Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services
| Location: | Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Due: | May 19, 2026 |
| Agency: | City of Newport |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services
|
| Category: | Invitation to Bidders |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
CITY OF NEWPORT
Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services
BID NOTICE AND SPECIFICATIONS
2026
Date Published: April 29, 2026
2026 NEWPORT CITY OFFICIALS
MAYOR
CITY COMMISSIONERS
CITY MANAGER
COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
CITY SOLICITOR
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
POLICE CHIEF
FIRE/EMS CHIEF
CITY CLERK
Thomas Guidugli, Jr.
Julie Smith-Morrow
Mike Radwanski
Ken Rechtin
Aaron Sutherland
John Hayden
Ray Ebert
Daniel Braun
Lenny Kuntz
Chris Fangman
Frank Peluso Jr.
Tiffany Myers
City of Newport, KY
Request for Proposal
Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services
The City of Newport is accepting sealed proposals from qualified brokerage to
provide administration of employee benefits for the City.
Sealed proposals will be received by the Office of the City Clerk, Newport
Municipal Building, 998 Monmouth Street, 2nd Floor, Newport, Kentucky 41071,
until Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 am at which time proposals will be
received and recorded; contents will not be publicly read. Proposals after this
time will not be considered.
Request for Proposal (RFP) documents and specifications may be obtained from
the Office of the City Clerk at the address listed above or online at
www.newportky.gov.
All proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked:
“RFP – Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services”
Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to:
Tiffany Myers, City Clerk
City of Newport
998 Monmouth Street
Newport, Kentucky 41071
Email: tmyers@newportky.gov
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive informalities, and
accept the proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the City.
CITY OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Employee Benefits Consulting and
Brokerage Services
1. Introduction
The City of Newport, Kentucky (the “City”) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to
provide employee benefits brokerage and consulting services for the City’s health and
benefit programs. The City is seeking a broker that can deliver exceptional service,
meaningful strategic support, strong reporting and analytics, and, most importantly,
practical solutions that improve affordability and long-term value for the City and its
employees.
This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is intended to support the City’s evaluation and
selection of a broker and to establish a professional services relationship that aligns with
the City’s operational needs, benefits strategy, and financial objectives.
2. Background
The City currently maintains a self-funded employee health benefits program and related
benefits for an employee population of approximately 135 employees, with an estimated
102 enrolled employees excluding dependents. The medical plan renewal month is
January, and stop-loss coverage renews November 1, while benefits and accumulators
renew in January.
Current medical offerings include four plans: True Cost 1, True Cost 2, HRA, and
HSA.
Underlying medical coverages and medical management are the same across
plans; plan design is the principal difference among the options.
The third-party administrator (“TPA”) is Custom Design Benefits in conjunction
with Jefferson Health Plan.
The Pharmacy Benefit Manager is Kroger Prescription Plans; the PBM
relationship is managed by the TPA and not by the broker.
The City has a specialty drug carveout.
For True Cost 1 and True Cost 2, the City currently uses no network. For HRA
and HSA, the network is Medical Mutual of Ohio.
Network and medical management relationships are managed by the TPA and
not by the broker.
The City maintains direct contracts with St. Elizabeth, TriHealth, Christ Hospital,
and Cincinnati Children’s.
The City offers Premise Health as a direct primary care / onsite clinic
arrangement shared with other local employers.
Dental and vision benefits are managed through Custom Design Benefits, with
dental structured as self-funded.
The Hartford is the current life insurance carrier.
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is the current stop-loss carrier.
The City has collective bargaining units; however, the health plan is sponsored
by the employer rather than the unions.
3. Objectives of the RFP
Select a broker with demonstrated ability to improve affordability and help
manage health plan cost trends.
Obtain high-quality service, proactive support, and strong account management
throughout the plan year.
Secure robust reporting and analytics to support strategic, data-driven decisions.
Ensure compensation is transparent and aligned with the City’s interests.
Identify a broker with relevant experience supporting self-funded employers and
public-sector entities.
Establish a contractual relationship with clear performance expectations, renewal
options, and termination rights.
4. Scope of Services
The selected broker shall serve as the City’s broker and strategic advisor for employee
benefits and shall provide, at a minimum, the following services:
Collaborate with the Human Resources Coordinator on the City’s employee
benefits strategic plan.
Provide financial forecasting, budget planning, and renewal planning support.
Benchmark plan costs, vendor arrangements, and plan performance against
similarly situated municipalities and employers.
Assist with administration of all group insurance and employee benefit plans
requested by the City.
Assist with implementation of new programs, carriers, service arrangements, and
changes to existing programs.
Respond to employee benefit inquiries as requested by the City and provide
benefit guidance and support.
Provide consultative support throughout the plan year, not only at renewal.
Coordinate with carriers, vendors, and service providers to resolve issues
affecting benefit programs.
Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting employee benefits and
advise the City regarding compliance obligations.
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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