Comprehensive Employee Benefit Audit

The County of Santa Barbara is seeking proposals from qualified independent contractors to conduct a comprehensive audit of their employee benefits program. This audit will assess the effectiveness, cost-efficiency, competitiveness, sustainability, governance, and data integrity of the County's current benefit program and its alignment with industry best practices and public-sector standards. A key component of this engagement is evaluating whether continued participation in the PRISM Health Pool is the optimal approach or whether alternative models, such as CalPERS Health, a self-insured program, or a fully insured model, would better serve the County and its employees. The scope of services includes evaluating healthcare coverage models, reviewing governance and consultant oversight, assessing PRISM Health's "value-add" programs, and analyzing transition and implementation considerations. Deliverables will include draft and final audit reports with actionable recommendations, executive summaries, and presentations.