(1) An elected and full-time appointed official of the legislative and executive branch of state government is eligible to continue enrollment or defer enrollment in public employees benefits board (PEBB) retiree insurance coverage under the same terms as an outgoing legislator, when they voluntarily or involuntarily leave public office. The following officials are eligible if they meet the procedural requirements as described in subsection (3) of this section:

(a) A member of the state legislature;

(b) A statewide elected official of the executive branch;

(c) An executive official appointed directly by the governor as the single head of an executive branch agency; or

(d) An official appointed directly by a state legislative committee as the single head of a legislative branch agency or an official appointed to secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house of representatives.

(2) The spouse, state registered domestic partner, or child of an official described in subsection (1) of this section who loses eligibility due to the death of the official may enroll or defer enrollment as a survivor under PEBB retiree insurance coverage as described in (a) and (b) of this subsection and must meet procedural requirements as described in subsection (3) of this section.

(a) The official's spouse or state registered domestic partner may continue health plan enrollment until death.

(b) The official's child may continue health plan enrollment until they lose eligibility as described in WAC 182-12-260.

(3) Procedural requirements. An official described in subsection (1) of this section or their survivor described in subsection (2) of this section must enroll or defer enrollment in PEBB retiree insurance coverage as described in (a) through (d) of this subsection:

(a) For an official to enroll in PEBB retiree insurance coverage the required forms must be received by the PEBB program no later than sixty days after the official leaves public office. The effective date of PEBB retiree insurance coverage is the first day of the month after the official leaves public office;

For a survivor to enroll in PEBB retiree insurance coverage, the required forms must be received by the PEBB program no later than sixty days after the later of the date of the official's death or the date the survivor's PEBB insurance coverage ends. The effective date of PEBB retiree insurance coverage is the first day of the month after the date of the official's death or the first day of the month after the survivor's PEBB insurance coverage ends;

(b) The official's or survivor's first premium payment and applicable premium surcharges are due to the health care authority (HCA) no later than forty-five days after the official's or survivor's election period ends as described in (a) of this subsection. Following the official's or survivor's first premium payment, premiums and applicable premium surcharges must be paid as described in WAC 182-08-180 (1)(c);

(c) If an official or a survivor elects to enroll a dependent in PEBB health plan coverage, the dependent must be enrolled in the same PEBB medical and PEBB dental plan as the official or survivor;

(d) To defer enrollment in a PEBB health plan the official or the survivor must meet deferral enrollment requirements as described in WAC 182-12-200 or 182-12-205.

(4) If the official, an enrolled dependent, or their survivor is entitled to medicare or becomes entitled to medicare after enrollment in PEBB retiree insurance coverage, they must enroll and maintain enrollment in medicare Parts A and B to remain enrolled in a PEBB retiree health plan. If an enrollee who is entitled to medicare does not meet this procedural requirement, the enrollee is no longer eligible for enrollment in a PEBB retiree health plan. The enrollee may continue PEBB health plan enrollment as described in WAC 182-12-146.

(5) An official described in subsection (1) of this section shall be included in the term "retiree" or "retiring employee" as used in chapters 182-08, 182-12, and 182-16 WAC.