Specifications include, but are not limited to: Consulting Services: 1. Provided analysis, recommendation, marketing and negotiation services to Santa Fe County for employee benefits plans. 2. Provide guidance on compliance to Santa Fe County for employee benefit plans. 3. Provide administrative support services to Santa Fe County for employee benefit plans. 4. Review vendor/carrier contracts as needed and verify evidence of insurance. 5. Provide strategic guidance in the area of employee benefits. Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long Term Disability, flexible spending plans and COBRA administration. 6. Assist Santa Fe County in the design of benefits programs. 7. Make recommendations for the benefits programs offered by Santa Fe County to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness while fulfilling coverage needs. 8. Provide tailored benchmarking reports to assist Santa Fe County in the evaluation and design in their benefits program. 9. Assist in drafting employee communications and materials. 10. Provide strategic guidance on compliance issues. 11. Provide guidance on Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other mandatory items 12. Provide thorough reports to Santa Fe County regarding claims, forecasts, budget, etc. regularly and as directed by the County 13. Be readily available to answer questions. 14. Assist the County when evaluating processes related to benefits to include enhancements to technology. 15. Monitor state and federal legislation and compliance and inform Santa Fe County about changes that may apply to the insurances offered by Santa Fe County. 16. Advise Santa Fe County of any insurance carrier initiative or changes that may affect the plans offered by Santa Fe County. Broker Services: 1. Monitor and review performance of insurance carriers for accuracy of claims processing, appropriateness of customer service and responsiveness to the Santa Fe County’s request for information and plan benefits and adjustments. 2. Serve as a Liaison between Santa Fe County and insurance carriers, assisting with benefit changes, rate changes and administrative support issues. 3. Assist in analyzing bids received from insurance carriers and present an analysis of the results and recommendations from analysis to Santa Fe County. 4. Assist in the negotiation of insurance contracts and renewals to achieve competitive rates and desired performance guarantees. 5. Analyze insurance plan claims experience, network utilization, insurer and employer cost structures and financial performance for health insurances offered through Santa Fe County. 6. Present claims analysis on a quarterly basis and as requested by Santa Fe County. 7. Assist Santa Fe County in the establishment of appropriate funding rates. 8. Attend meetings with carriers/plan administrators and Santa Fe County as needed. If requested to do so, make written or oral reports to the Board of County Commissioners, the County Manager and the Deputy County Manager. 9. Assist in the process to coordinate the termination of contracts with carriers to include verification of liability for existing claims and those incurred but not reported as well as claim submission time frames. 10. Coordinate transfer of coverages if necessary to selected carriers to include assisting with any related policy or financial documents. 11. Maintain and provide detailed knowledge of the local and national insurance industry, including the range of products available in the market and knowledge of carrier companies. 12. Review carrier plan documents for accuracy, including rates, benefits, eligibility criteria, coverage definitions and descriptions of administrative functions to be provided.