BILL REQ. #:  S-0545.1 

Read first time 02/07/2005.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to retired local government employees; amending RCW 41.05.011, 41.04.208, 41.05.022, 41.05.080, and 41.05.120; adding a new section to chapter 41.04 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 41.05.011 and 2001 c 165 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section shall apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Administrator" means the administrator of the authority.
     (2) "State purchased health care" or "health care" means medical and health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment purchased with state and federal funds by the department of social and health services, the department of health, the basic health plan, the state health care authority, the department of labor and industries, the department of corrections, the department of veterans affairs, and local school districts.
     (3) "Authority" means the Washington state health care authority.
     (4) "Insuring entity" means an insurer as defined in chapter 48.01 RCW, a health care service contractor as defined in chapter 48.44 RCW, or a health maintenance organization as defined in chapter 48.46 RCW.
     (5) "Flexible benefit plan" means a benefit plan that allows employees to choose the level of health care coverage provided and the amount of employee contributions from among a range of choices offered by the authority.
     (6) "Employee" includes all full-time and career seasonal employees of the state, whether or not covered by civil service; elected and appointed officials of the executive branch of government, including full-time members of boards, commissions, or committees; and includes any or all part-time and temporary employees under the terms and conditions established under this chapter by the authority; justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of appeals and the superior courts; and members of the state legislature or of the legislative authority of any county, city, or town who are elected to office after February 20, 1970. "Employee" also includes: (a) Employees of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state if the legislative authority of the county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state seeks and receives the approval of the authority to provide any of its insurance programs by contract with the authority, as provided in RCW 41.04.205; (b) employees of employee organizations representing state civil service employees, at the option of each such employee organization, and, effective October 1, 1995, employees of employee organizations currently pooled with employees of school districts for the purpose of purchasing insurance benefits, at the option of each such employee organization; and (c) employees of a school district if the authority agrees to provide any of the school districts' insurance programs by contract with the authority as provided in RCW 28A.400.350.
     (7) "Board" means the public employees' benefits board established under RCW 41.05.055.
     (8) "Retired or disabled school employee" means:
     (a) Persons who separated from employment with a school district or educational service district and are receiving a retirement allowance under chapter 41.32 or 41.40 RCW as of September 30, 1993;
     (b) Persons who separate from employment with a school district or educational service district on or after October 1, 1993, and immediately upon separation receive a retirement allowance under chapter 41.32, 41.35, or 41.40 RCW;
     (c) Persons who separate from employment with a school district or educational service district due to a total and permanent disability, and are eligible to receive a deferred retirement allowance under chapter 41.32, 41.35, or 41.40 RCW.
     (9) "Benefits contribution plan" means a premium only contribution plan, a medical flexible spending arrangement, or a cafeteria plan whereby state and public employees may agree to a contribution to benefit costs which will allow the employee to participate in benefits offered pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 125 or other sections of the internal revenue code.
     (10) "Salary" means a state employee's monthly salary or wages.
     (11) "Participant" means an individual who fulfills the eligibility and enrollment requirements under the benefits contribution plan.
     (12) "Plan year" means the time period established by the authority.
     (13) "Separated employees" means persons who separate from employment with an employer as defined in:
     (a) RCW 41.32.010(11) on or after July 1, 1996; or
     (b) RCW 41.35.010 on or after September 1, 2000; or
     (c) RCW 41.40.010 on or after March 1, 2002;
and who are at least age fifty-five and have at least ten years of service under the teachers' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW 41.32.010(40), the Washington school employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW 41.35.010, or the public employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW 41.40.010.
     (14) "Emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty" means law enforcement officers and fire fighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030, and reserve officers and fire fighters as defined in RCW 41.24.010 who die as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment as determined consistent with Title 51 RCW by the department of labor and industries.
     (15) "Retired local government employee" means:
     (a) Persons who separated from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state and are receiving a retirement allowance under chapter 41.40 RCW as of July 1, 2005;
     (b) Persons who separate from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state on or after July 1, 2005, and immediately upon separation receive a retirement allowance under chapter 41.40 RCW; or
     (c) Members of the public employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in chapter 41.40 RCW who are at least fifty-five years of age and who have at least ten years of service credit in the public employees' retirement system and who separate from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state on or after July 1, 2005, and immediately upon separation elect to continue health insurance coverage with their employer or coverage provided by the public employees' benefits board.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.04.208 and 2004 c 173 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section.
     (a) "Disabled employee" means a person eligible to receive a disability retirement allowance from the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan 2 and the public employees' retirement system.
     (b) "Health plan" means a contract, policy, fund, trust, or other program established jointly or individually by a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state that provides for all or a part of hospitalization or medical aid for its employees and their dependents under RCW 41.04.180.
     (c) "Retired employee" means a public employee meeting the retirement eligibility, years of service requirements, and other criteria of the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan 2 and the public employees' retirement system, except that "retired local government employee" means:
     (i) Persons who separated from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state and are receiving a retirement allowance under chapter 41.40 RCW as of July 1, 2005;
     (ii) Persons who separate from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state on or after July 1, 2005, and immediately upon separation receive a retirement allowance under chapter 41.40 RCW;
     (iii) Members of the public employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in chapter 41.40 RCW who are at least fifty-five years of age and who have at least ten years of service credit in the public employees' retirement system and who separate from employment with a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state on or after July 1, 2005, and immediately upon separation elect to continue health insurance coverage with their employer or coverage provided by the public employees' benefits board.
     (2) A county, municipality, or other political subdivision that provides a health plan for its employees shall permit retired and disabled employees and their dependents to continue participation in a plan subject to the exceptions, limitations, and conditions set forth in this section. However, this section does not apply to a county, municipality, or other political subdivision participating in an insurance program administered under chapter 41.05 RCW if retired and disabled employees and their dependents of the participating county, municipality, or other political subdivision are covered under an insurance program administered under chapter 41.05 RCW. Nothing in this subsection or chapter 319, Laws of 2002 precludes the local government employer from offering retired or disabled employees a health plan with a benefit structure, copayment, deductible, coinsurance, lifetime benefit maximum, and other plan features which differ from those offered through a health plan provided to active employees. Further, nothing in this subsection precludes a local government employer from joining with other public agency employers, including interjurisdictional benefit pools and multi-employer associations or consortiums, to fulfill its obligations under chapter 319, Laws of 2002.
     (3) A county, municipality, or other political subdivision has full authority to require a person who requests continued participation in a health plan under subsection (2) of this section to pay the full cost of such participation, including any amounts necessary for administration. However, this subsection does not require an employer who is currently paying for all or part of a health plan for its retired and disabled employees to discontinue those payments.
     (4) Payments for continued participation in a former employer's health plan may be assigned to the underwriter of the health plan from public pension benefits or may be paid to the former employer, as determined by the former employer, so that an underwriter of the health plan that is an insurance company, health care service contractor, or health maintenance organization is not required to accept individual payments from persons continuing participation in the employer's health plan.
     (5) After an initial open enrollment period of ninety days after January 1, 2003, an employer may not be required to permit a person to continue participation in the health plan if the person is responsible for a lapse in coverage under the plan. In addition, an employer may not be required to permit a person to continue participation in the employer's health plan if the employer offered continued participation in a health plan that meets the requirements of chapter 319, Laws of 2002.
     (6) If a person continuing participation in the former employer's health plan has medical coverage available through another employer, the medical coverage of the other employer is the primary coverage for purposes of coordination of benefits as provided for in the former employer's health plan.
     (7) If a person's continued participation in a health plan was permitted because of the person's relationship to a retired or disabled employee of the employer providing the health plan and the retired or disabled employee dies, then that person is permitted to continue participation in the health plan for a period of not more than six months after the death of the retired or disabled employee. However, the employer providing the health plan may permit continued participation beyond that time period.
     (8) An employer may offer one or more health plans different from that provided for active employees and designed to meet the needs of persons requesting continued participation in the employer's health plan. An employer, in designing or offering continued participation in a health plan, may utilize terms or conditions necessary to administer the plan to the extent the terms and conditions do not conflict with this section.
     (9) If an employer changes the underwriter of a health plan, the replaced underwriter has no further responsibility or obligation to persons who continued participation in a health plan of the replaced underwriter. However, the employer shall permit those persons to participate in any new health plan.
     (10) The benefits granted under this section are not considered a matter of contractual right. Should the legislature, a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state revoke or change any benefits granted under this section, an affected person is not entitled to receive the benefits as a matter of contractual right.
     (11) This section does not affect any health plan contained in a collective bargaining agreement in existence as of January 1, 2003. However, any plan contained in future collective bargaining agreements shall conform to this section. In addition, this section does not affect any health plan contract or policy in existence as of January 1, 2003. However, any renewal of the contract or policy shall conform to this section.
     (12) Counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions that make a documented good faith effort to comply with the provisions of subsections (2) through (11) of this section and are unable to provide access to a fully insured group health benefit plan are discharged from any obligations under subsections (2) through (11) of this section but shall assist disabled employees and retired employees in applying for health insurance. Assistance may include developing and distributing standardized information on the availability and cost of individual health benefit plans, application packages, and health benefit fairs.
     (13) The office of the insurance commissioner shall make available to counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions information regarding individual health benefit plans, including a list of carriers offering individual coverage, the rates charged, and how to apply for coverage.

Sec. 3   RCW 41.05.022 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 6 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The health care authority is hereby designated as the single state agent for purchasing health services.
     (2) On and after January 1, 1995, at least the following state-purchased health services programs shall be merged into a single, community-rated risk pool: Health benefits for groups of employees of school districts and educational service districts that voluntarily purchase health benefits as provided in RCW 41.05.011; health benefits for state employees; health benefits for eligible retired or disabled school employees not eligible for parts A and B of medicare; health benefits for eligible retired local government employees not eligible for parts A and B of medicare; and health benefits for eligible state retirees not eligible for parts A and B of medicare.
     (3) At a minimum, and regardless of other legislative enactments, the state health services purchasing agent shall:
     (a) Require that a public agency that provides subsidies for a substantial portion of services now covered under the basic health plan use uniform eligibility processes, insofar as may be possible, and ensure that multiple eligibility determinations are not required;
     (b) Require that a health care provider or a health care facility that receives funds from a public program provide care to state residents receiving a state subsidy who may wish to receive care from them, and that an insuring entity that receives funds from a public program accept enrollment from state residents receiving a state subsidy who may wish to enroll with them;
     (c) Strive to integrate purchasing for all publicly sponsored health services in order to maximize the cost control potential and promote the most efficient methods of financing and coordinating services;
     (d) Consult regularly with the governor, the legislature, and state agency directors whose operations are affected by the implementation of this section; and
     (e) Ensure the control of benefit costs under managed competition by adopting rules to prevent employers from entering into an agreement with employees or employee organizations when the agreement would result in increased utilization in public employees' benefits board plans or reduce the expected savings of managed competition.

Sec. 4   RCW 41.05.080 and 2001 c 165 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Under the qualifications, terms, conditions, and benefits set by the board:
     (a) Retired or disabled state employees, retired or disabled school employees, or employees of county, municipal, or other political subdivisions ((covered by this chapter)) who are retired may continue their participation in insurance plans and contracts after retirement or disablement; retired employees of county, municipal, or other political subdivisions who selected participation in insurance plans provided by their employers immediately upon retirement may elect to move to coverage provided by the public employees' benefits board during the open enrollment period of each year, provided that no lapse in coverage results;
     (b) Separated employees may continue their participation in insurance plans and contracts if participation is selected immediately upon separation from employment; separated employees of county, municipal, or other political subdivisions who selected participation in insurance plans provided by their employers immediately upon separation of employment may elect to move to coverage provided by the public employees' benefits board during the open enrollment period of each year, provided that no lapse in coverage results;
     (c) Surviving spouses and dependent children of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty may participate in insurance plans and contracts.
     (2) Rates charged surviving spouses of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty, retired or disabled employees, separated employees, spouses, or dependent children who are not eligible for parts A and B of medicare shall be based on the experience of the community rated risk pool established under RCW 41.05.022.
     (3) Rates charged to surviving spouses of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty, retired or disabled employees, separated employees, spouses, or children who are eligible for parts A and B of medicare shall be calculated from a separate experience risk pool comprised only of individuals eligible for parts A and B of medicare; however, the premiums charged to medicare-eligible retirees and disabled employees shall be reduced by the amount of the subsidy provided under RCW 41.05.085.
     (4) Surviving spouses and dependent children of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty and retired or disabled and separated employees shall be responsible for payment of premium rates developed by the authority which shall include the cost to the authority of providing insurance coverage including any amounts necessary for reserves and administration in accordance with this chapter. These self pay rates will be established based on a separate rate for the employee, the spouse, and the children.
     (5) The term "retired state employees" for the purpose of this section shall include but not be limited to members of the legislature whether voluntarily or involuntarily leaving state office.

Sec. 5   RCW 41.05.120 and 1994 c 153 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The public employees' and retirees' insurance account is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer, to be used by the administrator for the deposit of contributions, the remittance paid by school districts and educational service districts under RCW ((28A.400.400)) 28A.400.410, the remittance paid by county, municipality, or other political subdivisions under section 6 of this act, reserves, dividends, and refunds, and for payment of premiums for employee and retiree insurance benefit contracts and subsidy amounts provided under RCW 41.05.085. Moneys from the account shall be disbursed by the state treasurer by warrants on vouchers duly authorized by the administrator.
     (2) The state treasurer and the state investment board may invest moneys in the public employees' and retirees' insurance account. All such investments shall be in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 or 43.84.150, whichever is applicable. The administrator shall determine whether the state treasurer or the state investment board or both shall invest moneys in the public employees' and retirees' insurance account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 41.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) In a manner prescribed by the state health care authority, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions shall remit to the health care authority for deposit in the public employees' and retirees' insurance account established in RCW 41.05.120 an amount established by the public employees' benefits board.
     (2) The remittance requirements specified in this section shall not apply to employees of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision who receive insurance benefits through contracts with the health care authority.
     (3) The health care authority has the authority to establish a remittance amount that will cover the cost of premium subsidies for nonmedicare and medicare retirees and administrative costs related to their coverage.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2005.