County of San Mateo Dental Request for Proposal

The County of San Mateo's Human Resources Department Benefits Division is soliciting proposals through a Request for Proposals (RFP) for comprehensive dental services coverage for its active employees and retired population. The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to administer dental benefits for approximately 16,000 covered lives across the County's workforce, encompassing both preferred provider organization (PPO) and dental health maintenance organization (DHMO) plans. The selected vendor will be responsible for delivering high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective dental care benefits; administering coverage for active and retired members; providing a broad and accessible provider network; delivering responsive customer service; and offering strong account management and administrative support. Current enrollment consists of 2,723 DPPO core subscribers, 1,701 DPPO buy-up subscribers, 1,300 DHMO subscribers, and 2,505 retiree plan subscribers. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: financial factors (30 percent), network breadth and provider continuity (30 percent), plan design offerings (20 percent), and customer service capabilities (20 percent), with Phase 2 evaluation including local business preference points worth 10 percent under San Mateo County Ordinance Code Chapter 2.89. Proposals are due April 3, 2026, at 5:00 PM via the eProcurement portal, with a deadline for questions and contract exceptions on March 13, 2026; interviews are tentatively scheduled for May 20, 2026, and contract award is anticipated by July 31, 2026. The contract term is five years with one optional two-year extension at the County's discretion, with performance to begin following full execution.

The County currently contracts with Cigna for dental services under a self-insured PPO plan and a fully-insured DHMO plan, with the existing agreement expiring December 31, 2026; this RFP is part of the County's periodic five-year market evaluation process. While the RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limited to disadvantaged enterprises, San Mateo County Ordinance Code Chapter 2.89 provides local business preference points in Phase 2 evaluation. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and will award to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the best overall value. A Cooperative Procurement agreement provision allows other organizations to utilize the resulting contract terms and conditions. Proposed vendors must comply with the County's standard contract templates for agreements over or under $200,000, which include comprehensive insurance requirements ($1,000,000 combined general liability, $1,000,000 motor vehicle liability, and $1,000,000 professional liability), compliance with HIPAA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and prevailing wage and living wage requirements. Specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the posted materials; however, the RFP workbook and detailed proposal documents contain financial evaluation criteria and may include historical pricing or budget parameters for vendor consideration.