1740-S AMH HUNT PRIN 474

SHB 1740 - H AMD 200

By Representative Hunter

ADOPTED 03/09/2015

    On page 5, after line 36, insert the following:

    "Sec. 3.  RCW 41.05.050 and 2009 c 537 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Every: (a) Department, division, or separate agency of state government; (b) county, municipal, school district, educational service district, or other political subdivisions; and (c) tribal governments as are covered by this chapter, shall provide contributions to insurance and health care plans for its employees and their dependents, the content of such plans to be determined by the authority. Contributions, paid by the county, the municipality, other political subdivision, or a tribal government for their employees, shall include an amount determined by the authority to pay such administrative expenses of the authority as are necessary to administer the plans for employees of those groups, except as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(2) If the authority at any time determines that the participation of a county, municipal, other political subdivision, or a tribal government covered under this chapter adversely impacts insurance rates for state employees, the authority ((shall implement limitations on the participation of additional))may develop an employer-specific charge for each county, municipal, other political subdivision((s)), or ((a)) tribal government that offsets a significant increase in insurance rates for state employees that could be caused by the participation of that employer.

(3) The contributions of any: (a) Department, division, or separate agency of the state government; (b) county, municipal, or other political subdivisions; and (c) any tribal government as are covered by this chapter, shall be set by the authority, subject to the approval of the governor for availability of funds as specifically appropriated by the legislature for that purpose. Insurance and health care contributions for ferry employees shall be governed by RCW 47.64.270.

(4)(a) The authority shall collect from each participating school district and educational service district an amount equal to the composite rate charged to state agencies, plus an amount equal to the employee premiums by plan and family size as would be charged to state employees, for groups of district employees enrolled in authority plans. The authority may collect these amounts in accordance with the district fiscal year, as described in RCW 28A.505.030.

(b) For all groups of district employees enrolling in authority plans for the first time after September 1, 2003, the authority shall collect from each participating school district an amount equal to the composite rate charged to state agencies, plus an amount equal to the employee premiums by plan and by family size as would be charged to state employees, only if the authority determines that this method of billing the districts will not result in a material difference between revenues from districts and expenditures made by the authority on behalf of districts and their employees. The authority may collect these amounts in accordance with the district fiscal year, as described in RCW 28A.505.030.

(c) If the authority determines at any time that the conditions in (b) of this subsection cannot be met, the authority shall offer enrollment to additional groups of district employees on a tiered rate structure until such time as the authority determines there would be no material difference between revenues and expenditures under a composite rate structure for all district employees enrolled in authority plans.

(d) The authority may charge districts a one-time set-up fee for employee groups enrolling in authority plans for the first time.

(e) For the purposes of this subsection:

(i) "District" means school district and educational service district; and

(ii) "Tiered rates" means the amounts the authority must pay to insuring entities by plan and by family size.

(f) Notwithstanding this subsection and RCW 41.05.065(4), the authority may allow districts enrolled on a tiered rate structure prior to September 1, 2002, to continue participation based on the same rate structure and under the same conditions and eligibility criteria.

(5) The authority shall transmit a recommendation for the amount of the employer contribution to the governor and the director of financial management for inclusion in the proposed budgets submitted to the legislature."

     Correct the title

EFFECT:   Rather than permitting Health Care Authority (HCA) to limit the participation of county, political subdivision, municipal or tribal employer participation in the state employee insurance program if the participation of those non-state employers increases costs for state employees, HCA is authorized to develop employer-specific charges that offset any significant increase to insurance rates for state employees that could be caused by the participation of the employer.

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