26P-040 Group Dental Insurance Services for Eligible Employees and Dependents

Marion County, Florida is seeking qualified and licensed insurance carriers to provide comprehensive group dental insurance services for eligible employees and their dependents through Request for Proposals (RFP) 26P-040. The procurement aims to secure dental insurance coverage for approximately 3,200 regular full-time county employees, with current enrollment of 2,610 employees across three coverage tiers: Employee Only, Employee Plus One, and Employee Plus Two or More, along with approximately 260 enrolled retirees. Proposers must offer two dental plan options effective October 1, 2026, that equal or exceed current benefits provided by Florida Combined Life, with required deliverables including new Plan Documents within 45 days of contract award, online benefits enrollment capabilities, and support for electronic ACH fund transfers. The solicitation requires vendors to provide comprehensive dental plan administration, customer service, claims processing, and regulatory compliance, with evaluation criteria focused on proposal responses, qualifications, experience, methodology, and pricing. Proposals are due by February 19, 2026, and must be submitted electronically through the Marion County Procurement Services Bonfire portal, with all communications and questions to be handled through this platform.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, suggesting the opportunity is open to all qualified insurance carriers. The current incumbent vendor is Florida Combined Life Insurance Company, Inc., with an existing infrastructure that includes a comprehensive dental benefits certificate covering preventive, basic, and major services, and an optional orthodontia rider. The current monthly premiums range from $29.14 to $97.68 depending on coverage tier, with participants paying 100% of premiums through a Section 125 plan. The participating entities include the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, five Constitutional Officers (Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, and Supervisor of Elections), and the Marion County Hospital District, which must be separately billed. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, historical claims data shows total claims of $2,376,716.91 across 17,428 claims over a two-year period, with total premiums billed at $3,270,698.98, providing insight into the potential contract value and scale of the dental insurance services being procured.