1. (a) The Texas Public School Retirees Group Insurance Program may include separate contracts for:

   1. (1) a health benefit plan;
   2. (2) a utilization review service; and
   3. (3) services to provide other ancillary benefits.
2. (b) To be eligible to bid on the health benefit services or products a bidder must have annual health benefit premiums and premium equivalents of at least $1 billion.

3. (c) To be eligible to bid on utilization review a bidder must:

   1. (1) satisfy the eligibility requirement set forth in subsection (b) of this section; and
   2. (2) currently be servicing at least twice as many persons as will be covered under this program.
4. (d) To be eligible to bid on services to provide other ancillary benefits a bidder must currently be servicing at least twice as many persons as will be covered under this program.
5. (e) Bidders who desire to bid on the administrative services only of a TRS benefits program which includes group health benefits are not covered by subsection (f) of this section.
6. (f) Bidders who wish to bid on services or products available to the entire state or to a region of the state shall provide information for each area consisting of a county and all adjacent counties, on the number and types of qualified providers willing to participate in coverage or plan, for which the bid is made.
7. (g) In determining the quality of the bids, the Board of Trustees or its designee may consider such factors and criteria as they deem relevant and appropriate under the circumstances.

Source Note:The provisions of this §41.8 adopted to be effective April 5, 1991, 16 TexReg 1754; amended to be effective August 31, 1998, 23 TexReg 8842.