DENTAL BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

State of New Hampshire
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
For
DENTAL BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
RFP # 490-27
RESPONSE DUE BY:
May 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)
Department of Administrative Services
Division of Risk and Benefits

Table of Contents
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3
A. Background .............................................................................................................................................. 3
B. Objective ................................................................................................................................................... 3
SECTION 2: BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS .......................................................................... 5
A. Proposal Conditions for The State of New Hampshire, Department of Administrative Services,
Division of Risk and Benefits ................................................................................................................... 5
B. RFP Timetable ........................................................................................................................................ 12
C. Vendors wishing to attend the proposal closing may do so via Microsoft Teams at the following: 12
D. Accepting and Evaluating Proposals .................................................................................................... 12
E. Evaluation Process ................................................................................................................................ 13
F. Bidder Contacts ..................................................................................................................................... 16
SECTION 3: REQUIRED PLAN DESIGNS & IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................. 17
Plan Design ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Plan Changes - Last Five Years ............................................................................................................ 17
Implementation ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Service Requirements ........................................................................................................................... 18
SECTION 4: NETWORK ACCESS & DISRUPTION ......................................................................................... 21
SECTION 5: PERFORMANCE GUARANTEES ................................................................................................. 22
SECTION 6: TECHNICAL QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................................................. 28
Experience, Stability, & Contractual .................................................................................................... 28
Administrative, Member, & Claims Paying Services ........................................................................... 29
Claims processing & appeals ............................................................................................................... 33
Cobra & self-pay administration ........................................................................................................... 34
Data Reporting & Network Provider Management .............................................................................. 35
SECTION 7: FINANCIAL ................................................................................................................................... 39
A. Administrative Fees ............................................................................................................................... 39
B. Network Discounts ................................................................................................................................ 40
C. Claims Re-Pricing Analysis ................................................................................................................... 41
D. Allowances ............................................................................................................................................. 43
SECTION 8: CLIENT REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 44
APPENDICES: GROUP INFORMATION .......................................................................................................... 45
APPENDIX A: SONH 2026 DENTAL RFP DATA ............................................................................................ 46
APPENDIX B: REQUESTED PLAN DESIGNS FORM .................................................................................... 47
APPENDIX C: STATE OF NH TRANSMITTAL LETTER ................................................................................... 48
APPENDIX D: P-37 FORM CONTRACT ........................................................................................................ 49
APPENDIX E: BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT ................................................................................... 53
APPENDIX F: REQUIRED PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY...... 63
APPENDIX G: PARTICIPATING BIDDER AGREEMENT ................................................................................ 66
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State of New Hampshire
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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
This Request for Proposal ("RFP") is issued by the Department of Administrative Services, acting through
the Division of Risk and Benefits, for the procurement of dental benefits administration as described
herein.
A. BACKGROUND
The State of New Hampshire ("State") provides dental benefits to approximately 10,280 active
employees ("Active Plan") and COBRA participants located in New Hampshire and the surrounding
New England states. Included in the Active Plan is a "Special Group" of approximately 560 subscribers
and their dependents from other organizations that have legislatively been offered coverage under the
State's Health Benefit Plan.
Northeast Delta Dental has provided dental benefits to active employees since 1993. The active
employee dental plan moved from a fully insured to a self-funded arrangement effective December 1,
2007 and currently utilizes the Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier National networks.
Active employee contributions are collectively bargained and the current per pay period (26 pay
periods per year) contributions are $2 for employee only, $4 for employee plus one, and $6 per family
for most unions and $4 regardless of tier for one union (New Hampshire Troopers Association). Part-
time employees (working 30 to 37 hours per week) pay slightly higher contributions based on the
number of hours worked.
Every two years, the State collectively bargains employee health benefits, including plan design, health
promotion programs and employee-facing initiatives, with the State's unions. There are seven unions
represented including the State Employees' Association of New Hampshire, SEIU 1984 (SEA), the New
Hampshire Trooper's Association (NHTA), Teamsters Local 633, New Hampshire Probation and Parole
Officers Organization, New Hampshire State Law Enforcement and the New England Police Benevolent
Association (NEPBA) with multiple Locals. At this time, all unions have agreed to the same Active Plan
design.
B. OBJECTIVE
The State is seeking proposals to provide dental benefits administration while duplicating the State's
current benefit plans as closely as possible.
As mentioned above, all unions have independently agreed to the same Active Plan design. Due to the
existence of collective bargaining agreements, the State requires vendors to duplicate the
current Active Dental Plan's designs outlined in Section 3. The State must be notified of any
deviations. If no deviation in benefit design is identified within your response, the State will assume
the dental plan can be duplicated exactly.
It is important to note that the State is currently participating in collective bargaining and negotiations
with all of the unions. The dental administrator is expected to implement any changes resulting from
these negotiations.
Further, the State's contract for dental administration services requires the dental administrator to
implement any changes in plan design to the Active Plan resulting from collective bargaining
throughout the term of the contract. In addition, the dental administrator shall provide financial
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modeling as needed to assist the State with consideration of potential plan changes that arise during
negotiations. It is possible for the State to be required to manage multiple plan designs to comply with
each of the collectively bargained units. The State reserves the right within any contract awarded under
this RFP to re-negotiate elements of the contract as required by collective bargaining agreements.
Contract Term, Implementation and Payment
The State seeks to contract with a qualified Vendor commencing upon approval from the Governor and
Executive Council and ending on December 31, 2031, with the option to extend for up to two (2)
additional years as mutually agreed and approved by the Governor and Executive Council. The
administrative services outlined in this RFP shall commence on January 1, 2027. Implementation
activities shall commence within seven (7) days of Governor and Executive Council (G&C) approval or
September 1, 2026, whichever is later. Payments for contractual services shall commence January 1,
2027, and shall not be made during the implementation period.
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SECTION 2: BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS
A. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, DEPARTMENT OF
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DIVISION OF RISK AND BENEFITS
1. RFP SCOPE
The Department of Administrative Services, Division of Risk and Benefits, is soliciting proposals
for Dental Benefits Administration Services as described in these procurement documents.
2. MANDATORY INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS
It is required that you complete all sections of the RFP and provide your proposal by the stated
proposal submission deadline. Do not alter any parts of this RFP, to include the questions and
the question numbering.
Failure to follow these instructions may be grounds for rejection of your RFP response.
3. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) POINT OF CONTACT AND INQUIRIES
1. Any inquiries or requests pertaining to this RFP, whether verbal or written, including questions
related to the form contract P-37 and Business Associate Agreement, and other appendices
must be submitted in writing to following contacts:
Ryan Fuller Christopher.R.Fuller@das.nh.gov
From release of this RFP until an award is made and announced regarding the selection of a
bidder, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with the State
regarding this RFP is prohibited unless first approved by the point of contact above. State
employees have been directed not to hold conferences and/or discussions concerning this
RFP with any bidder during the selection process, unless otherwise authorized by the point of
contact. Bidders may be disqualified for violating this restriction on communications.
a. All questions must be submitted in writing prior to the deadline for Bidder Inquiries and/or
Requests for Clarification (May 7, 2026 at 4:00 ET). The questions will be consolidated and/or
paraphrased and responded to via a written addendum, or addenda that will be posted on the
State's website on or before May 14, 2026. Note that this date is subject to change at the
State's discretion.
b. In response to requested exceptions to the P-37, the State will review requested exceptions
and accept, reject or note that it is open to discussion of the proposed exception with the
selected Bidder at its sole discretion. Questions about or requested exceptions to the RFP,
P-37, and/or any relevant attachments not raised during the inquiry period are
waived. Oral statements, representations, clarifications, or modifications concerning the
RFP shall not be binding upon the State.
c. The State may, at its discretion, amend this RFP on its own initiative or in response to issues
raised by inquiries as it deems appropriate.
d. RFP inquiries must be submitted by an individual authorized to commit the organization to
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provide the services necessary to meet the requirements of this RFP. The Bidder must include
complete contact information including the Bidder's name, title, telephone number, and e-
mail address.
4. ADDENDA
In the event it becomes necessary to add to or revise any part of this RFP prior to the scheduled
proposal submittal deadline, the Division of Risk and Benefits shall post any Addenda on the
State's bidder website. In the event of an addendum/addenda to this RFP, the State, at its sole
discretion, may extend the Proposal submission deadline, as it deems appropriate. Before your
submission and periodically prior to the RFP closing, check the website for any addenda or other
materials that may have been issued affecting the RFP. The web site address is
https://das.nh.gov/purchasing/vendorresources.aspx.
5. BIDDER CERTIFICATIONS
All Bidders must be duly registered as a Bidder authorized to conduct business in the State of
New Hampshire. Bidders shall comply with the certifications below at the time of submission
and through the term of any contract which results from said proposal. Failure to comply shall
be grounds for disqualification of proposal and/or the termination of any resultant contract.
* STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE VENDOR APPLICATION: Prior to bid award, Bidders must have
a completed Bidder Application Package on file with the NH Bureau of Purchase and
Property. See the following website for information on obtaining and filing the required
forms (no fee): https://DAS.NH.Gov/Purchasing.
* NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION: A bid award, in the form of a
contract(s), will ONLY be awarded to a Vendor who is registered to do business AND in good
standing with the State of New Hampshire. Please visit the following website to find out more
about the requirements for registration with the NH Secretary of State:
https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporations-0.
6. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
a. Disclosure of Information Submitted in Response to RFP
Information submitted in response to this RFP (including all materials submitted in connection
with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, etc.), any resulting contract, and information
provided during the contractual relationship may be subject to public disclosure under the State's
Right-to-Know law, RSA 91-A.
Confidential, commercial or financial information may be exempt from public disclosure under
RSA 91-A:5, IV. If a bidder believes any information submitted in response to this RFP should be
kept confidential, the bidder must specifically identify that information where it appears in the
submission in a manner that draws attention to the designation and must mark/stamp each page
of the materials that the bidder claims must be exempt from disclosure as "CONFIDENTIAL."
Bidders must also provide a letter to the person listed as the point of contact for this RFP,
identifying the specific page number and section of the information you consider to be
confidential, commercial, or financial and providing your rationale for each designation. Marking
or designating an entire proposal, attachment or section as confidential shall neither be accepted
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nor honored by the State. Bidders must also provide a separate copy of the full and complete
document, fully redacting those portions and shall note on the applicable page or pages that the
redacted portion or portions are "confidential." Marking or designating an entire proposal,
attachment or section as confidential shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State.
Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include redactions and
related reasons for redaction, or a letter indicating the proposal does not include any confidential
information, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law
may be rejected by the State as not conforming to the requirements of the proposal.
Pricing, which includes but is not limited to administrative fees and performance guarantees, in
your proposal or any subsequently awarded contract shall be subject to public disclosure
regardless of whether it is marked as confidential.
Notwithstanding a Bidder's designations, the State is obligated by the Right-to-Know law to
conduct an independent analysis of the confidentiality of the information submitted in a
proposal. If a request is made to the State by any person or entity to view or receive copies of any
portion of your proposal, or if the State otherwise wishes to make your proposal public, the State
shall first assess what information it is obligated to release. If you have not provided redactions in
your proposal, the State will release the proposal in its entirety with only the redactions the State
deems necessary (if any). If you have provided redactions in your proposal, the State will notify
you that a request has been made or that the State wishes to make your proposal public. The
State will indicate what, if any, information it has assessed is confidential and will not be released
and specify the planned release date of the remaining portions of the proposal. To halt the
release of information by the State, a Bidder must obtain and provide to the State, prior to the
date specified in the notice, a court order valid and enforceable in the State of New Hampshire, at
its sole expense, enjoining the release of the requested information.
By submitting a proposal, you acknowledge and agree that:
* The State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials which
are not marked as confidential and/or which have not been specifically explained in the
letter to the person identified as the point of contact for this RFP;
* The State is not obligated to comply with your designations regarding confidentiality and
must conduct an independent analysis to assess the confidentiality of the information
submitted in your proposal; and
* The State may, unless otherwise prohibited by court order, release the information on the
date specified in the notice described above without any liability to you.
7. ELECTRONIC POSTING OF RESULTING CONTRACT
Pursuant to RSA 21-G:37, all responses to this RFP shall be considered confidential until the award
of a contract. At the time of receipt of proposals, the State will post the number of responses
received with no further information. No later than five (5) business days prior to submission of a
contract to the Department of Administrative Services, the State will post the name and rank or
score of each Bidder.
Pursuant to RSA 91-A and RSA 9-F:1, the Secretary of State will post to the public any document
submitted to G&C for approval, including any resulting contract, on its website
(https://sos.nh.gov/administration/miscellaneous/governor-executive-council/). By
submitting a proposal, Bidder acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with the above-
mentioned statutes and policies, (and regardless of whether any specific request is made to
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view any document relating to this RFP), any contract resulting from this RFP that is submitted
to G&C for approval will be made accessible to the public online.
8. TERMS OF SUBMISSION
The State assumes no responsibility for understandings or representations made by its officers or
employees prior to and in the event of the execution of a contract, unless such understandings or
representations are specifically incorporated into this RFP. Verbal discussions pertaining to
modifications or clarifications of this RFP shall not be considered part of this RFP unless confirmed
in writing. Any information provided by the Bidder verbally shall not be considered part of that
Bidder's response. By submitting a proposal, a Bidder agrees that in no event shall the State be
either responsible for or held liable for any costs incurred by a Bidder in the preparation of or in
connection with the proposal, or for work performed prior to the effective date of a resulting
contract. Proposals must be valid until the effective date of any resulting contract.
9. SUBMISSION FORMAT
Instructions, formats, and approaches for the development of RFP information contained within
the RFP are designed to ensure that the submission of data essential to the understanding of the
Vendor's response is received in a consistent and comparable format.
Your RFP response must be clearly sectioned and tabbed as outlined within this RFP document.
(e.g. Section 2. Step 1, Step 2, etc.) There is no intent to limit the content of the responses in other
than the Vendor's favor, only to assist the evaluation committee in reviewing each response.
10. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE
All RFP submissions must be received at the Bureau of Purchase and Property electronically via
email no later than 2:00 PM (ET) on May 27, 2026. Submissions received after the date and time
specified will be marked as late and will not be considered.
Proposals shall remain valid from the proposal submission deadline for one hundred and eighty
(180) days, or until contract approval by Governor and Executive Council, whichever is later. A
complete RFP submission will include responses to all sections of the RFP, including a complete
response to the financial section. Incomplete submissions or submissions received after the date
and time specified will be marked as late and will not be considered.
A Bidder's disclosure or distribution of proposals other than to the Department of Administrative
Services, Bureau of Purchase and Property shall be grounds for disqualification. No more than one
(1) proposal per respondent shall be submitted.
11. RFP DELIVERY
Bidders shall submit their proposal via email to:
* NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov labeled with the following information:
State of New Hampshire RFP #490-27
Due Date: May 27, 2026 by 2:00 PM (ET)
Dental Benefits Administration
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Bidders are encouraged to confirm delivery of their submissions by calling (603) 271-2201 or by
emailing NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov.
RFP responses must include:
i. One (1) complete electronic version of your RFP with responses to all questions in Sections
2 to 8, Appendices of this RFP, and any addenda and attachments. If you PDF your
response, it must be a searchable document.
ii. One (1) redacted electronic copy of your entire RFP response, including a letter identifying
confidential information as applicable.
iii. Appendix C, State of NH Transmittal Letter, signed by a person authorized to bind the
company to all commitments made in the RFP response. Failure to submit the Transmittal
Letter with your response will result in rejection of your response.
The State shall not be held liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing or submitting an
RFP response.
12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The State reserves the right to:
Make a written request for additional information from a Bidder to assist in understanding
o
or clarifying a proposal response.
Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements, if determined to be in
o
the best interest of the State.
Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the State's view, the step is not needed.
o
Reject any and all proposals, or any part thereof. Note that participating in this RFP
o
process in no way obligates the State to pursue a contract with any of the Bidders
participating in the RFP.
Make independent investigation in evaluating a proposal.
o
Consider available information regarding the Bidder, whether gained from the Bidder's
o
proposal, question and answer conferences, references, or any other source during the
evaluation process. This may include, but is not limited to, information from any other
state or federal regulatory entity.
13. RESTRICTION OF CONTACT WITH STATE EMPLOYEES
From the release date of this RFP, all contact with the State regarding this RFP, except the point of
contact specifically mentioned in Section 2.A.3 of this RFP, is prohibited. This prohibited contact
includes personnel employed by or under contract with the State. Improper contact is grounds for
rejection of your response.
14. CANCELLATION
Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, this RFP does not commit the State to award a
contract. The State reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals, or any
portions thereof; to cancel all or any part of this RFP at any time. Cancellation of this RFP, in
whole or in part, shall not bar the State from issuing an RFP for the same services or from
purchasing the same services through other means.
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15. ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS
From the time this RFP is published until a contract is awarded, no Bidder shall offer or give,
directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to
any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of
any such official or employee who will or has selected, evaluated, or awarded an RFP, or similar
submission. Any Bidder that violates RSA 21-G:38 shall be subject to prosecution for an offense
under RSA 640:2. Any Bidder who has been convicted of an offense based on conduct in violation
of this section, which has not been annulled, or who is subject to a pending criminal charge for
such an offense, shall be disqualified from bidding on the RFP, or similar request for submission
and every such Bidder shall be disqualified from bidding on any RFP or similar request for
submission issued by any state agency.
16. SUBCONTRACTING
Contractor may perform certain services hereunder through one or more of its subsidiaries or
affiliates. However, pursuant to Section 12 of the form contract P-37, subcontracting of services
shall require prior approval by the State. If Bidder plans to utilize subcontractors for any portion of
the Dental Benefits Administration Services identified in this RFP, please include the
subcontractor information, an outline of the services or functions in which Bidder would plan to
subcontract, the length of your relationship with the subcontractor, and a brief company profile.
A list of these subcontractors shall be attached to the contract with the selected Contractor and
shall constitute prior approval by the State (of those subcontractors) consistent with Section 12
of the form contract P-37.
Contractor may, without prior written approval, contract with third-party vendors to provide
information technology support services and other ancillary services, which are not Dental
Benefits Administration Services hereunder, but rather are services that support Contractor's
conduct of its business operations.
Contractor shall be accountable for the performance of all subsidiaries, affiliates, partner
networks and subcontractors, and shall be responsible for all performance guarantee penalties
that may result from underperformance of the subsidiary, affiliate and/or subcontractor.
17. REQUIRED CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The form contract P-37 (attached hereto as Appendix D) shall form the basis for any resulting
contract. The successful Bidder and the State, following notification of award, shall promptly
execute the P-37 contract, as amended by the parties to incorporate the service requirements of
this RFP, price conditions established by the Bidder's offer, and any other reasonable
administrative practices and services. In no event is a Bidder to submit its own standard contract
terms and conditions as a replacement for one or all of the State's terms in response to this RFP.
The terms of this RFP and the selected Bidder's response will be used to form the terms of any
resulting contract. References in the P-37 to Exhibits A, B, and C are references to the required
structure of any resulting contract (Exhibit A - Special Provisions/Amendments to the P-37, Exhibit
B - Scope of Services, and Exhibit C - Payment Terms) and are not references to sections of this
RFP.
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