International Student Health Insurance

Location:	Louisiana
Posted:	Apr 24, 2026
Due:	Jun 1, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Louisiana
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	G - Social Services Q - Medical Services V - Transportation, Travel and Relocation Services
Solicitation No:	50012-653-26
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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INVITATION TO BID

DO NOT SHIP BASED UPON THIS BID

Bid Number: 50012-653-26

Bid Title:

International Student Health Insurance

Bid Schedule:

Pre-Bid Conference:

N/A

Bid Submission Deadline / Opening:

June 1, 2026 @ 2:00 PM

Return this SIGNED form to:

Louisiana Tech University

Oﬃce of Purchasing

PO Box 3157

208 Keeny Circle, RM 408

Ruston, Louisiana 71272

Bidder agrees to comply with all

conditions below and attached to this

request.

Prices are to be complete and the

FOB point is to be Louisiana Tech

University unless otherwise speciﬁed.

Bidder Information: (Bidder to provide all required information)

(Full Company Name)

(Full Street or Mailing Address)

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

(Phone)

(Email)

(Fax)

(Company Quote Number if Applicable)

PRICES MUST BE FIRM FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS FROM BID OPENING DATE

FAILURE TO SIGN BELOW IN INK SHALL DISQUALIFY BID

Typed or Printed Name / Title

Authorized Signature

The Louisiana Tech University Oﬃce of Purchasing is seeking SEALED BIDS for the following:

International Student Health Insurance

* A bid bond in the amount of 5% of the oﬃcial bid or total premiums paid for the year is required to be submitted for this solicitation *

** MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO BID: The PPO network shall include Northern Louisiana Medical Center, an inpatient general hospital in Ruston, Louisiana

along with Allegience Medical Clinic, an inpatient and outpatient facility in Ruston, Louisiana within a ten-mile radius of Louisiana Tech University. The use of

the on-campus student health center is a $0 co-pay and is independent of the deductible being met. Protection from balance billing is also a minimum

requirement. When a student receives care at a required in-network hospital or clinic, any separately billing physician or provider associated with that visit must

be processed at no more than the student's in-network cost-sharing amount, and the student must be held harmless from balance billing. The company or

administrator is expected to make reasonable and timely eﬀorts to enforce applicable No Surprises Act protections and to work directly with providers to resolve

balance billing issues without requiring the student to negotiate separately with the provider. **

**See Attached Bid Speciﬁcations for additional details**

ALL BIDS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF PURCHASING VIA MAIL OR IN PERSON.

The Bidder is solely responsible for ensuring that its courier service provider makes inside deliveries to our physical location. Louisiana Tech

University is not responsible for any delays caused by the bidder’s chosen means of delivery.

For questions regarding speciﬁcations, please contact the Oﬃce of Purchasing at 318-257-4205 or purchasing@latech.edu. Please ensure that

the above bid number appears on all communications.

IMPORTANT: If bidding other than requested brand and product number (or style), enclose suﬃcient literature to determine compliance with speciﬁcations. Failure to comply with this

request may eliminate your bid from consideration. Any manufacturer’s names, trade names, brand names, or catalog numbers used in the speciﬁcations are for the purpose of describing

and establishing general quality levels. Such references are not intended to be restrictive. Bids will be considered for any brand which meets or exceeds the quality of the speciﬁcations

listed for any items.

PUR2526028 Rev. 06/12/2025

The Louisiana Tech University Oﬃce of Purchasing is now accepting Sealed Bid solicitations for International Student

Health Insurance to provide sickness and accidental insurance coverage for the international students at Louisiana Tech

University beginning August 11, 2026.

Solicitation Timeline:

April 24, 2026 – Initial posting of the solicitation

May 8, 2026 @ 5:00 PM – Deadline for submission of questions

May 15, 2026 @ 5:00 PM – Deadline for answers to submitted questions to be posted as an addendum

June 1, 2026 @ 2:00 PM – Deadline to receive sealed bids and bid opening

The Base Bid for this solicitation shall include Student Health Insurance Plan (sickness and accidental coverage), mandated

for F-1 International Students with hard-waiver, available for J-1 Exchange Visitors (and the dependents of F-1 International

Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors). Also included in this Base Bid shall be Dental Coverage and Vision Coverage for eligible

students and eligible dependents, if covered under the plan. This insurance coverage shall cover the timeframe August

11, 2026 to August 10, 2027 with the option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year periods if both parties mutually

agree.

Louisiana Tech University is a state supported university oﬀering degrees at the associates, bachelors and graduate levels.

The student population comes from across the United States and roughly 64 foreign countries. Total enrollment is

approximately 12,000, with approximately 500 international students as of Fall 2025-2026. More than 95% of these

international students were on F-1 visas. There were also twelve (12) research scholars and ﬁve (5) international students

who were in Exchange Programs (J-1) and were not here for the full academic year.

The University has an on-campus student health center staﬀed by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), registered

nurses and certiﬁed nursing assistants from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Information related to the current contract is available in attachments to this solicitation. The following attachments are

also part of this solicitation.

Attachment A: Academic Calendar

Attachment B: Member Guide from current plan

Attachment C: Utilization Report

Attachment D: Enrolled students by country for Fall 2025

Attachment E: Bid Submission Checklist

Dates of Academic Periods (Quarters) – Subject to Change

Fall 2026

Winter 2026

September 9, 2026 until November 21, 2026 (Coverage August 11 to Nov 29)

December 1, 2026 until March 6, 2027 (Coverage Nov 30 to March 6)

Spring 2027

March 9, 2027 until May 22, 2027 (Coverage March 7 to May 29)

Summer 2027 June 2, 2027 until August 14, 2027 (Coverage May 30 to August 14)

Eligibility & Coverage Period:

PUR2526028 Rev. 06/12/2025

It is the policy of Louisiana Tech University that the following populations are required to have health insurance coverage

while they are engaged in educational activities:

 F-1 students enrolled at Louisiana Tech University

 J-1 exchange visitors sponsored by Louisiana Tech University (and J-2 dependents, if applicable)

Hard waivers will be granted to students who have insurance through their parents, government or other extenuating

circumstances. A qualiﬁed student under the policy will be covered in any country outside their country of citizenship and/

or usual domicile.

The policy will also allow the following individuals to purchase coverage, although it is not a requirement for them:

 Spouses (F-2 or J-2) of F-1 students or J-1 exchange visitors.

 Children under the age of 21, of a registered F-1 student.

The plan may also oﬀer enrollment for F-1 students in the following categories:

 F-1 students on 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) or 24-month STEM OPT extension, if permitted by

carrier underwriting and plan design.

A person who is eligible for coverage shall become an Insured Certiﬁcate Holder on the ﬁrst day of the academic quarter

or the eﬀective date speciﬁed by the Policyholder. Coverage should be in eﬀect during the interim quarter break period,

provided the student reenrolls and pays the premium for the following quarter. Coverage is to be in eﬀect during all

vacation and holiday periods during an academic period (quarter).

Coverage should remain in eﬀect for an applicable academic period (quarter) even though a student may leave school,

unless the insured student enters military service, in which coverage would terminate upon entrance.

Students who institutionally withdraw (formerly resignation) after the premium is paid will be fully covered for the

remainder of the academic period (quarter). Should a student institutionally withdraw (formerly resign) from the

University while a claim is pending, the coverage should continue until payment of the maximum amount applicable or

until the student is fully recovered, whichever comes ﬁrst.

Participation in intramural activities and club sports is to be covered. Intercollegiate activities will not be covered.

ID Cards and Claims Handling Procedure:

The Awarded Vendor shall provide health insurance identiﬁcation cards. These cards should include the University’s name,

the name and address of the Insurance Company, an insurance policy number and the telephone number of the Insurance

Company to be accessed by the health care providers.

The Insurance Company shall provide a toll-free number and have claims representatives available during normal working

hours. The Insurance Company shall agree to make a good-faith eﬀort to process completed claim forms quickly and

eﬃciently. The claim form must be simple and easy to complete. The Insurance Company must accept bills and statement

forms generated by hospitals, clinics and attending physicians as supporting documentation.

The Insurance Company or administrator must maintain a clear process for identifying, escalating, and resolving potential

balance billing issues. The Insurance Company or administrator is expected to make reasonable and timely eﬀorts to

enforce applicable No Surprises Act protections on behalf of covered students and to work directly with providers to

resolve such issues without requiring the student to negotiate separately with the provider.

PUR2526028 Rev. 06/12/2025

Deductible or Co-pay:

There shall be a deductible of no more than $300 per coverage year per insured student, scholar, or dependent. Services

provided by the on-campus student health center shall remain available at $0 co-pay and without application of the

deductible. If the insured is referred by the on-campus student health center, the plan shall provide reduced cost sharing

for such referred services.

Payment of Premium:

After the ninth class day each academic period (quarter), the University will remit a check equal to 90% of the insurance

premiums assessed along with a list of covered students. The University will remit the remaining 10% of the premiums,

adjusting for any changes after the ninth class day, after the academic period (quarter) has ended.

An invoice from the insurance company is preferred but not required.

Qualiﬁcations of Bidder:

The bidder shall submit, as part of their bid, proof of the following:

1. Evidence of successful operation in providing insurance coverage at other universities for at least the last ﬁve (5)

years.

2. Best Key Rating Guide of A- or better, which includes A, A+ and A++.

3. Evidence the insurance company is authorized to do business in the State of Louisiana.

4. Evidence the agent or agency submitting the bid is licensed to conduct insurance business in the State of Louisiana.

5. Evidence the following information pertaining to the Managing General Agency (MGA) is stated:

a. Years in business writing this program;

b. Number of years MGA has used present insurance carrier in the program.

6. “Insurance Company Declaration”, as outlined below.

Insurance Company Declaration

Vendors shall submit all of the following as a part of their bid response. Failure to submit or provide the required

information as a part of the bid response shall cause the vendor’s bid to be deemed as non-responsive. A Declarations

Page is provided as a part of this solicitation for the convenience of the vendor.

1. Name of insurance company.

2. Insurance company’s address.

3. Insurance company’s telephone number, toll free.

4. Best’s policyholder’s rating.

5. Best’s ﬁnancial size category classiﬁcation.

6. List of each university or college insured during previous school year and attach a separate form listing the name

of each university or college; approximate premium volume for each university or college; and the name and title

of the administrator at each school responsible for the student health program. Denote those schools, which have

been insured for three (3) years or more. Individual schools may be contacted.

7. If the insurance company is paying claims, please provide/answer the following:

a. List the location of the oﬃce where claims will be paid;

b. List the name, title, telephone number, and years of experience in administering student claims, of the

persons responsible for the claim service;

c. List toll free number that can be used to call by the university in reference to any claims, questions or

problems.;

PUR2526028 Rev. 06/12/2025

d. Will claims’ oﬃce provide copies of all claims status to the university?

e. Will claims’ oﬃce provide information on all claims rejected and the reason(s) for the rejection?

f. What is the average time for a claim to be processed after the date the insurance company receives it?

8. What are the insurance company’s procedures in processing claims when notice of claim is submitted beyond the

policy’s time limit?

9. What are the insurance company’s procedures in processing claims when written proof of loss is submitted more

than ninety (90) days after the date of such loss?

10. Will the insurance company furnish the school with a monthly listing of all claims paid, including

a. Claim

b. Insured’s name

c. Date of claim incurred

d. Date of claim paid

e. Amount of claim

f. Company paid

11. Provide online access to claim forms and capability of submitting claims.

Medical Beneﬁts:

Subject to the exclusions, limitations, and other provisions of the policy; covered medical expenses shall be payable in

accordance with the beneﬁts, network provisions, and applicable cost-sharing terms of the plan when medically necessary

and otherwise covered under the policy. Covered expenses under the policy shall include the following types of services

and supplies, when prescribed or provided by a qualiﬁed healthcare provider for the diagnosis or treatment of a covered

injury or sickness.

- Charges for diagnosis and treatment by a doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, registered nurse (not a

close relative of or with same legal residence as the Insured Individual), professional anesthetist, radiologist, or

physiotherapist.

- Charges for daily hospital room and board not exceeding hospital’s average semiprivate charge and intensive care

unit charges. Charges or laboratory, x-ray, and other diagnostic examinations.

- Charges for prescription drugs required to be dispensed by a licensed pharmacist, including access to FDA-

approved generic medications and a generic substitution policy when clinically appropriate, except the Plan will

pay 100% of charges for such drugs used on an inpatient basis and 75% of charges for such drugs used on an

outpatient basis.

- Hospital charges which include recovery room, electrocardiograms, basal metabolism test, surgical dressing.

- Charges from outpatient services.

- Charges for evaluation and treatment of substance use disorder, including drug and alcohol-related conditions, on

an inpatient and outpatient basis, subject to policy terms.

- Charges for injuries arising from the use of bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, or similar personal transportation devices,

to be covered as accident injuries subject to policy terms

- Charges for STD/STI testing and treatment, including related diagnostic services and prescription therapy

- Charges for ACIP-recommended immunizations, including catch-up immunizations when medically indicated

- Charges for preventive and medically necessary women's health services, including annual well-woman

examinations, cervical cancer screening, breast screening and imaging, contraceptive services and devices when

prescribed, pelvic ultrasounds, evaluation and treatment of abnormal bleeding, endometriosis, ﬁbroids, ovarian

cysts, colposcopy, and LEEP, subject to policy terms.

- Charges for emergency professional ambulance service by ground or air to a hospital

- Charges for the following listed types of orthopedic or prosthetic devices or hospital equipment

o Man-made limbs or eyes for the replacing of natural limbs or eyes

o Casts, splints, or crutches

o Purchase of a truss or brace

PUR2526028 Rev. 06/12/2025

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid Number	Description	Date Issued	Bid Open Date/Time
50012-653-26	International Student Health Insurance Original: 50012-653-26	04/24/2026	06/01/2026 2:00:00 PM CT

Department	++ University - Louisiana Tech University
Section	Purchasing Department
Dept Code	50012
Contact	Melissa Hughes
Address	P.O. Box 3157 408 Keeny Hall Ruston, LA 71272
Phone	318-257-4205
Fax	318-257-3772
Email	mhughes@latech.edu

International Student Health Insurance

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See also