DOA HR Medical Plan Admin and Pharmacy Benefit Management for State Employees

The State of Rhode Island's Office of Employee Benefits is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP26006428) to solicit qualified firms to provide medical benefits administration and/or pharmacy benefits management services for approximately 13,400 enrolled state employees and non-Medicare retirees, representing approximately 29,600 total covered members including dependents. Vendors may submit separate and distinct proposals for medical plan administration, pharmacy benefit management, or both services through the Ocean State Procures system. The solicitation opened on March 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM EDT with a submission deadline of April 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM EDT. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST via Microsoft Teams, and the vendor Q&A period runs from March 11 through March 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT. The initial contract period will commence approximately January 1, 2027, for three years, with options to renew for up to two additional 12-month periods based on vendor performance and fund availability. All proposals must include a completed Vendor Certification Questionnaire, Technical Proposal, Supplemental Bidder Attestation Form, Cost Proposal, and ISBE Participation Plan Form. Pricing terms must be submitted as firm and fixed unless otherwise indicated, with cost proposals evaluated using a formula comparing each vendor's proposal to the lowest bid received.

Vendors are required to propose Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), and Disability Business Enterprise (DisBE) participation rates and will receive scoring based on their proposed ISBE utilization. Comprehensive insurance requirements are mandated, including Commercial General Liability ($2 million per occurrence), Professional Liability ($2 million per occurrence with a $3 million annual aggregate), Information Technology Cyber/Privacy ($20 million per occurrence and annual aggregate), and Umbrella coverage ($20 million). The State will assess a 0.33% contract administrative fee on eligible contracts effective January 1, 2026, withheld from vendor invoices. No specific incumbent vendor or award value has been disclosed in the solicitation materials. The State reserves the right to award based on cost alone, reject any or all proposals, and cancel the solicitation at any time in its best interest.