§11-91A-8. Awarding of contracts.

(a) Before entering into any contract or contracts for a carrier or third party administrator, the board shall solicit competitive proposals from companies or agencies qualified to administer or offer plans for group health care coverage. The board shall carefully evaluate all proposals received and award the contract or contracts to the most qualified company or agency taking into consideration all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the following: The benefits offered; the proposed administrative costs and the costs to be incurred by the employer participant and its employees, retirees, and dependents; and the experience of the companies or agencies submitting proposals. In evaluating these factors, the board may employ the services of impartial professional insurance analysts or actuaries. The contract or contracts executed by the board with the selected carrier or third party administrator shall be a contract to offer coverage to all employees and retirees of employer participants subject to this chapter.

(b) The board may at the end of any contract period discontinue any contract or contracts it has executed with any carrier or third party administrator and replace the carrier or administrator with a contract or contracts with any other carrier or third party administrator meeting the requirements of this chapter.

(Act 2014-401, §8.)