An act establishing a special committee to issue a Request for Proposal for the provision of a self-funded group health and dental insurance for government employees and retirees of the Government of the Virgin Islands

2025-2026 Regular Session

Creates a special committee to design and issue an RFP for a self-funded health and dental plan for Government of the Virgin Islands employees and retirees.

Introduced

Overview

Bill 36-0126 proposes the creation of a special committee to oversee the procurement of a self-funded group health and dental insurance plan for Government of the Virgin Islands (GVI) employees and retirees. The core goal is to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to select a contractor or administrator to provide a self-funded health and dental benefits program.

Purpose and Intent

Establish a formal, dedicated body (a special committee) charged with designing and executing a competitive procurement process.

Move the GVI employees and retirees to a self-funded (partial or fully self-insured) group health and dental insurance arrangement, rather than a traditional fully insured plan.

Ensure there is a structured process to evaluate options and select a plan that meets the needs of government workers and retired workers.

Key Provisions

Creation of a special committee empowered to issue an RFP for self-funded health and dental insurance.

Scope covers provisions for government employees and retirees of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

The bill designates the procurement as the result of the committee’s work and oversight, with the RFP serving as the route to selecting a provider/administrator.

No specific plan design details (e.g., exact funding mechanism, contribution shares, cost-sharing, stop-loss coverage, or vendor criteria) are provided in the summary materials available.

Affected Parties

Government of the Virgin Islands (administrative and financial leadership).

Current and future GVI government employees and retirees who would be covered under any resulting self-funded health and dental program.

Potential health plan providers, administrators, and third-party consultants participating in the RFP process.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

Economic/financial: Self-funded plans shift risk and administrative responsibility to the government; potential for cost savings or cost shifts depending on plan design, claim experience, and administrative efficiency.

Operational: Requires capacity to manage a procurement process, contract management, vendor oversight, and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Risk management: Self-funded plans necessitate careful risk management, including stop-loss coverage and data analytics to monitor claims and utilization.

Beneficiary experience: Plan design decisions (not specified in the bill) will influence premiums, benefits, provider networks, and customer service for employees and retirees.

Next Steps

If enacted, the special committee would proceed with issuing an RFP for a self-funded health and dental plan and evaluate responses.

Legislative actions likely to continue as the bill moves through committee review and floor consideration in the Senate and/or House, depending on the Virgin Islands’ legislative process.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to highlight potential fiscal implications or compare it to common self-funded procurement practices in similar jurisdictions.

Bill