Third Party Administration of the Wisconsin Public Employers Group Life Insurance Program

The State of Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (Department) administers the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), the group health insurance program for State of Wisconsin (State) employees and many local governments, and a variety of other public employee benefit programs. The WRS is the 8th largest public pension fund in the nation and the Department’s largest program, providing retirement benefits for more than 630,000 current and former State and local government employees on behalf of approximately 1,500 employers. WRS participants include public school teachers, current and former employees of State agencies, and employees of most local governments. The Department is overseen by independent governing boards and funds are held on behalf of the benefit program beneficiaries in the Public Employee Trust Fund created and regulated under Chapter 40 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.

The Wisconsin Public Employers Group Life Insurance Program (Program) offers group life insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance to current and retired State employees and employees of participating local public employers. All public employers in the State are eligible to participate. Other current Program offerings are included in RFP Appendix 5 – Schedule of Benefits.

State employee participation in the Program began in 1958, while local governmental employee participation began in 1960. Approximately 55 separate State agencies, including the University of Wisconsin System, and 743 local employers currently participate in the Program. As of December 31, 2018 the Program insured approximately 51,000 State employees and 76,000 local governmental employees. Of those insured, approximately 56,000 elected spouse and dependent coverage. The Program also insures approximately 79,000 retirees.

The Department intends to use the results of the RFP solicitation to award a contract for the administration of the Program. The contract will be administered and managed by the Department, with oversight by the State of Wisconsin Group Insurance Board (Board). The RFP document, its attachments, and the awarded proposal will be incorporated into the contract. 

The Department expects the contract to commence in February 2021, after contract negotiations have been successfully completed. The initial contract term will be approximately five (5) years, beginning on the date the contract is executed by all parties thereto. Thereafter, unless earlier terminated, the term of the contract shall continue for an initial term ending on December 31, 2027. The Board retains the option to renew the contract for an additional two (2) one-year terms. 

Note: The 2022 benefit period will begin January 1, 2022. The contractor will assist the Department with the implementation, transition, and member communication involved with any program structure changes prior to the start of the 2022 benefit period.

The RFP documents can be viewed at the links provided below. The RFP details the procedures proposers must follow to submit a proposal, and the minimum requirements that proposers must meet to be eligible for consideration.

The deadline for receipt of proposals for this solicitation is Wednesday, May 27, 2020 by 2:00 p.m. CDT. Note: Proposals must be submitted electronically. See RFP Addendum No. 1. Late submissions will not be considered. Questions may be submitted as indicated in the RFP via email to ETFSMBProcurement@etf.wi.gov. 

The deadline for receipt of vendor questions is Friday, February 28, 2020 by 2:00 p.m. CDT.

This solicitation is authorized under Chapter 40 of the Wisconsin State Statutes. All decisions and actions regarding this solicitation are solely under the authority of the Board. Procurement statutes and rules that govern other State of Wisconsin agencies may not be applicable.

Any news releases or release of broadcast e-mails pertaining to this solicitation, any resulting contract(s), or the acceptance, rejection, or evaluation, or review of vendor proposals shall not be made without the prior written approval of the Department.

NOTE: All modifications and other information associated with the RFP will be posted on the Department’s web site at https://etf.wi.gov/vendors-and-third-party-administrators. Interested vendors are encouraged to check this site for updates frequently. No other notification regarding modifications will be provided.