Be clear and concise. Confusing RFPs create questions and questions take time to answer. Multiply the number of questions by the number of carriers to whom you send RFPs and it’s not hard to imagine that a good amount of time can be saved by sending requests that are clear from the start. Examples of things that tend to trip up carriers when quoting: groups with multiple and/or out-of-state locations, unclear natures of business, and dozens (or, in some cases, hundreds) of pages of benefit summaries to sort through. Try to anticipate questions and answer them before they are asked.

 
Send a quality census. Many group medical carriers now have software that accommodates Microsoft Excel files. If you are sending a group request with more than 10 or 15 employees, consider using Excel to create the census. The Cason Group has templates available, so you don’t have to create one from scratch. Also, make sure all of the needed information is on the census. Missing census information is a common reason that the quote process is held up.

 
Technology is your friend. An e-mail with an attachment can make it to your recipient in a matter of seconds, but faxes take longer and reduce the quality of your RFPs. Minimize the amount of information you fax–not to mention the amount of paper you use–by investing in a scanner and going paperless. You will be more efficient and the environment will be grateful.

 
Respond to questions quickly. Delays in getting complete informationwill obviously increase the time it takes to get quotes. The faster you respond to questions about your request, the sooner you will have quotes in your hand (or your e-mail inbox).

 
Ask for an expedited turnaround when necessary. Sometimes it may be possible for a carrier to put your quote request at the top of the stack. But if you abuse the privilege, your expedited turnaround requests may begin to carry less weight and you might not get the exception when you really need it. Try to limit your “emergencies” to true moments of necessity. Also, your request for a quick turnaround has a better chance of being honored if you are specific about when you need it: “by the end of the day tomorrow” is a much more specific request than “as soon as possible.”

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