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South Miami picks Curative for employee health coverage; commissioners press for transparency on pharmacy and data
Summary
After a competitive solicitation, the commission authorized the city manager to engage Curative for employee health coverage (plan year begins Oct. 1). Commissioners pressed staff and broker for disclosures on broker fees, pharmacy networks and data privacy; Curative said Publix is its Florida retail pharmacy partner and that member data are confidential and not sold.
The City Commission on Aug. 20 authorized the city manager to engage Curative for employee health insurance, with the new plan scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
Staff and broker USI described a solicitation that yielded multiple quotes; Curative offered a competitive premium with features staff highlighted: a baseline onboarding medical visit that can waive certain copays/deductibles if members complete the program, 24/7 virtual care and a second‑year rate cap. Broker Kurt Cushing confirmed standard commission arrangements (5–6% range) and stated no placement bonuses were paid by carriers in this procurement.
Commissioners pressed for additional transparency: Mayor Fernandez requested written fee disclosures from the broker and asked whether the buying cooperative PRM had been solicited (staff said PRM was not part of the standard outreach and would require additional time to quote). Commissioners also asked about pharmacy access; Curative said that in Florida Publix is Curative’s retail pharmacy partner, with national pharmacy network access for out‑of‑state needs and mail/next‑day delivery options. The Curative representative stated member baseline visit data are confidential, used for care management and not sold.
Commissioners discussed the limited procurement window and the operational need to finalize open enrollment ahead of Oct. 1; staff said delays would harm benefits administration. After discussion and requests for written disclosures, the commission voted 4‑0 to authorize the manager to engage Curative at an approximate premium amount of $1,131,710 for FY 2024–25.
Commissioners asked staff to provide fee‑disclosure documentation from the broker and a written statement from Curative confirming data‑use assurances for the public record.
