Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff recommends Gallagher Benefit Services as new benefits broker; council asks for security details
Summary
City staff recommended Gallagher Benefit Services after an RFP process to replace the city's benefits broker; Gallagher outlined Employee Navigator (enrollment), Bright/Brite (communication), and compliance/actuarial supports. Council members pressed staff and Gallagher on data security and how the platforms handle sensitive employee information.
Marion City staff recommended Gallagher Benefit Services as the city's next employee benefits broker following a competitive RFP process meant to replace the current contract that ends June 30. Greg, Marion City's payroll benefits manager, told the council the review team examined six proposals, interviewed four finalists and prioritized firms that offered proactive analytics, modeling and a modern, user-friendly digital platform.
Greg said the city sought improved online enrollment and stronger reporting tools and that Gallagher best matched those priorities. "We received six proposals and the review team conducted interviews and detailed evaluations of four finalists," he said, recommending Gallagher based on their public-sector experience and a proactive approach to long-term planning.
Gallagher representatives Michael Rosen and Brian Doyle described the firm's local and national staffing for Marion City, a benefit-advocate center that would assist employees with claims and carrier questions, and two software elements: Bright (a largely public-facing communications/education tool) and Employee Navigator (an enrollment and recordkeeping system). "Employee Navigator is the one that's most suitable for the city of your size and scope," Doyle said, noting it records elections year-to-year and communicates enrollments to carriers.
Several council members asked about data security. A councilor asked for specifics about two-factor authentication and other provisions Malone said are included; Gallagher said their RFP response contains a detailed security section and committed to providing that information for the council's Thursday meeting. "We put together a very specific response in our RFP response specific to security that I can make sure that I get back to Greg," a Gallagher representative said.
Council discussion also touched on the scale of Gallagher's client base and how their communication and reporting platforms would affect staff workload. Gallagher told the council they support compliance consulting, pharmacy and actuarial services and can draw on a national compliance team and legal staff to advise public-sector employers.
Next steps: staff will provide the security and provisioning details from Gallagher's RFP response at the council's Thursday meeting before any final contract approval.
