H-3742.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2857
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By Representatives Hine, Locke, Spanel, Ferguson, Jones, Dorn, Paris, Kremen, G. Fisher, Brough, Pruitt, Rayburn, Prentice, Franklin, Ogden, Roland, Sheldon, Nelson, Bowman, Leonard, Belcher, Orr, Brekke, Bray, H. Myers, Rasmussen, Fraser, G. Cole, O'Brien, J. Kohl and Anderson
Read first time 01/29/92. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to school retirees' health insurance coverage; adding a new section to chapter 28A.400 RCW; creating new sections; and repealing RCW 28A.400.390.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.400 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Every group disability insurance policy, health care service contract, health maintenance agreement, and health and welfare benefit plan obtained or created to provide benefits to employees of school districts and their dependents shall contain provisions that permit retired and disabled employees to continue medical, dental, or vision coverage under the group policy, contract, agreement, or plan until the employee becomes eligible for federal medicare coverage. The terms and conditions for election and maintenance of such continued coverage shall conform to the standards established under the federal consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1985, as amended. The period of continued coverage provided under this section shall run concurrently with any period of coverage guaranteed under the federal consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1985, as amended.
(2) This section applies to:
(a) School district employees who retired or lost insurance coverage due to disability after July 28, 1991;
(b) School district employees who retired or lost insurance coverage due to disability within the eighteen-month period ending on July 28, 1991; and
(c) School district employees who retired or lost insurance coverage due to disability prior to January 28, 1990, and who were covered by their employing district's insurance plan on January 1, 1991.
(3) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt administrative rules to implement this section.
(4) This section shall expire June 30, 1994.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The health care authority shall study and develop recommendations regarding group health insurance coverage for retired and disabled school district employees. The health care authority shall collect such information as it deems necessary to address the following issues:
(a) Alternatives for making appropriate health insurance coverage available to currently retired and disabled school district employees, including allowing these employees to participate in insurance plans offered by the state employees' benefits board at no additional cost to the state;
(b) Development of estimated costs and funding mechanisms to provide health insurance coverage for currently retired and disabled school district employees at a reasonable cost, including alternatives for partial subsidization of costs by active employees or the state; and
(c) Identification of issues and alternatives for defining eligibility for group health insurance coverage for currently retired and disabled school district employees.
(2) The health care authority may form technical advisory committees to assist with the study. The health care authority shall submit its findings and recommendations to the legislature by January 15, 1993.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If specific funding for the purposes of section 2 of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1992, in the omnibus appropriations act, section 2 of this act shall be null and void.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. RCW 28A.400.390 and 1991 c 254 s 1 are each repealed.