Employee Dental and Vision Benefits

The Amarillo Independent School District is seeking proposals for fully insured Employee Dental and Vision Benefits through a Request for Proposals issued on February 20, 2026, with submissions due by 2:00 p.m. Central Time on March 20, 2026. The procurement covers a 38-month contract period effective July 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, structured as an initial two-month term followed by three 12-month plan years beginning September 1, 2026. The district seeks comprehensive dental and vision benefit coverage for approximately 4,779 covered lives across five coverage tiers: Employee Only (2,921 lives), Employee & Spouse without Children (443 lives), Employee & Children without Spouse (782 lives), Employee & Family (633 lives), and COBRA participants. Proposers must submit quotes matching current benefits derived from the existing MetLife dental PPO and VSP vision plans, plus two alternative proposals that enhance benefits across all coverage tiers. Qualified vendors must hold appropriate Texas Department of Insurance licenses and registrations to underwrite and administer fully insured benefits, demonstrate direct experience performing similar work for Texas governmental entities within the past five years, maintain three governmental entity references, and provide evidence of organizational stability and capability. Pricing must be firm fixed-price for the initial two-month period and Plan Years One and Two, with third-year price increases capped at those proposed in the submission. Award selection will be made based on best value criteria weighing purchase price and total long-term cost (45 points), vendor reputation and quality of goods/services (20 points combined), extent to which offerings meet district specifications (29 points), past relationship with the district (5 points), and Texas principal place of business or in-state employment of 500+ persons (1 point).

The solicitation does not specify formal set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises; however, proposers must complete representations and certifications regarding Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and Minority, Women, Veteran Business Enterprise (MWVBE) status and may commit to subcontracting percentages with certified entities. The district maintains a Resident Bidder Certification form that may provide competitive preferences for qualified in-state bidders under Texas law. Current dental coverage is provided through MetLife with a PPO network featuring $50 individual and $150 family annual deductibles, Type A preventive services at 100% coverage, Type B diagnostic and restorative services at 80% coverage, Type C major services at 50% coverage, and orthodontic coverage at 50% with a $4,000 lifetime maximum, while vision coverage is currently administered through VSP. Proposers with contract values of at least $1 million must file Form 1295 with the Texas Ethics Commission before contract execution, and all proposers must file conflict of interest questionnaires within seven business days of proposal submission. The district requires completion of mandatory forms including Agreement to District Solicitation Provisions, Representations and Certifications, Conflict of Interest Questionnaire, Resident Bidder Certification, Felony Conviction disclosure, and General Proposal Questionnaire, with electronic submission through the Amarillo ISD Bonfire webpage; no specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents.