Life Insurance, Long Term Disability and Pet Insurance

The County Commissioners of Charles County, Maryland, are soliciting proposals for comprehensive Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability (LTD), and Pet Insurance services through Request for Proposal (RFP 25-016). The procurement seeks qualified firms to provide fully insured, non-participating insurance coverage for county employees, with a base contract period running from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, followed by two optional one-year renewal periods at the county's discretion. Bidders must replicate current plan designs, including basic life insurance at 1.5 times annual earnings (up to $250,000 minimum $10,000), supplemental life insurance options (1-3 times annual earnings up to $500,000), dependent life coverage (up to $20,000 for spouses and $10,000 for children), and long-term disability benefits with specified elimination periods and maximum benefit periods. The county will fund basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, and LTD coverage, while supplemental and dependent life coverage will be 100% employee-paid. Qualified respondents must demonstrate at least ten years of experience in the insurance field, provide excellent customer service capabilities, maintain an easy-to-use website integrating with the county's bSwift benefit enrollment system, and submit performance guarantees for critical implementation and ongoing operations tasks. The response deadline is January 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., and selected vendors must attend all Open Enrollment meetings at no additional cost throughout the contract term and any extension periods.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types are detailed in the available procurement documents, though vendors must maintain good standing with the State of Maryland and comply with ethical procurement standards and equal opportunity requirements. The incumbent vendor is The Hartford, which currently administers LTD claims, with historical data showing 9 distinct claims between January 2022 and November 2024, including 5 open, 3 denied, and 1 closed claim. All respondents must integrate with the existing bSwift benefits administration platform and comply with the county's standard General Provisions and Special Provisions outlined in the contract template. While specific budget or award values are not disclosed in the available documents, the county's current funding is structured as a fully insured arrangement with county-paid and employee-paid contribution splits. Interested vendors should obtain the complete RFP documentation, including the proposal forms and data file (Proposals_Forms_and_Data-241218.xlsx), general provisions (Appendix E), and the current benefits booklet reflecting existing coverage parameters effective through July 1, 2023.