Supplemental Benefits Administration and Insurance Services

The City of Westerville, Ohio is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive supplemental benefits administration and insurance services to serve approximately 470 eligible City employees. This competitive procurement seeks proposals from insurance carriers and third-party administrators capable of providing life insurance with maximum benefits of $100,000 for employees and $250,000 for City managers, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, short-term disability (STD) administration with 60% benefit replacement at a maximum of $1,000 weekly with a 14-day elimination period and 26-week maximum benefit duration, medical review services, and consultation on optional voluntary benefit programs. Key deliverables include FMLA administration, enrollment and implementation services within 90 days of contract execution, ongoing employee customer service with extended hours, claims processing within 5-10 business days, technology platforms with self-service portals, and comprehensive reporting. The evaluation criteria prioritizes technical capability (50 points), experience and qualifications (20 points), responsiveness (10 points), value-added benefits (10 points), and cost (10 points during initial evaluation). Critical dates include a non-mandatory pre-proposal conference on March 31, 2026, a question submission deadline of April 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT, a proposal due date of April 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT, proposal evaluation on April 22, 2026, presentations and interviews from April 23-May 5, 2026, contract negotiations and award between May 6-15, 2026, and project kick-off and implementation commencing on or about May 18, 2026, with the contract commencement date of January 1, 2027. The RFP requires detailed pricing for Year 1 including premium rates for all coverage options, rate guarantees, rate development methodology, implementation fees, and transition fees, with Year 2 and Year 3 fees also specified, and recommends a minimum three-year rate guarantee period.

The RFP does not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations eligible to respond. The City's current incumbent carrier is Equitable Plan Services for life and AD&D coverage. Bidders must submit a Noncollusion Affidavit certifying that their bid is genuine and not collusive, and a Personal Property Tax Affidavit disclosing any delinquent personal property taxes owed to Franklin and Delaware Counties, with these affidavits to be incorporated into the resulting contract. Proposals must include transmittal letters and professional services proposals not exceeding 25 pages, with optional resumes, exceptions letters, and completed contract forms. While the RFP does not specify an award value or budget range in the available documentation, the contract will involve premium pricing for multiple coverage types across approximately 470 employees with implementation and transition fees for a minimum three-year period, suggesting a substantial contract value typical of municipal employee benefit programs.