

Total Paid Premium (Employer plus Employee Paid Premium) 15

Total 50

Any Bidder with a Total Paid Premium that is more than 25% higher than the lowest Bidder will be excluded from further consideration.

Employer Paid Premium (ER) – Maximum 20 Points

Step Description Formula

Example, where:

Lowest Bid ER = $1,000 and Bidder ER = $1,025

A Cost Difference = (Bidder’s ER / Lowest Bid ER) – 1 ($1,025 / $1,000) – 1 =

0.025

B Convert Decimal to

Percent Value

= A x 100 0.025 x 100 = 2.5

C 2 Point Reduction per

Percentage Higher

= 2 x B 2 x 2.5 = 5.0

Bidder’s ER Score = 20 - C 20 – 5.0 = 15.0

Employee Paid Premium (EE) – Maximum 15 Points

Step Description Formula

Example, where:

Lowest Bid EE = $1,000 and Bidder EE = $1,025

A Cost Difference = (Bidder’s EE / Lowest Bid EE) – 1 ($1,025 / $1,000) – 1 =

0.025

B Convert Decimal to

Percent Value

= A x 100 0.025 x 100 = 2.5

C 2 Point Reduction per

Percentage Higher

= 2 x B 2 x 2.5 = 5.0

Bidder’s EE Score = 15 - C 15 – 5.0 = 10

Total Paid Premium (TPP) – Maximum 15 Points

Step Description Formula

Example, where:

Lowest Bid TPP = $2,000 and Bidder TPP = $2,050

A Cost Difference = (Bidder’s TPP / Lowest Bid TPP) – 1 ($2,050 / $2,000) – 1 =

0.025

B Convert Decimal to

Percent Value

= A x 100 0.025 x 100 = 2.5

C 2 Point Reduction per

Percentage Higher

= 2 x B 2 x 2.5 = 5

Bidder’s TPP Score = 15 - C 15 – 5 = 10

Example Bidder’s Total Financial Score – Maximum 50 Paints

Employer Paid Premium 15.0

Employee Paid Premium 10.0

Total Paid Premium 10.0

Example Bidder’s Total Financial Score 35.0

STEP #3: NON-FINANCIAL SCORING (50 TOTAL POINTS)

The Bidder's response to information requested in Sections IV of the RFP will be evaluated based on the extent to which the Bidder documents conform with specifications, as well as the completeness, soundness, and creativity of the Bidder's response, all as evaluated by the State.

The State will evaluate proposals based on technical criteria, including:

• Questionnaire Score - A comparative scoring process will measure the degree to which each Bidder’s proposal meets the following criteria in the categories indicated in the chart below in Section II.D.4:

– the extent to which the Bidder demonstrates its ability and experience in the categories indicated

– the completeness and quality of the response to each question

– the degree to which response demonstrates a thorough and thoughtful understanding of the needs of the State as described in this RFP

– the level of innovation and the types of innovative approaches or features

• Performance Guarantees Score - The extent to which the Bidder demonstrates a willingness to agree to the requested performance guarantees and the proposed dollar amount at risk (Section V).

STEP #4: CONTRACT AWARD

As summarized in the chart below, each Bidder's technical score (as outlined above) will be combined with their financial score to determine the highest scoring bidder.

If the State decides to award a contract as a result of this RFP process, formal and final selection of the

Bidder, is contingent upon the successful negotiation and the proper execution of all contract documents

(acceptable to the State), approval of the Governor and Executive Council, and continued appropriation of funding for the contract. If the State is unable to reach agreement with the selected Bidder, the State may, at its sole discretion and at any time and without liability to the Bidder, immediately terminate such contract discussions with the Bidder and undertake discussion with the Bidder submitting the next highest ranked proposal, and so on. The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any part thereof, cancel this RFP, or solicit new proposals under a new procurement process.

Scoring Categories

Points Section

FINANCIAL 50.0 VII

TECHNICAL QUESTIONNAIRE 40.0 IV

Your Firm, Background and Experience 5.0 IV.A

Administration and Account Management 10.0 IV.B

Implementation, Enrollment and

Communications

10.0 IV.C

Claims Administration 7.5 IV.D

Reporting 7.5 IV.E

PERFORMANCE GUARANTEES 10.0 V

TOTAL POINTS 100.0

E. BIDDER CONTACT

Designate the individual(s) with the following responsibilities:

The individual(s) representing your company during the RFP process:

Representative Name:______________________ Phone #:______________

Email: ___________________

The individual(s) responsible for day-to-day service (if different):

Representative Name:______________________ Phone #:______________

Email: ___________________

SECTION III: REQUIRED SERVICES AND CONTRACT TERMS

A. PLAN DESIGN AND ELIGIBILITY

Please review the attached Summary of Benefits and Certificate of Coverage and complete the

“Requested Plan Designs Form” located in Appendix B. If no deviations are provided on this form, it will be assumed that your organization can administer the current plan design exactly as written in the following attached Summary of Benefits.

The State currently offers one (1) Employer-paid Life Insurance plan, and six (6) Employee-paid

Insurance options (as outlined below) to full-time eligible employees.

Please note that in some instances, married spouses both are employees of the State, and therefore are eligible to have life coverage for each other and may both elect child life for any eligible dependent child(ren). All life coverage is term life insurance.

Plan Paid By

Coverage

Amount Coverage Type

Covered

Member Reduction

Guaranteed

Issue Amount

1 State $50,000 Basic Life Employee No

Reduction

$50,000

2 Employee $5,000 and/or

Plan 4

Supplemental

Basic Life (No

AD&D)

Employee No

Reduction

$5,000

3 Employee $20,000 or

$25,000

Basic AD&D Employee No

Reduction

$20,000 or

$25,000

4 Employee 1x, 2x, 3x or

4x Annual

Base

Earnings1

Supplemental

Life with AD&D

Employee Reduces to

50% at age

1x Annual Base

Earnings

5 Employee $10,000 and/or Plan 6

Supplemental

Life (No

AD&D)

Spouse Reduces to

50% at age

70 (based on spouse’s age)

$10,000

6 Employee $25,000, $50,000, $75,000 or

$100,000

Supplemental

Life with AD&D

Spouse Reduces to

50% at age

70 (based on spouse’s age

$25,000

7 Employee $3,000 Child(ren) Life Dependent

Child(ren) up to age 262

No

Reduction

$3,000

1 Annual base earning means annual wage or salary including regular scheduled shift differential but excluding any commissions, bonuses, overtime pay or any other compensation.

2 Child Life Coverage - This definition includes your Child age 26 or older who is incapable of self-sustaining employment due to physical or intellectual disability. Coverage will continue while the Child remains incapable of self-sustaining employment due to physical or intellectual disability and continues to meet the definition of

Child except for the age limit.

SECTION IV

Eligible employees include full-time employees in positions with a duration of 6 months or more. All eligible full-time employees must work a minimum of 37.5 hours or 40.0 hours per week. Eligible employees must satisfy a waiting period for initial enrollment upon hire, transfer or rehire, as outlined below:

• New Hires: First of the month following one month of employment;

• Transfer to an eligible position: First of the month following one month of employment;

• Rehires within 12 months: First of the month following rehire date.

Eligible full-time employees are automatically enrolled in the State paid Basic Life of $50,000 upon completion of the appropriate waiting period.

Employees may elect to change or add new coverage during annual open enrollment or due to experiencing a qualifying life event. Employees may voluntarily withdraw from or reduce coverage at any time.

Employees on an approved leave of absence are considered active employees and remain eligible for coverage for up to 12 months from the approved date of leave.

Coverage ends at the end of the month in which an employee loses eligibility (i.e.: position change, termination or retirement).

B. IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation activities shall commence within seven days of Governor and Executive Council (G&C) approval, or September 1, 2026, whichever is later. Please state what is the minimum amount of time recommended to implement the program.

The Bidder shall provide a preliminary implementation plan and timeline in its proposal and identify its implementation team members, as well as the State resources required for the implementation. No later than one week after Governor & Executive Council approval, the Bidder shall submit a detailed implementation project plan and timeline to meet the State’s needs and subject to the

State’s approval that will include but not be limited to the following:

• Steps required to implement the program.

• Key implementation team member(s), including their contact information and roles.

• Development of Evidence of Insurability (EOI) and Portability/Conversion interface files between State and Vendor.

• Import and testing of existing enrollment data from State, if applicable.

• Establishment of bank accounts, check stock, on-line plan information.

• Establish process for data and reporting access for the State.

• Development of a Comprehensive Communication plan with defined targeted audiences to include but not be limited to DAS, employees, state agencies, and other plan participants.

• Support of the State’s November 2026 Open Enrollment for 2027 Plan Year, to include life insurance benefit calculator, benefit summaries, enrollment/changes, etc.

• Vendors are prohibited from direct solicitation or one-on-one contact with State employees. All access to employees (e.g., open enrollment) must be approved by the State. These rules apply during implementation and throughout the contract period.

• Include examples of proposed employee communications newsletters, posters, etc.

• Include examples of proposed benefit plan summary/booklet and/or policy certificate

• Access to and training on the Vendor’s online client and member portals as directed by the State. Any other item that is determined to be necessary for successful implementation. Please list.

The implementation project plan shall be updated thereafter as the State and Vendor mutually agree.

Implementation activities shall be conducted in close collaboration and with the approval of the DAS.

Confirm you agree to the following:

1. Confirm that there will be no additional fees charged for any start-up costs including, but not limited to, the above services required in the implementation timeline. Describe any other changes not included in proposed fees (e.g., 800 lines, printing). Can they be amortized over several years of the contract? If there are any additional fees, they must be included in the Section VII Financial of this

RFP and not below.

a. Initial set-up charges

b. Development of communications materials

c. Participation at employee education meetings

d. Review of transition cases

e. Other charges (please specify)

f. Total first year start up fees

2. Confirm that you will have final benefit booklets/summaries available to the State beginning

November 1, 2026, and each following year for the purposes of open enrollment, or by a date mutually agreed upon. At a minimum, benefit plan summaries, EOI communications, enrollment/change forms and benefit calculator for EE Life would be required for November 1, 2026

Open Enrollment. Final booklets/policy certificates no later than 60 days after January 1, 2027.

3. Confirm you will honor any coverage amounts previously approved by the State’s prior vendor’s

Medical Underwriting Review.

C. SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

The requirements set forth below shall be minimum service requirements to be provided by the successful

Vendor:

1. The State requires Vendor to provide dedicated staff in the following specialties:

a. Implementation

b. Account Executive

c. Reporting/Data Processing

d. Customer Service/Claims Processing

2. The State requires the assignment of a dedicated Account Executive that shall be accountable to the

State for proactive management of all aspects of the Vendor’s performance to the State and its members. The Account Executive shall remain constant, within the Vendor’s control, for at least the first 18 months of the contact period. The Vendor shall not change assignment of the Account

Executive without written notice provided to the State with a minimum of fourteen (14) days prior to such change. The State reserves the right to request assignment of a new Account Executive and the

Vendor shall make such change within 30 days of receipt of written notice from the State.

3. The State will self-bill monthly with supporting detail on monthly electronic file feeds by employee and by plan. The Bidder and the State shall agree to an invoicing schedule and payment term.

4. It is the State’s standard to exchange data with its vendors using the State of New Hampshire’s

Secure File Exchange Server. The Vendor will be required to retrieve enrollment and eligibility data, as well as other related data, from this server. In addition, the Vendor will be required to use this method for sending data files to the State.

5. The State requires that the Vendor work with the State’s eligibility systems. The State currently utilizes the Global Human Resources and Human Resources Management modules of the Infor ERP

(enterprise resource planning) software for human resources, benefits and payroll functions to manage the State Plan’s eligibility.

6. The State requires a dedicated portal be made available to plan participants and/or their beneficiaries to handle claims or other service issues at no additional cost.

7. The State requires it be permitted to have an independent audit performed (as frequently as annually), using an auditor of its choosing, of your claim operation and will not be charged by your organization (the State would be responsible for the fees of the independent auditor).

SECTION IV: TECHNICAL

A. YOUR FIRM, BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

1. Please provide a concise profile of your firm, including details of ownership, organizational structure, size, years in operation and any relevant affiliations or certifications.

2. Please provide an overview of your workforce demographics, including:

a. Total number of employees

b. Number of employees based in the United States

c. Percentage of employees working remotely versus in-office (or hybrid)

d. Average employee tenure, including any relevant breakdowns (e.g., by department or role) if available.

3. Please describe what differentiates you from your competition with regards to Account Management and Customer Service capabilities.

4. Please list the number of:

a. Municipalities you currently provide life insurance coverage, and how many of those municipalities are in the State of New Hampshire; and

b. States that you provide life insurance coverage.

5. Please outline your firm’s customer service hours of operation in Eastern Standard Time (EST), including:

a. Regular business hours

b. Weekend or holiday coverage

c. Any time zone considerations of the representatives assigned to the State account

6. Please list all translation services your firm provides and include the following:

a. Languages supported

b. Availability (e.g., phone, email, chat, written materials)

c. Hours of operation for multilingual support

d. Whether translation services are provided in-house or through third-party vendor

7. Please disclose any potential conflicts of interest that your organization may have in performing services outlined in this RFP for the State of New Hampshire.

8. Along with your proposal, please include copies of the most recent reports on your company claims paying ability from the rating services of Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch’s and AM Best’s.