ENROLLED

H. B. 2525


(By Delegates Douglas, Kuhn, Butcher,

Hatfield, Manchin, Prunty and Leggett)


[Passed March 28, 2001; in effect July 1, 2001.]


AN ACT to amend and reenact section three, article sixteen, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to continuing the public employees insurance agency.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section three, article sixteen, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
 ยง5-16-3. Public employees insurance agency continued; appointment, qualification, compensation and duties of director of agency; employees; civil service coverage; director vested after specified date with powers of public employees insurance board; expiration of agency.
(a) The public employees insurance agency is continued, and consists of the director, the finance board, the advisory board and any employees who may be authorized by law. The director shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. He or she shall serve at the will and pleasure of the governor, unless earlier removed from office for cause as provided by law. The director shall have at least three years' experience in health insurance administration prior to appointment as director. The director shall receive an annual salary established by the governor not to exceed sixty-five thousand dollars and actual expenses incurred in the performance of official business. The director shall employ such administrative, technical and clerical employees as are required for the proper administration of the insurance programs provided for in this article. The director shall perform such duties as are required of him or her under the provisions of this article and is the chief administrative officer of the public employees insurance agency. The director may employ a deputy director: Provided, That the director shall report each year to the joint committee on government and finance on the agency's total contract costs for consultant contracts and the costs of the deputy director's position for the fiscal years one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight through two thousand.
(b) All positions in the agency, except for the director, his or her personal secretary, the deputy director and the chief financial officer shall be included in the classified service of
the civil service system pursuant to article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Any person required to be included in the classified service by the provisions of this subsection who was employed in any of the positions included in this subsection on or after the effective date of this article shall not be required to take and pass qualifying or competitive examinations upon or as a condition to being added to the classified service: Provided, That no person required to be included in the classified service by the provisions of this subsection who was employed in any of the positions included in this subsection as of the effective date of this section shall be thereafter severed, removed or terminated in his or her employment prior to his or her entry into the classified service except for cause as if the person had been in the classified service when severed, removed or terminated.
(c) The director is responsible for the administration and management of the public employees insurance agency as provided for in this article and in connection with his or her responsibility shall have the power and authority to make all rules necessary to effectuate the provisions of this article. Nothing in section four or five of this article shall limit the director's ability to manage on a day-to-day basis the group insurance plans required or authorized by this article, including, but not limited to, administrative contracting, studies, analyses and audits, eligibility determinations, utilization management provisions and incentives, provider negotiations, provider contracting and payment, designation of covered and noncovered services, offering of additional coverage options or cost containment incentives, pursuit of coordination of benefits and subrogation, or any other actions which would serve to implement the plan or plans designed by the finance board.
(d) The public employees insurance agency shall terminate in the manner provided in article ten, chapter four of this code, on the first day of July, two thousand two, unless extended by legislation enacted before the termination date.