A benefits RFP and broker review for employers with 2 to 50 employees
A benefits request for proposal — RFP — is a disciplined way to take your coverage to market, or to review the advice you are getting, before you sign another year. For a company with 2 to 50 employees, it does not need to look like a large-employer procurement document. It does need a clear census, a clear description of what you offer today, and a clear set of questions every respondent has to answer.
We run this work as a benefits advisory engagement, not as a form to be mailed to a list of carriers. The point is to compare structures and support, then make a decision you can stand behind at enrollment.
When a review is worth doing
- Your renewal is 90 to 120 days away and you have not compared alternatives. See benefits renewal.
- You want to know whether a SHOP plan, a level-funded plan, an ICHRA, or a QSEHRA is a better fit than the current group policy — or the other way around.
- You have added locations or a remote roster and the current plan was built for one office. See multi-state workforce.
- You want a second look at contribution strategy, Section 125 administration, or ancillary benefits.
- You simply want to know whether the current broker relationship is still the right one.
What we ask you to provide
- A current employee census (ages or dates of birth, dependent status, work locations, and hours or full-time status)
- The current plan or HRA documents, the contribution schedule, and the last renewal, if you have them
- The states in which people work
- The renewal date, or the date you want a new arrangement to start
- Any constraints that are already decided: a budget posture, a requirement to keep a particular structure, or a need to evaluate the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
We do not need a formal procurement policy to start. We do need accurate data.
What you should expect back
A written comparison of the structures that actually fit, with the compliance work each one requires, and a recommendation. If we go to market for a fully insured or level-funded plan, you should also see the assumptions behind each option and the stop-loss or participation terms that matter.
You should not expect a savings percentage, a "market average," or a guarantee that a particular carrier will quote. Those would be invented or premature.
If you already have a broker, this review can be a formal opportunity for that firm and for us to respond to the same questions. We will not disparage another firm. We will answer the brief.
Frequently asked questions
We only have 20 employees. Is an RFP overkill?
It does not have to be a long document. For a company of this size, a clean census, a current-plan summary, and a structured comparison of two or three designs is usually enough. The discipline matters more than the page count.
Will you go to market if we already like our plan and just want a contribution or HRA review?
Yes. Not every review has to be a full marketing of the medical plan. Sometimes the right work is contribution design, an ICHRA class, or ancillary coverage.
Who sees our census?
We use it to advise you and, with your permission, to obtain quotes or to set up an HRA. We will not treat a roster as marketing material.