Committee advances MetLife vision and Delta Dental contracts for county employee benefits
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Summary
The committee approved contracts to renew county employee vision coverage with MetLife (not to exceed $1,924,746.28) and dental coverage with Delta Dental of Ohio (not to exceed $11,875,028.40). HR staff said the MetLife proposal reduces unit cost by 6.65% and Delta Dental preserves network access for employees.
The Cuyahoga County Human Resources Appointment and Equity Committee on Nov. 18 advanced two benefits contracts to the full council: a vision contract with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) and a dental contract with Delta Dental of Ohio.
HR Director Sarah Nemasull opened the presentation and turned the discussion to Gloria Langford, HR benefits director, who explained the procurement process and the reasons for each award. For the group vision plan (Resolution 20250319), Langford said six proposals were received; combined scoring ranked MetLife highest and the selected MetLife Vision Care Superior Vision Network proposal provides a 6.65% decrease over the current per-employee monthly fixed rate, a four-year rate guarantee and a one-time implementation credit of $25,000. Langford said MetLife’s network preserves commonly used providers (VisionWorks, Pearle Vision) and expands options to include retailers and online vendors such as LensCrafters, Costco, America's Best, Target Optical, 1-800-Contacts and Warby Parker, improving access for employees locally and nationwide. Committee members thanked HR and the motion to advance the contract carried with aye votes and no opposition.
For dental coverage (Resolution 20250320) Langford said Delta Dental of Ohio, the incumbent, ranked highest in combined scoring after six proposals. She told the committee that while a lowest-cost bid existed, selecting it would have displaced about 16% of employees currently using in-network providers (Langford estimated that represented more than 700 employees and their families). The committee heard that selecting Delta Dental would mean a modest increase in per-paycheck cost (Langford cited approximately $0.47 for an individual and about $1.12 for a family plan) but would avoid disrupting many employees’ access to their current dentists. The committee moved and approved the resolution to advance the contract to the full council.
Both awards were presented as fully insured contracts (the vendors assume claim risk) and were advanced without recorded opposition. HR staff indicated MetLife coverage would take effect Jan. 1, 2026 (or Jan. 2 depending on holidays) for provider access transitions.
What happens next: both resolutions will appear on the full council docket for final approval and signature by all parties before the effective dates.