Carter County Schools - Fully Insured Plans: Dental

Location:	Tennessee
Posted:	Sep 2, 2026
Due:	Sep 25, 2026
Agency:	County of Carteret
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	89 - Subsistence (Food)
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Carter County Schools

Fully Insured Plans: Dental

Request for Proposal from Insurance Companies Only

(No broker responses will be considered).

Effective 1/1/2027

Proposals to Be Received NO LATER THAN 12:00pm EST on Friday, September 25, 2026

Carter County Schools invites all interested, qualified parties to offer bids on the captioned insurance

coverage(s) as described in these bid specifications.

This bid is not a bid for broker services as no broker bids will be accepted.

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Statement of Intent

Carter County Schools is seeking written, sealed proposals from qualified licensed carriers only to

provide insurance coverage(s) to its full-time benefit eligible employees.

Upon evaluating proposals, Carter County Schools will approve an insurer for an effective date of

1/1/2027 or each of the plan(s) listed on the RFP. Preference will be given to those carriers that offer

high-performance networks in the local area, agree to release future renewals a minimum of three (3)

months prior to the effective date, and present competitive pricing for the group.

Proposal Submission Requirements

1. General Instructions: Proposals in response to this RFP must be in the form of sealed bids. One

copy of a printed paper submission must be included (Form #1 and a Proposal, Form #2, and Form

#3).

2. Deadline & Timeline: All sealed bids must be delivered no later than Friday, September 25 at

12:00pm EST to:

Carter County Schools

Attn: Finance Department/Bids

801 East Elk Avenue

Elizabethton, TN 37643

Any proposal received after the time and date detailed above will not be considered. In addition to the

sealed bid, please submit an electronic copy to Gallagher Benefit Services Attn: Wes Dozier at

wes_dozier@ajg.com.

Projected Timeline

The following projected timetable should be used as a working guide for planning purposes. Carter

County Schools reserves the right to adjust this timetable as required during the RFP process.

Event

Date

RFP Issued

Questions Deadline

Proposals Due

Enrollment

Effective Date

September 2, 2026

September 11, 2026

September 25, 2026 at 12:00pm EST

November

January 1, 2027

This timetable is for the information of submitting entities. These dates are subject to change.

3. Inquiries by Bidders: Information has been provided which should allow for the generation of a

quote. Individual requests for additional information can be submitted to Gallagher by the

deadline for questions. All inquiries and requests for additional information should be referred

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to: wes_dozier@ajg.com. All requests should be submitted in writing to avoid

misinterpretation as to the information needed. If necessary, Gallagher will issue a written

Addendum to respond to any questions.

4. Evaluation and Reward: Award of the contract resulting from this RFP will be based on the

most responsive carrier whose offer will be the most advantageous to the employees of Carter

County Schools in terms of cost, services, network, and other factors specified elsewhere in

this RFP. The lowest bid is not necessarily the bid we will select as insurance is often selected

on a variety of factors.

Duration of Award:

Carter County Schools intends to award the bid for one (1) year, with possible annual extensions in

year two (2) and thereafter in the sole discretion of the employer, as follows: The awarding entity

reserves the right to renew the contract annually for additional one-year terms, contingent upon

mutual agreement and satisfactory performance. Renewal may occur at either:

• Flat pricing, with no change to the prior year’s fees or a rate guarantee submitted at initial bid;

• Adjusted pricing, provided any increase does not exceed the greater of:

1. An increase in percentage cap that is submitted at the initial bid;

2. The percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers (CPI-

U), U.S. City Average, All Items, Not Seasonally Adjusted, as published by the U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics; or

3. The aggregate percentage increase in insurance premiums for the equivalent products as

published by the State of Tennessee.

Any proposed pricing change must be submitted with supporting documentation by no later than three

(3) months prior to the renewal date. If the proposed renewal pricing falls within the limits stated

above, the entity may accept the renewal without initiating a new competitive bid process.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Employer is not obligated to accept a renewal that meets the

adjusted pricing parameters and may return to bid at any time after the first year in its sole discretion.

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Background/Plan Information:

All necessary reporting is available with the RFP including:

A. Full census (Retiree Information to be included)

B. Current Elections

C. Claim Reports

D. Rates

E. Contributions

F. Current plan design information

Eligible employees include all active, full-time and part-time employees, regularly working a minimum

of at least 30 hours per week. Retirees are also covered.

Eligible dependents include:

• Your legal spouse

• Your children (or stepchildren) by birth, marriage, legal adoption or legal guardianship.

o Up to age 26 for medical

o Up to age 19 (age 25, if unmarried and a full-time student) for dental and vision

o Your children, of any age, who become totally and permanently disabled before age 26

while covered by the plan(s).

o Dependents covered under a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (proper

documentation required).

General Conditions:

Carter County Schools encourages only one submission per licensed carrier. Option 1 should be

identical coverage detailed in the benefit summary. The insurance coverages bid here are only

provided to full-time benefits eligible employees. For alternative offerings, please label as “Option 2”

or “Option 3” on the spreadsheet submittal.

Receipt of proposals by Carter County Schools or a submission of a proposal to Carter County

Schools offers no rights upon the Carrier nor obligates Carter County Schools in any manner. No

bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of forty-five (45) days after the date set for opening of the

bids.

After initial evaluations, finalists may be chosen for a best and final round of submissions, allowing

Carter County Schools to negotiate with selected bidders to achieve the most competitive results.

Carter County Schools reserves the right to (a) accept or reject any and/or all submissions of

proposals; (b) to waive irregularities and technicalities; (c) accept any alternative submission of

proposals presented which, in its opinion, would best serve the interest of Carter County Schools; (d)

give full and proper evaluation of the firm or team presenting the proposals. Carter County Schools

and its Consultant shall be the judges of the proposals and the resulting negotiated agreement(s) that

is (are) in its best interest and the decision shall be final.

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Carter County Schools can abandon or postpone this project without any obligation to bidders. Also,

Carter County Schools reserves the right to make such investigation(s) as it deems necessary to

determine the ability of any submitting entity to perform the service requested. Information Carter

County Schools deems reasonably necessary to make this determination shall be provided by the

submitting entity.

All expenses for the submission of proposal shall be borne by the submitting entity. By submitting this

bid, the vendor agrees to all stated terms and conditions. While electronic copies should be sent to

our consultant, this does not change your obligation to submit a sealed public bid by the deadline to

the address above. Please note that bids submitted via email or fax to Carter County Schools will

NOT be accepted.

If a Carrier discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in the RFP, it shall

immediately notify Carter County Schools of such error in writing and request modifications or

clarification of the document. Carter County Schools will make modifications by issuing a written

revision and will give written notice to all parties who have received this RFP. The Carrier is

responsible for clarifying any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other errors in the RFP

prior to submitting the proposal or it shall be waived.

Basic Requirements of Bidders:

A. Current plan design information and requested alternative plan designs are included in the

attachments to this RFP.

B. Proposals for coverage shall include, but are not limited to, the following items:

1. Renewal for upcoming plan year delivered to Gallagher no later than three (3) months prior

to the renewal date.

2. Integrated COBRA or carrier-provided COBRA solution.

3. A complete proposal to accompany Submission Form (Form #1), including unlocked

spreadsheet in electronic form.

4. A Certificate of Nondiscrimination (Form #2)

5. The Certifications of Bidders under TN Law (Form #3)

6. Signed Acknowledgement of any Addendum(s) (may not occur).

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

Description	Opening Date/Time	Closing Date/Time
Carter County Schools - Fully Insured Plans: Dental	September 02, 2026 :	September 25, 2026 12: 00 PM

Carter County Schools - Fully Insured Plans: Dental

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