This is a starting document for an employer's employee benefits marketing process. Replace every bracketed field, delete coverage lines that do not apply, and agree on the request with the employer before sending it. The downloadable file contains the request and response fields below; it needs no signup.
Copy-ready carrier invitation
Subject: [Employer name] employee benefits RFP — [requested effective date]
We invite [carrier or general agency] to propose coverage for [employer name] effective [date]. Please use census version [name/date] and the attached current plan documents. Return the completed response fields and quote documents by [date, time and time zone] to [secure submission channel or contact].
Quote only these lines: [medical, dental, vision, life, disability — edit as needed]. State any missing information, underwriting conditions, participation requirements, exclusions and assumptions that affect the rates. Do not treat a request for similar coverage as permission to omit a material difference.
Questions are due [date]. We will record clarifications and share material changes with all invited carriers through [channel]. The employer expects to review proposals on [date] and make a decision by [date]; these are planning dates, not a guarantee of award.
1. Employer and request details
- Employer: legal name, industry, headquarters and covered work locations or states.
- Coverage: requested effective date, lines of coverage, eligible population and current carrier for each line.
- Decision: employer priorities, target contribution approach, requested plan alternatives and approval date.
- Contact: broker contact and secure channel for questions, files and final responses.
2. Census and current-plan attachments
List the version and date of every attachment. Use the fields a carrier actually needs for the requested quote and its underwriting rules. A working census may identify each covered person's location, age or date of birth as requested, relationship or tier, eligibility status and election. Reconcile the census to current enrollment before distribution; flag people or tiers still under review.
Attach current rates by tier, plan summaries or contracts, contribution rules and any experience information the employer is authorized to share and the carrier requests. Send individual-level files through the employer's approved secure channel. Keep sensitive information out of the RFP body and public email threads. For a consistent coverage summary, use the applicable Summary of Benefits and Coverage alongside the plan documents.
3. Coverage and pricing requested
For each requested plan, ask the carrier to return the same comparison fields. Mark an unavailable field “not provided” and explain why; do not substitute a zero.
| Field | Carrier response |
|---|---|
| Plan identity | Carrier, plan name, network name, coverage line and quote version |
| Timing and status | Effective date, rate guarantee or expiration, firm or indicative status, underwriting conditions |
| Rates | Monthly premium or cost by coverage tier, fees and taxes separately identified, rate basis and census version |
| Medical benefits | Deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, office visit, hospital and prescription terms, with in- and out-of-network distinctions |
| Other coverage | Dental, vision, life or disability limits, waiting periods, exclusions and employee options as applicable |
| Network and service | Provider directory source and date, disruption review method, implementation and member support contact |
| Source and exceptions | Quote and benefit document names, pages or sections, and deviations from the request |
4. Questions for every carrier
- Which census version and effective date did you use? What would require a re-rate?
- Which requested benefits, networks or contribution assumptions differ from the quoted plan?
- What conditions must be satisfied before the rates and coverage are binding?
- Where can the employer verify named providers and prescriptions for the quoted network and formulary?
- What enrollment files, dates and decisions are needed after selection?
5. Submission and evaluation instructions
Ask for a named contact, a completed field list, the official quote and benefit documents, a list of exceptions, and a date through which the proposal remains valid. State how late or incomplete responses will be handled. Evaluate on the same census and effective date, then show employer cost, employee cost, coverage and network differences together. A lower premium alone does not establish that two plans are equivalent.
There is no universal number of carriers or response days that fits every RFP. Set the invitation list and deadlines with the employer and carriers based on the case, underwriting requirements and implementation lead time. Keep the agreed dates in the request instead of relying on a generic schedule.
Before you send the request
- Replace all bracketed fields and remove inapplicable coverage lines.
- Confirm the census, current enrollment, rates and requested effective date agree across attachments.
- Check that the employer approves the recipient list and the information to disclose.
- Record file versions, secure delivery method, question deadline and response deadline.
- Ask every carrier to document missing values, conditions and departures from the requested benefits.
After carrier responses arrive
Log each response and its version in the carrier quoting tracker. Put comparable figures into the free benefit comparison workbook. Review each extracted or entered value against the actual quote and benefit documents before presenting a recommendation. Planlined can help turn returned carrier documents into a reviewed comparison and branded proposal; it does not send this RFP to carriers or validate an unverified quote automatically.
Questions about the template
Is the employee benefits RFP template free?
Yes. Download the editable text file or copy the request and fields on this page without signing up. Customize it with the employer before sending.
What should a benefits RFP include?
Include the employer and effective date, a versioned census and current-plan documents, requested coverage and response fields, carrier questions, submission instructions, and the decision criteria. State what is missing or conditional.
How long should carriers have to respond?
Set a deadline for the specific case with the employer and invited carriers. Allow for underwriting questions, review, a client decision and implementation; there is no universal response period.