New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 2 - PUBLIC FINANCE › Chapter 20 - ACCOUNTING BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES › Part 4 - GOVERNING THE AWARD OF PAYROLL DEDUCTION CODES AND DESIGNATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PROGRAMS › Section 2.20.4.10 - IMPLEMENTATION OF A QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PROGRAM

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. Upon certification of a qualified employee
				benefit program, risk management shall implement the program in the following
				manner. Risk management shall draw up specifications for the qualified employee
				benefit program and publish notice of request for proposals through regular
				state bidding procedures. Upon receipt of proposals with application fees, risk
				management shall review each proposal, confirm that it meets the criteria and
				specifications for the qualified employee benefit program and that the vendor
				is a qualified vendor (except for the minimum enrollment qualification). Risk
				management shall then select one or more qualified vendors. Risk management may
				either appoint the single vendor offering the program at the lowest price to be
				the exclusive vendor of that program under contract for up to three years, or
				may authorize several vendors offering the best versions of the program to
				solicit business from state employees during the open and switch enrollment
				period. If several vendors are authorized, risk management may require each
				vendor to cooperate in preparation of a comparison of benefits offered by the
				several vendors of the program.
B.
				If risk management contracts with an exclusive vendor, the contract shall be
				rebid by risk management at the end of the term. Risk management shall require
				as a condition of all bids that any new vendor agree to take over automatically
				all state employees then enrolled in the program.
C. If risk management authorizes several
				vendors, those who enroll 100 or more state employees during open or switch
				enrollment periods shall receive a payroll deduction code. Employees who have
				enrolled in the program with a vendor who does not meet this minimum enrollment
				requirement so as to qualify for a payroll deduction code, shall have an
				immediate opportunity following the open and switch enrollment period which
				results in elimination of that vendor to switch enrollment to a qualified
				vendor.
D. Each year thereafter,
				before the annual open and switch enrollment period, risk management shall
				review the programs offered by all previously authorized qualified vendors to
				ensure that their programs continue to meet the criteria set forth in Section 5
				(D) [now Subsection D of Section 2.20.4.9 NMAC] above, except the minimum
				employee enrollment requirement. Any additional vendor may submit a proposal
				with application fee to risk management at any time before the annual open and
				switch enrollment period for each program. Risk management shall determine
				whether the vendor is qualified and whether the proposal meets the standards
				for the qualified employee benefit program in question; risk management may
				authorize new qualified vendors to participate in the succeeding enrollment
				period. At the end of the open and switch enrollment period, any vendor which
				does not have the minimum enrollment requirement shall lose its payroll
				deduction code.