Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance and Short-Term Disability (STD) Administration

The City of Westerville, Ohio, located in Delaware County, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance and Short-Term Disability (STD) Administration services for approximately 470 eligible employees. The procurement seeks qualified vendors capable of providing comprehensive insurance coverage with guaranteed issue amounts including $100,000 maximum Basic Life and AD&D benefits for employees, $250,000 for the City Manager, $10,000 spouse benefit, and $5,000 dependent child benefit, while also administering the City's self-funded STD program with benefits structured at 60 percent of pre-disability earnings with a $1,000 weekly maximum, a 14-day elimination period, and a 26-week maximum benefit duration. Proposals must include detailed rate schedules for Basic Life and AD&D coverage, STD administration fees, and general administrative service costs, with a minimum one-year rate guarantee for the initial contract period (January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027) and renewal periods recommended to include rate guarantees with advance notice of renewal rates at least 120 days prior to renewal. Key deadlines include a non-mandatory pre-proposal conference on May 29, 2026, at 11:30 AM EDT via Google Meet, written questions due by June 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM EDT, and proposals due by June 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM EDT, with selected offerors potentially invited to presentations and interviews between June 23 and July 2, 2026. Evaluation criteria emphasize responsiveness (10 points), experience and qualifications (30 points), capability and project approach (40 points), and cost (20 points), with the lowest price proposal not necessarily selected. Offerors must demonstrate Ohio licensure, financial strength ratings, and provide three client references preferably from the public sector.

The procurement documents do not indicate set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific types of organizations or disadvantaged enterprises. The City of Westerville currently contracts with Equitable Plan Services for Life and AD&D administration and STD administration services, making this vendor the incumbent contractor; the competitive procurement process is designed to secure competitive, compliant, and high-quality solutions that may or may not result in contract continuation with the current vendor. Vendors must integrate with the City's existing benefits infrastructure, which includes medical insurance through UnitedHealthcare, dental coverage through Delta Dental, vision coverage through VSP Vision Care, and coordination with the City's Health Savings Account and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account programs. The total estimated Year 1 project cost will be calculated based on the City's current benefits package and available census data, though a specific budget range or award value is not disclosed in the procurement documents. Services are scheduled to commence on January 1, 2027, with contract negotiations and award anticipated between July 3 and July 14, 2026.