Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Services

The Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services Office of State Procurement (TSS OSP) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) on behalf of the Employee Benefits Division (EBD) to obtain pricing and a contract for Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) services. The state is seeking a fully-insured, national MA-PD passive Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan that mirrors EBD's current benefits design for its approximately 15,000 Medicare-eligible retirees in the Arkansas State Employees (ASE) plan and 15,000 Medicare-eligible members in the Public School Employees (PSE) plan. The contract will be awarded to the prospective contractor that submits the most advantageous proposal, with an anticipated start date of July 15, 2022, an initial term until December 31, 2025, and the potential for up to three one-year renewals. Key requirements include maintaining a CMS Star Rating of 4 or better, providing two dedicated onsite representatives, and completing the MA-PD implementation by a specified date.

The RFP does not mention any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. The incumbent vendor is not provided, and the contract value or budget range is not specified. The RFP indicates the state is open to considering various plan designs and is interested in understanding the impact of members opting out of the MA-PD plan. Prospective contractors are encouraged to identify additional features or enhancements that provide value without adding cost.