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Commissioners authorize using surplus to hire Bolton Partners for health‑benefits review, recommend joint RFP with schools
Summary
HR director and finance staff said a joint RFP with the Board of Education could yield better rates; board gave consensus to spend up to $27,000 from savings to bid life and long‑term disability and to pursue a joint medical RFP for plan year starting July 2018.
County HR Director Catherine (last name in transcript: Prabson) and CFO Jeanette Cudmore summarized a Bolton Partners review of the county’s employee health benefits. Bolton recommended two immediate steps: (1) submit a joint request for proposals for medical coverage with the Board of Education for the plan year beginning July 1, 2018, to capture economies of scale, and (2) put life insurance and long‑term disability out to bid now for the plan year that begins July 1, 2017.
Bolton’s Mark Lynn, who presented the recommendation through staff, advised that a joint medical solicitation with the Board of Education is typically done in these cycles and could reduce costs. Staff proposed using surplus dollars from the county’s Affordable Care Act budget line (where actual participation has been lower than budgeted) to fund the procurement work.
Board action. Commissioners gave consensus approval to pay Bolton Partners up to $27,000 to do the bidding and negotiation work and to help negotiate the CareFirst renewal. Cudmore said the budget already contains a surplus in the hourly employee health account that can cover the fee for the consultant.
What’s next: Bolton will prepare solicitations for life and long‑term disability and will coordinate with the Board of Education on a joint medical RFP for July 2018. Commissioners directed staff to make sure any change will not reduce employee benefits and asked for analysis of downstream costs such as the Cadillac tax and retirement plan interactions.
Ending: Commissioners did not change plans at the meeting itself beyond authorizing the consultant work; they instructed staff to return with results for the recommended‑budget cycle.
