Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations

HB 1371

Brief Description:  Allowing participation in health care authority insurance plans and contracts by surviving spouses and dependent children of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty.

Sponsors:  Representatives Morell, O'Brien, Woods, Bush, Cooper, Haigh, Simpson, Armstrong, Ahern, Lovick, Marine, Anderson, Pearson, Benson, Keiser, Conway, Hurst, Santos and Campbell.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Permits surviving spouses and children of "emergency service personnel" killed in the line of duty to purchase health care benefits from the Public Employees= Benefits Board.

Hearing Date:  2/8/01

Staff:  Andrea Hardy (786‑7349).

Background: 

Retired or disabled employees of the state, school districts, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions may purchase health care benefits from the Public Employees= Benefits Board.  This coverage is purchased at full cost based on a risk pool, and it includes an additional administrative fee for each participant.  Participants eligible for Medicare parts A and B are placed in one risk pool.  All other retired or disabled participants are placed in a risk pool with active employees.  Both groups are charged based on the per capita costs incurred by the appropriate risk pool, minus a subsidy in the case of Medicare eligible participants.

Summary of Bill: 

Surviving spouses and children of emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty may purchase health care benefits from the Public Employees= Benefits Board.  ?Emergency service personnel@ includes members of the Law Enforcement Officers= and Fire Fighters= Retirement system, reserve officers and volunteer fire fighters, Washington State Patrol officers, fish and wildlife enforcement officers, state parks and recreation commission enforcement officers, state liquor control board enforcement officers and gambling commission enforcement officers.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 2, 2001.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed, except section 2, which takes effect March 1, 2002.