Mandatory consolidated purchasing.

A. The agencies shall enter into a cooperative consolidated purchasing effort to provide plans of health care benefits for the benefit of eligible participants of the respective agencies. The request for proposal shall set forth one or more plans of health care benefits and shall include accommodation of fully funded arrangements as well as varying degrees of self-funded pool options. B. A consolidated purchasing request for proposals for all health care benefits by the publicly funded health care agencies shall be issued on or before July 1, 1999 and any contracts for health care benefits renewed or issued on or after July 1, 2000 shall be the result of consolidated purchasing. C. All requests for proposals issued as part of the consolidated purchasing shall include at least one distinct service area consisting of the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Proposals on a distinct service area shall be evaluated separately.