PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
(Public Employees Benefits Board)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: The public employees benefits board (PEBB) rules related to enrollment in chapter 182-08 WAC; eligibility in chapter 182-12 WAC; and appeals in chapter 182-16 WAC.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 41.05.160.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The main purpose of this rule making is to amend PEBB rules in TITLE 182 WAC and adopt new rules to:
1. Provide clarification around:
a. Administration of premium refunds.
b. Administration of the medical flexible spending arrangement in order to implement a health savings account.
c. Health plan enrollment for employees who do not select a medical or dental plan.
d. The date coverage will be waived for employees who waive medical coverage.
e. Aligning the titles of WAC 182-12-131 and 182-12-141 to be more congruent with the content.
f. The requirement for retirees to maintain dental enrollment for two years.
g. The requirement for providing notice of dependents' loss of eligibility.
h. When the employer contribution toward long-term disability insurance ends.
i. Administration of retroactive eligibility changes, including changes necessary to implement federal regulation around rescissions of coverage.
2. Implement PEBB policy regarding dependent eligibility.
3. In addition, the health care authority will conduct a full review of PEBB program rules in these chapters and make changes as necessary to provide technical corrections and to comply with federal regulation around rescissions of coverage.
Process for Developing New Rule: Stakeholder mailing and public hearing.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Individuals wishing to receive PEBB rule-making notices are encouraged to join our LISTSERV, PEBB-RULE-MAKING-NOTICE, via this link http://listserv.wa.gov/archives/pebb-rule-making-notice.html or by logging on to listserv.wa.gov and selecting our LISTSERV from the Public E-mail List.
If you have questions about this rule making, contact Barbara Scott at (360) 923-2642 or Shelli Lackey at (360) 923-2643 or at Health Care Authority, P.O. Box 42684, Olympia, WA 98504-2684, Barbara.Scott@hca.wa.gov, Shelli.Lackey@hca.wa.gov.
June 1, 2011
Jason Siems
Rules Coordinator