# Miami-Dade Selects Aetna for Health Plan

Miami-Dade County selected Aetna Life Insurance Company to administer its self-insured employee health plan after evaluations estimated **$45.5 million in annual savings** compared with incumbent AvMed’s proposal. On November 12, 2026, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal affirmed that the county was not required under the cited state statute to competitively bid the plan administrator contract. The ruling is not final until any timely rehearing motion is resolved.

- The $45.5 million figure is an estimated annual cost difference, not a reported total contract value; the contract award date and number were not provided.
- The decision is relevant to public-sector health-plan administrators and bidders because it addresses whether this type of self-insured plan administration contract must be competitively bid under the cited Florida statute.
- Contractors evaluating similar work should distinguish this county’s self-insured plan arrangement and statutory context from other procurements; the ruling’s finality remains subject to any timely rehearing motion.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Healthcare
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- Miami-Dade County
- Florida Third District Court of Appeal (Third DCA)

### Vendors
- Aetna Life Insurance Company (awardee)
- AvMed (incumbent and unsuccessful bidder)

### Sources
- [AvMed loses $45.5M fight to keep Miami-Dade health plan contract | Insurance Business](https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/risk-compliance-legal/avmed-loses-45-5m-fight-to-keep-miamidade-health-plan-contract-597340.aspx) - Insurance Business