How MCPS Benefit Plans Are Selected: The Request for Proposal (RFP) Process
Have you ever considered the steps Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) takes to select benefit plan vendors to insure its employees, retirees, and their families?
The Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC) initiates a competitive procurement process on benefit plans every three to five years. Also known as “going out to bid,” this process begins with a Request for Proposal (RFP).
ERSC’s Benefits team most often works with the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Division of Procurement; Aon, a third-party benefit consultant; and other Montgomery County agencies to issue the RFP and review the submitted proposals. Through the Joint Employee Benefits Committee work group, each employee association has selected members who review the RFP submissions as well.
Going out to bid every three to five years ensures MCPS is purchasing the best vendor, from a coverage and pricing standpoint, for the benefit plan being reviewed. ERSC joins with other county agencies to use the purchasing power of a large group, while retaining the individual right to select the best vendor to serve MCPS employees, retirees, and their families.
This spring, MCPS will go out to bid on multiple benefit plans for a January 1, 2025, effective date. Those plans will include its dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
The review process includes looking over and evaluating proposals based on several criteria, including but not limited to the following:
- Ability to mirror MCPS benefits
- Network size and overlap to existing network providers
- Plan management, care management and supporting programs
- Pricing for services
- Customer service support
- Reporting capabilities
- Management support for administration
- Innovative programs or new support structures
The RFP process for the dental, vision, and life insurance plans will begin with the issuance of the RFP toward the end of January 2024, and will conclude in May 2024, with the recommendations to the Board of Education on the vendors selected.