Group Medical Benefits

The Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting proposals for comprehensive Group Medical Benefits coverage through Request for Proposals (RFP) 2026-10, with an advertisement date of April 29, 2026, and a proposal deadline of June 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM, with the RFP opening scheduled for 10:05 AM the same day. The procurement encompasses fully-insured group medical benefits for approximately 457 active full-time employees, 129 retired employees, and their eligible dependents across Suwannee County and five constitutional offices: the Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Courts, and Supervisor of Elections, with contract commencement on October 1, 2026, and an initial term through September 30, 2027, with potential one-year renewal extensions. Qualified proposers must submit competitive medical plan options matching three existing plan designs consisting of one PPO HDHP option, one traditional HMO option, and one traditional PPO option, with monthly premium rates across four coverage tiers (Employee, Employee + Spouse, Employee + Children, and Family), along with rate guarantees and caps for years two and three if applicable, and detailed specifications for alternative funding arrangements such as profit-sharing or minimum premium options. Evaluation criteria allocate 35 points to Experience and Qualifications, 30 points to Scope of Services (including 24/7 customer service, COBRA and HIPAA administration, qualified personnel, one-business-day-or-less response times, 12-month rate guarantees, and wellness program contributions), and 35 points to Cost of Services, with proposers required to be licensed in Florida and maintain an AM Best rating of A- or better with financial size category VIII or larger, carry General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000, Auto Liability Insurance of $1,000,000, and Workers Compensation insurance per Florida statutory requirements. Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted by May 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM, with proposals submitted as sealed paper submissions (one original and three copies) to the Clerk of Court or through the county's digital procurement portal at suwanneecountyfl.bonfirehub.com.

The solicitation documentation does not explicitly identify set-aside designations or restrictions on disadvantaged enterprises; however, E-Verify compliance is mandatory for all employees and subcontractors, and all proposers must acknowledge cone of silence provisions and submit sworn statements regarding public entity crimes. The incumbent vendor is Florida Blue (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc.), which currently administers three plan options including BlueOptions plans 03160, 03161, and 03559, and BlueCare Plan 60 HMO, with existing medical and pharmacy benefits infrastructure requiring integration by the awardee through direct HIPAA and claims data reporting to the county's designated consultant (Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.). Recent historical claims data demonstrates significant cost volatility, with the most recent monitoring report (April 2025 through March 2026) showing total claims of $4,047,433.44 against $4,279,462.21 in premiums collected for a weighted medical loss ratio of 94.58 percent, reflecting per-member annual costs of approximately $9,112.32 and a participant population averaging 415 employee contracts covering 451 total members with predominant employee-only coverage; the plan year runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, with December 2025 claims data indicating significant cost increases at $1,647.61 per employee per month against target premiums generating substantial loss experience. While specific award values or budget ranges are not stated in the RFP documents, the historical claims experience and enrollment data suggest estimated annual medical benefits expenditures in the range of $4.0 to $4.3 million based on recent 12-month claim totals, though actual contract values will depend on final rate negotiations and plan design selections by the county.