Employee Health Benefits Broker and Consultant Services

The vendor is required to provide employee health brokerage and consulting services for employee insurance and benefits programs.
- Employee insurance benefits programs for which services may be expected include:
•    Health insurance
•    Voluntary dental insurance
•    Voluntary vision insurance
•    Life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
•    Short-term and long-term disability insurance
•    Flexible spending accounts
•    Cobra - third party administration
•    FMLA administration
•    Wellness plan
•    Telemedicine
•    Employee assistance program
•    Voluntary supplemental coverage
•    Stop loss insurance
•    Other ancillary benefits as deemed appropriate
- The broker and consultant will be expected to provide services including, but not limited to, the following:
•    Administering all group insurance plans, responding to questions from and providing information to staff and employees, and providing other consulting services during the course of the plan year. 
•    Reviewing and reporting on claims experience, claim service, and claim administration to ensure maximum benefit to the city. 
•    Advise city on appropriate funding levels for insurance premiums and annual city budgets, including alternatives to existing carriers. 
•    Determining and recommending the most economical funding methods for the benefit programs. 
•    Representing the city in all negotiations with providers on all issues including those related to premiums, benefit levels, plan design, and special terms and conditions. 
•    Meeting with and providing reports to various city representatives including the city manager, human resources director, finance director, and employee benefits trust. 
•    Recommending items to bring to the board of trustees' meetings such as adding or changing programs and trends in claims. 
•    The board meets at least two times per year for staff to report on the trust fund balance and other topics the broker and consultant may present after consultation with staff. 
•    It is expected of the broker and consultant to comply with the board’s deadlines, attend trust meetings as needed, and adhere to the open meeting law and basic Robert’s rules of conduct during board meetings. 
•    Create written material (similar to the 2025-26 benefits guide), flyers, etc. for the communication of new programs or changes to existing benefits. 
•    Attend and make presentations at all open enrollment meetings. 
•    The city usually schedules 4-6 meetings, with one evening meeting, during April-May of each year. 
•    Researching and advising the city of any new developments in the state and federal law and employee benefit programs on an ongoing basis. 
•    Providing timely compliance with state and federal laws and regulations existing and as amendments become effective related to employee benefits and to self-funded groups in particular. 
•    Monitoring law and regulation for changes related to health benefits for police, firefighters and ambulance services personnel. 
•    Preparing bid specifications and soliciting proposals from insurance markets that specialize in group insurance plans, as needed. 
•    Evaluate bids and bidders, including administration, claim payment procedures, customer service, network, reserve establishment policies, financial soundness, and identifying the most cost-beneficial package from among the various bidders. 
•    Present your findings and recommendations to city staff in spreadsheet format that includes all financial calculations showing changes or differences to the current plan. 
•    Interfacing with insurance carriers as needed to assist the city in the resolution of problems associated with the benefit programs. 
•    Reviewing existing programs and identification of recommendations for changes in plan provisions, alternative delivery systems, funding alternatives, premium cost-sharing and other areas, as appropriate. 
•    Providing complete cobra administrative services. 
•    Providing excellent customer service, including but not limited to taking time to learn the issue at hand and providing appropriate solutions or options. 
•    Responding promptly to all communications from the staff and management. 
•    Address questions, concerns, and reports of issues diligently and expeditiously. 
•    Personal service directly with the independent professional broker is expected. 
•    Call center service is unacceptable. 
•    Other services that may not be mentioned above but constitute industry standard services for a local government of our size.

- Contract Period/Term: 3 years
- Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory) Date: September 11, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: September 24, 2025