Montpelier, Vt. — This week, the Vermont Department of Human Resources and the New Hampshire Department of Insurance issued coordinated Requests for Information (RFI) in connection with Governor Phil Scott’s and Governor Chris Sununu’sproposed Twin State Voluntary Leave Plan.
The Governors’ plan proposes incentivizing the development of an insurance product for paid family and medical leave that is not currently offered in either state. To launch the initiative, each state would cover the full costs of providing Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI) coverage to its state employees through an insurance carrier.
Combined, this represents 18,500 Vermont and New Hampshire state employees to anchor this public-private partnership, diversify risk and bring down costs. Participation would also be available to all businesses, as well as individuals, and is designed to encourage employers to opt-in and provides more favorable rates for those employers who cover all employees.
In a joint statement, the Governors said: “Our plan provides universal access to all employers and citizens of our two states. By working together and with a private insurer we will be able to start this program more quickly, effectively and reliably than if each state government had to start from scratch.”
The Vermont RFI, issued Tuesday, seeks to receive input and gather information that would be used to refine enabling legislation and to develop the Request for Proposals (RFP) to create and implement the proposed plan.
The RFI solicits responses and information from insurance carriers and financial professionals regarding rate development, benefit structure and pricing for state employees, employers and individuals. The RFI specifically requests pricing information regarding higher wage replacement for lower wage earners and progressively pricing individual premiums.
The RFI follows up, and seeks to expand on, introductory conversations the State of New Hampshire had with a number of insurance carriers to initially determine the proposal’s viability and estimate costs.
Questions relating to the RFI are due on February 13 and final responses are due on February 27. It is not necessary for insurance carriers interested in bidding on the request for proposals to participate in the RFI.
For more information, contact Kevin Gaffney, Director at the Department of Financial Regulation at Kevin.Gaffney@vermont.gov.
To view the Vermont RFI, visit: http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/pdf/RFI%20FMLI%20FINALdate.pdf.
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