Active Dental PPO Plan (ASO-PPO) for Plan Year 2027?(RFPQHSS2025.B2) Addendum No.5

Project Information

Bid Title
Active Dental PPO Plan (ASO-PPO) for Plan Year 2027?(RFPQHSS2025.B2) Addendum No.5
Issuing Agency
San Francisco Health Service System
Location
California
Published Date
Dec 31, 2025
Closing Date
Jan 9, 2026
Government Level
State & Local
Status
Closed
Original Source
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Project Description
2.  Active Dental PPO Plan (ASO-PPO) for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)

SFHSS has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a self-funded Active Dental PPO plan (ASO-PPO) with benefits beginning January 1, 2027.

Key Dates:

  • RFP Issued: December 9, 2025
  • Phase 1 - Quantitative (Financial) Evaluation (Eligibility and Data Phase): December 2025 - January 2026
    • Deadline for Financial Questions: December 19, 2025 at 11:00AM (PT)
    • Deadline for Financial Proposals: January 9, 2026 at 11:00AM (PT)
    • Notification of Respondents Eligible for Phase 2: January 26 to 28, 2026
  • Phase 2 - Qualitative (Non-Financial) Evaluation and Oral Interviews: February 2026 - April 2026
    • Deadline for Non-Financial Questions: February 1, 2026 at 11:00AM (PT)
    • Deadline for Non-Financial Proposals: February 20, 2026 at 11:00AM (PT)
    • Requests for Clarifications: February 23 to March 6, 2026
    • Oral Interviews: April 6 to 17, 2026
  • Recommendation and Results Presented to Health Service Board: May 2026

Please see these webpages for more information:

Attachment Preview
UPDATED 12/12/2025
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR
Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Plan for Plan Year 2027
(RFPQHSS2025.B2)
CONTACT: william.kudenov@sfgov.org, patrick.chang@sfgov.org, and
mike.clarke@aon.com
Purpose of this RFP: The San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS) is issuing this
Request for Proposal (RFP) to enter into an agreement with a qualified carrier to provide
a comprehensive nationwide Dental PPO plan (ASO-PPO).
Active Dental PPO Enrollment Summary (as of December 9, 2025):
• Total Enrolled Active Dental PPO Population = 70,956 (Employees and
Dependents)
• Total Eligible Active Population = 78,386 (Employees and Dependents)
Detailed census and experience data will be provided to qualified prospective RFP
respondents following execution of a Mutual Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure
Agreement (Section 3.1 and available at https://sfhss.org/RFPs).
Announcement, Implementation, Open Enrollment, and Coverage Start Dates: The
selected carrier will be announced following the Health Service Board (HSB) Meeting on
May 14th, 2026. The selected carrier will provide a detailed implementation plan as part
of this RFP based on the announcement date. SFHSS Open Enrollment occurs in
October 2026, with coverage beginning January 1, 2027.
Anticipated Term of Agreement: Plan effective January 1, 20271 – December 31, 2027,
with options to extend the agreement up to a maximum term of ten (10) years through
1 On-site work be required for October 2026 (PY2027) Open Enrollment by the Selected Respondent, which may require
an written agreement be in place, if the contract is not fully executed. Additionally, Selected Respondent will initiate and
support implementation, in accordance with the schedule issued within this RFP, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by
SFHSS.
RFP for Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Request for Proposal for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)
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the SFHSS annual renewal process (see Annual Rates and Benefits Cycle, available at
https://sfhss.org/board-annual-rates-and-benefits-cycle).
Implementation / Transition Period (est.): May 2026 – December 2026
RFP Questions and Communications: To ensure fair and equal access to RFP
information, all communications must be communicated to SFHSS via email to
william.kudenov@sfgov.org, patrick.chang@sfgov.org, and mike.clarke@aon.com.
Unauthorized communications may result in disqualification and rejection of Proposal.
Questions must be emailed by the Deadline for RFP Questions (Sec.5.3). No questions
will be accepted after the Deadline for RFP Questions, with the exception of questions
regarding Approved City Supplier status.
Requirement to be an Approved Supplier: All Respondents to this RFP must certify to
become an Approved Supplier by July 1, 2026 or within ten (10) days of award or
selection by SFHSS, whichever is later. This includes completing an Equal Benefits
Declaration.2
Respondents to this RFP should review the Approved Supplier and Equal Benefits
Program prior to bidding as this process may take several weeks:
https://sfcitypartner.sfgov.org/pages/index.aspx.
Schedule – Key Dates and Deadlines
▪ RFP Background and Instructions Issued
▪ Completion of Mutual Confidentiality and
Nondisclosure Agreement (MCA)
▪ Notice of Intent to Bid
▪ Phase 1: Quantitative (Financial) Evaluation
(Eligibility and Data)
o Deadline for Financial Questions
o Deadline for Financial Proposals
o Notification of Respondents Eligible for
Phase 2
12/09/2025
12/09/2025 – 12/19/2025
1/09/2025
December 2025 – January 2026
12/19/2026 (11:00 AM, PT)
1/09/2026 (11:00 AM, PT)
January 26 – 28, 2026
2 More information on the City’s Equal Benefits Program is available at https://www.sf.gov/equal-benefits-program.
RFP for Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Request for Proposal for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)
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▪ Phase 2: Qualitative (Non-Financial)
Evaluation and Oral Interviews
o Deadline for Non-Financial Questions
o Deadline for Non-Financial Proposals
o Requests for Clarifications
o Notification of Oral Interviews
o Oral Interviews (Sec. 6.3)
▪ Presentation of the Results of the RFP to the
Health Service Board
▪ Implementation Period Start Date
▪ Open Enrollment
▪ Coverage Begins
February 2026 – April 2026
2/0102/2026 (11:00 AM, PT)
2/20/2026 (11:00 AM, PT)
2/23/2026 – 3/06/2026
3/16/2026 – 3/20/2026
4/06/2026 – 4/17/2026
May 2026
June 2026
October 2026
January 1, 2027
The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.
RFP for Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Request for Proposal for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview.
The San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS) seeks proposals from qualified and
approved insurance carriers for a Dental PPO (ASO-PPO) plan for eligible active employees
and their dependents, with services beginning January 1, 2027. The vendor should have
significant experience working with large and/or public sector employers and diverse
employee populations.
1.2 The San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS).
1.2.1 The San Francisco Health Service System.
SFHSS executes all process phases related to benefit operations and administration of
non-pension benefits (including health, dental and vision) for over 139,000 individuals
pursuant to the City and County of San Francisco Charter sections 12.200-12.203 and
A8.420-A8.432, and San Francisco Administrative Code sections 16.700-16.703. These
individuals include both active and retired employees from the City’s four (4) employer
groups and their eligible dependents (collectively, “Members”).
SFHSS is dedicated to providing outstanding high-quality and sustainable employee
benefits to preserve and enhance the well-being of City employees, while adhering to the
highest standards of service and support for our Members. For additional information,
please reference the SFHSS Strategic Plan for 2023-2025 at
https://sfhss.org/resource/sfhss-strategic-plan-2023-2025.
1.2.2 SFHSS Health Service Board.
The Health Service Board (HSB) is the governing and policy-making body of the San
Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS). The HSB supports SFHSS's mission to preserve
and improve sustainable, quality health benefits and to enhance the well-being of
members and their families. HSB duties and responsibilities are detailed on the SFHSS
website at https://sfhss.org/health-service-board.
Throughout the year, SFHSS reports to the HSB on the status of benefit contracts under
SFHSS jurisdiction. At the Regular Meeting of the HSB on November 13, 2025, SFHSS
presented for discussion its intent to issue a competitive bid for dental coverage. The
agenda, presentation materials, transcript and video recording of this meeting are
available at https://sfhss.org/board-meeting/2025-11-13t210000.
RFP for Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Request for Proposal for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)
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1.2.3 City And County of San Francisco.
SFHSS is one of approximately 130 entities, including departments, commissions and
other miscellaneous agencies within the City. The City is organized as a mayor-council
system with an executive mayor, elected by the voting public, and a separately elected
legislative city council, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (BoS). Certain department
heads are elected by the voters, e.g., City Attorney, and Treasurer/Tax Collector; others are
appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, e.g., Controller; while
others, including the Executive Director of the San Francisco Health Service System, are
appointed by the commission assigned with the authority and oversight of that department
and its functions.
1.2.4 SFHSS Annual Renewal Process.
Each year, SFHSS conducts an annual renewal process for all benefits. This process
allows SFHSS to create consistency in how we communicate and validate our
expectations for the upcoming plan year (beginning January 1st) and the Open Enrollment
period (a fixed annual enrollment period held in October of the prior year). The annual
renewal process also allows SFHSS to adjust benefits in response to new regulatory
requirements, prior year(s) plan experience, City policies, benefit design strategies
developed by SFHSS and our industry partners, Health Service Board policies, and
legislative changes.
The Selected Respondent, as a result of this RFP, agrees to be an active participant in the
SFHSS annual renewal process each year, including timely delivery of renewal responses,
materials and follow-ups to requests, and well-prepared meetings and materials for
SFHSS, the Health Service Board, the SFHSS actuary and consultants, and City/employee
stakeholders (https://sfhss.org/board-annual-rates-and-benefits-cycle).
1.2.5 Health Service System Trust Fund (“Trust”).
The Trust operates as a pay-as-you-go system meaning that payments for current Member
benefits come from current payments into the Trust. Outside the reserves already
discussed, the Trust does not maintain funds for future benefits or asset building.
A stabilization reserve has been established to manage volatility. The stabilization reserve
distributes Member claims experience gains or losses into the following year’s premium
calculation in a balanced manner to reduce year-to-year premium changes. The Health
Service Board’s Rate Stabilization Policy requires an annual determination of the financial
gain or loss over a calendar year for each self-funded SFHSS plan. The difference between
the expected and actual plan costs for the just-completed plan year is added to the
existing stabilization reserve balance and, under the policy, is amortized over a three-year
rating period. The Health Service Board’s Self-Funded Plans’ Stabilization Policy is also
known as the Funding Policy. The Trust is audited annually by an independent auditor for
RFP for Active Self-Funded Dental PPO Request for Proposal for Plan Year 2027 (RFPQHSS2025.B2)
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Commodity Codes
  • NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
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